Water Tempature Reading
 

I've an ARCO gauge with the pick-up in a medal bracket midway upper hose. At traffic lites, it'll go 190, never gone further, in regular traffic, 175. I carry an ETEKCITY Infrared Thermometer. No where I shoot (4 corners radiator), number 4 cylinder, the oil pan does the gun indicate above 175. Even the upper hose has never shown 190 when I shoot.
So, which is the more accurate -- gun or gauge? Now I don't shoot when I'm driving. Are the guns reliable?

Thanks

Re: Water Tempature Reading
 

Test yours w/a pot of boiling water. Being that you're in Florida, pretty close to sea level it should read 212° Fahrenburg, or close to it.
Oops, that should be Fahrenheit.

Re: Water Tempature Reading
 

Katy
The last reading is 190, the rest of gauge is red-lined with the word "steam", but, I'm following your advise
Thanks

Re: Water Tempature Reading
 

In general I find infrared thermometers pretty reliable. I have two that I use on a regular basis. I did verify mine with boiling water but I did so by checking the temp of the pot just above the water. They are more reliable when used on a surface that reflects well ---- something shiny and solid. Less reliable on dark, soft surfaces. Etekcity has different models but again, in general, I see good reviews. I trust the infrareds before I trust the gauge. FWIW

Re: Water Tempature Reading
 

Removed probe and placed in pail boiling water. ARCO went to 190 before decaying.
Twice I did this, twice it 190ed.
This has felt me thinking I was overheating.
Thanks

Re: Water Tempature Reading
 

I know when my car overheats when steam and water exits the radiator.

Re: Water Tempature Reading
 

Now that's a pretty good idea Katy. But for me Florida is just a bit tooo far. cheers, gary

Re: Water Tempature Reading
 

Maybe not to Florida other than on vacation, just go downhill to the Ocean.

Re: Water Tempature Reading
 

Just wait till Hurricane Season and the Ocean will come to your front door. That's June 1st/November 31st


I may have found a small kink, and a very tight Twist Tie that I've removed/straighten and will road test tomorrow (in the tube, I forget what's it's called

Re: Water Tempature Reading
 

It's called a capillary tube.

Re: Water Tempature Reading
 

A little story about a capillary tube:

Once upon a time in a plant's maintenance shop where I worked, one of the supervisors from the assembly department came in holding a temperature control w/a capillary tube that was cut off. He said that at home he was working on the clothes dryer and suspected that the temperature control unit was faulty so he removed it, brought it in and asked us to check it. When asked about the capillary tube he said he thought that it was a bare ground wire so he just cut if off w/plans to splice it later.

Re: Water Tempature Reading
 

LOL that is why he was a supervisor! Incompetent people seem to rise to higher levels of management to boss those that actually know what they are doing.

Re: Water Tempature Reading
 

190 is not overheated. Even plain water is fine up to boiling at 212 degrees. The problems occur when the coolant boils and creates pockets of steam where the metal temperature is momentarily much hotter than the surrounding area which causes unpredictable, uncontrolled and rapid expansion and contraction in small areas sometimes causing cracks.
A pressurized cooling system or antifreeze raise the boiling point higher giving you an even larger safe zone, but boiling the coolant is what you need to be concerned about.

Re: Water Tempature Reading
 

It is possible that the car is equipped with a 2-row radiator. My car was when I got the car.

Re: Water Tempature Reading
 

At 10,000 feet, the boiling point of water is 194F.