I was in traffic today and noticed my radiator fan did not come on at 215 F as I expected. Instead, it got well over 220 F before coming on (I saw 236 F on my gauge and later verified my gauge reads within 3F of the diagnostic system).

Has anyone else observed unusually high temps before the fan kicks on? I recall last year (when I had v.32 unlike the current v.36) that the fan came on at 215F like clockwork.

 

Never had an overheating problem (04 MCS V36).

In fact, my water temp gauge appears to be frozen at midrange after the engine is warmed up, regardless of how I drive -- sometimes I wonder if it's actually working!

 

The factory water temp gauge in cars without nav is a placebo. It stays pegged in the middle from about 170-220F. In nav equipped cars, there is no gauge, placebo or otherwise. That's why I installed a coolant temp gauge:

 

Here'a a graph of my coolant temperature.
From 170 on up, the temperature needle didn't move even a fraction of a degree, so I agree with Andy that it's a placebo

 

"The factory water temp gauge in cars without nav is a placebo. It stays pegged in the middle from about 170-220F."

Swell. Leave it to BMW to use a fraudulent gauge...

btw, I like your gauge installation. Who makes them? Do they sell an oil temp gauge too?

 

What happens if the temp rises above 220 F? Will the gauge then begin to move in increments more toward the left? Or by then is it "too late" you're in for a boil-over?

 

>>What happens if the temp rises above 220 F?
>>Will the gauge then begin to move in increments more toward the left?

You mean towards the Democrats?? Are you a nut or what!!!

Oh MAN, I've been spending too much time on the OT:Politics thread.

I think the temp guage stays right t the middle for a large range of temps.

Maybe 170-200 it's right in the middle.
Lower than that it's pointing lower.
Higher than that it's pointing higher.

This is just a guess on my part.

 

911fan,

I assembled the gauges myself out of bits from MINI, Summit Racing, and jlm Skunkworkz.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...mp;topic=10257

Mighty_Boognish,

I just guessed on the placebo temp range of 170-220. It sounds like the 170 part is right, but who knows about the top end. I'd guess that the temp gauge will swing slowly upward out of the "comfort zone" similar to how it looks while the engine is warming up.

The nav equipped cars do have a coolant temp light, apparently, but it didn't come on today when my gauge read 236 F.

Trippy,

Maybe the gauge is just trying to keep temperatures fair and balanced.

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