Yaris, Scion xD, Honda Fit - no water temp gauge

Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
> In article >,
> Steve > wrote:
>
>> Just another sign of the "drivers are stupid, they don't need to know
>> anything" mentality of modern cars.
>
> Do you know the refrigerant pressure in your refrigerator? No? Why not?
>
> Do you know the temperature inside your fridge? Oh, I see--you added a
> thermometer so you'd know. The little "1-6" dial isn't enough for you,
> so you added something the manufacturer didn't include. And yet you
> bought the fridge anyhow.
>

good analogy!

On Apr 4, 1:56 pm, wrote:
snip
>
> Also, the next bigger models that do have the water temp gauge would
> be Toyota Corolla, Matrix, or Honda Civic. But the extra purchase/
> ownership cost may not even offset the possible repair costs resulting
> from a Yaris/Fit/xD engine overheating (which, if happens, would be
> several years down the road.)
>
> TIA,
> Bubba

I'm gonna challenge your assumption that the Corolla, although
somewhat more expensive to purchase, delivering 26/35 mpg and with
historically outstanding reliability, will cost more to operate and
insure than the smaller cars on your list over the course of 250,000
miles.

You might want to test drive these cars on the same roads and at the
same speeds as your daily commute.

Then get a Ford Focus, or some other similiar car with a gauge
instead. Then call up all the makers of the cars that you didn't buy
and mention that a lack of temperature gauge was why you didn't buy
their car.

I wouldn't buy a car without a temperature gauge, or tachometer
either. That and I always add a voltmeter.

C. E. White > wrote:
>Nissan Frontier do. I think my SO's RAV4 does as well, but I have not had a
>chance to review the wiring diagrams to be sure. I suspect if you want
>"real" gauges you will need to install them yourself, or buy a German car.

Shamefully, even BMW has embraced the fake gauges. I cannot imagine what
they were thinking.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Scott Dorsey wrote:
> C. E. White > wrote:
>> Nissan Frontier do. I think my SO's RAV4 does as well, but I have not had a
>> chance to review the wiring diagrams to be sure. I suspect if you want
>> "real" gauges you will need to install them yourself, or buy a German car.
>
> Shamefully, even BMW has embraced the fake gauges. I cannot imagine what
> they were thinking.
> --scott
>

they were thinking through the engineering functions rationally and
logically!

zzyzzx wrote:
> Then get a Ford Focus, or some other similiar car with a gauge
> instead. Then call up all the makers of the cars that you didn't buy
> and mention that a lack of temperature gauge was why you didn't buy
> their car.
>
> I wouldn't buy a car without a temperature gauge, or tachometer
> either. That and I always add a voltmeter.


that makes no logical sense because the temperature gauge is extremely
non-linear. it doesn't really tell you anything other than whether the
motor is in the normal range or if it's too hot. and only one of those
two pieces of information is actually important. a light can do that
job, probably better because you might actually pay attention!

elmo's analogy is excellent because there's a lot of info about many
things that any machine operator doesn't actually need to know - they
only need to know if something is wrong. and this is one of those
situations.

> >Also, the next bigger models that do have the water temp gauge would
> >be Toyota Corolla, Matrix, or Honda Civic. But the extra purchase/
> >ownership cost may not even offset the possible repair costs resulting
> >from a Yaris/Fit/xD engine overheating (which, if happens, would be
> >several years down the road.)
>
> I wouldn't upgrade just for that feature. *Replace all the hoses every
> five years and don't worry about it.

People still do that? Hoses outlast engines these days. I have had
it happen twice already.

zzyzzx wrote:
>>> Also, the next bigger models that do have the water temp gauge would
>>> be Toyota Corolla, Matrix, or Honda Civic. But the extra purchase/
>>> ownership cost may not even offset the possible repair costs resulting
>> >from a Yaris/Fit/xD engine overheating (which, if happens, would be
>>> several years down the road.)
>> I wouldn't upgrade just for that feature. �Replace all the hoses every
>> five years and don't worry about it.
>
> People still do that? Hoses outlast engines these days. I have had
> it happen twice already.

two engines??? doubtless their demise was assisted by your close
attention to the highly accurate and meaningful temperature gauge.

wrote:
> I've been thinking about what my next commute car is going to be. 80
> miles/day, it's just me and my briefcase, so thinking of a small
> vehicle with great gas mileage. Yaris hatchback, Scion xD, or Honda
> Fit would work for me. Problem is, none of them has a water temp
> gauge, just an "idiot light."
>


Many present vehicles have software which "smooths" the response of the
water temperature gauge so much that is practically is an idiot light.

Not having one wouldn't be a deal breaker for me.

Scott Dorsey wrote:
> C. E. White > wrote:
>> Nissan Frontier do. I think my SO's RAV4 does as well, but I have not had a
>> chance to review the wiring diagrams to be sure. I suspect if you want
>> "real" gauges you will need to install them yourself, or buy a German car.
>
> Shamefully, even BMW has embraced the fake gauges. I cannot imagine what
> they were thinking.

They were thinking "DAMN I wish all these nitwits that are complaining
because the oil pressure gauge moves when the engine changes speed would
go away and let us build cars!!"

People that don't have a clue about how an engine works and were
complaining to Ford about 'fluctuating oil pressure' (which was in fact
perfectly normal) are EXACTLY why Ford went to an idiot gauge (pressure
switch) way back when.

The "my car is a toaster" crowd that made the Camry the best stilling
POS in the world is ruining the driving experience for the rest of us
more and more every day.