2006 Dodge Magnum coolant temperature

Tiny
KK13
  • MEMBER
  • 2006 DODGE MAGNUM
  • 5.7L
  • V8
  • RWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 135,000 MILES
I'm having a cooling system issue and I know the problem, the question I have is this, my car has two, factory coolant temperature gauges, one is an analog (I guess) needle gauge which reads C and H with normal running temperatthy. In the middle. I assume the value to be 120°f minimum and Max at 300° with center being normal operating temperature at 220°f. Then the digital LCD temperature display. I also have an OBD2 reader and a phone app called Torque which receives and displays all readouts from the cars computer etc. With the coolant temp gauge on it. All three working simultaneously give me 3 completely different temperatures each one about 12 - 15 degrees from each other the digital factory may read 206 and the factory needle will be in the middle or a little over, and the OBD2 will read 243 degrees. Now which do I trust to be the most accurate? I need to know because besides the obvious overheating problem, the car has aluminum heads and I can't be overheating those at all for obvious reasons. This is potentially catastrophic to my beautiful fast Hemi motor. So I ask again which gauge do I believe?
Sunday, March 16th, 2014 AT 2:45 AM

3 Replies

Tiny
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
  • MECHANIC
  • 1,136 POSTS
If you having an overheating problem, then I'd trust the OBD reader first.
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Sunday, March 16th, 2014 AT 7:18 AM
Tiny
KK13
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Let me rephrase that question so that you may answer the question that I'm trying to ask.
I was having a problem with my electric radiator fans and my car never actually overheated. It never boiled over, never blew a hose. But as I was driving on the freeway the temperature gauge(the analog needle, factory gauge) started reading hot(a little over center mark and moving hotter) so I turned on the factory digital LCD temp gauge and it was reading 221°f which is fine and then the needle went almost to the red zone before I could pull off the road. The digital went to 230°f but the car wasnt over heating so I let it cool down and continued driving with the OBD2 reader on also. It (OBD2) started to read almost 250°f but the needle was barely over center and the digital factory was reading 218°f and again no boil over no coolant blowing into or being sucked out of the overflow tank.
So, now, which gauge do I believe. Granted the motor was hot but I live in Los Angeles and it was about 77°f and I was driving my car harder than just average driving.
But which do I believe?
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Sunday, March 16th, 2014 AT 3:10 PM
Tiny
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
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I'd still believe the obd as the others aren't meant to be as precise. The obd is for ECM control. That makes the fans come on. They may not come on until 255 or 260. Newer engines run much hotter than they used to. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't make sure that the fans come on soon beyond this point as it's quite hot.
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Sunday, March 16th, 2014 AT 3:56 PM

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