"Jon Blake" > wrote in message
ashington.edu...
> Seeking the group's wisdom on this.
> Car is 2005 330Ci, my first bimmer and one I'm enjoying greatly.
>
> However, I find that the water temp guage is "buffered". That is when,
> say, climbing up a mountain road to a pass, many of which Washington State
> here in the USA is blessed with, the temp guage never climbs. When
> descending long stretches in cool weather the temp guage never makes any
> movement to a cooler reading.
>
> I've heard the more than likely apocryphal story that for the USA market
> the average bimmer owner was concerned that such a fine car had such
> fluctuations in its coolant temp, hence the rock sold reading regardless
> of actual engine temp. I pray this story is urban myth.
>
> Anyway, I'm convinced that the guage won't to a damn thing until someday
> when something untoward happens and then it will jump into the red. I want
> a real guage not an idiot light costumed as a guage.
>
> I am considering adding oil temp, voltage, oil pressure guages mounted
> just in front of the shifter in the small space now occupied by an
> accesory compartment. I really would prefer not to use one of the guage
> spots for a coolant guage.
>
> So, can the buffering be bypassed so as to give real readings, or is the
> whole thing so buried in some obscure cpu that there's no hope.
>
> As you can tell I'm an old fart - I've railed before on the lack of an oil
> dipstick in this year's models as an example and so am prepared to be
> spanked again with some sort of comment about the guage will do what's
> it's supposed to do if things get overheated so I shouldn't. :-)

Truth is that BMW had numerous customer "concerns" because the temp gauge
would reflect the load on the car and ambient conditions. IOW it behaved as
a temp gauge should. So they put in the buffered gauge as a peace of mind
solution for the great mass of the ignorant. Of course you'll now get
little warning of a cooling problem with a gauge climbing inexorably toward
the doom level. Instead everything appears A OK and then a rapid rise to
the peg. You've got about 10 seconds to kill the engine and park it.

BUT, there are several nice aftermarket gauge packages for the E46 that fit
where you specified. A sensor or two to install, route the wiring and
enjoy.

I've seen no DIY mods to the current gauge that will allow it to read
properly.

R / John