I've been reading about past experiences with external temp gauges for the 2010XK+ cars that hook up to OBD11 to give a reading. My two concerns are 1) I've read about an instance where the owner found his car dead after having the OBD11 connected over a period of time for the gauge. Can it be left in? If it is, will it be able to detect any other issues that might arise during it's use? 2) What is the latest and greatest for this type of gauge, and where is the best place to put it so it is not an eyesore? Again, my biggest concern is using the OBD11 port for a constant monitoring for the gauge and what drain if any does it cause our fragile electrical system? I DON'T WANT TO USE MY PHONE! I WANT A SEPERATE INDEPENDANT MONITOR TO DISPLAY THE TEMP. Thanks all. PS... SORRY FOR THE TYPO ERROR IN HEADING.

 

I gotcha on #1) Boca.
While I have others, the Veepak is perfect.
It has been connected for 2 months. Zero noticeable draw.
Caveat: I do make sure the app on my phone is swiped away and BT turned off so it isn’t pinging for signal.

For #2)
I use my iPhone and the Car Scanner Pro app. Which will soon display on my CarPlay.
Cant help with a dedicated gauge but there are plenty of DIY threads here.
Car Scanner is $8 lifetime cost. Does a bunch of resets and functions. And is customizable.
Here is the main screen:


Here is one of my 3 custom views: (main)


For Android, there are a ton of Torque Pro fans out there who can help.

 

I've posted this probably a dozen times. Now it's about to go away because my Mr12Volt arrived today.
Sucks I'm not able to install it myself though, gotta wait for the kid to visit.
I never had a problem with the OBD2 adapter either.

 

Hi, I bought this from AliExpress 3 months ago to display digital speed and ECT (Engine Coolant Temperature) & voltage following the failure of my coolant expansion tank. Plugs into OBD port and no issues with current drain.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...100c1802zdQzCr

 

For several years I have had the unit manufactued by Cabrio Bob that sits in the space for the ashtray. It looks like it belongs. I keep the OBDII dongle plugged in all the time and I have never had a battery issue. My battery was Jag dealer installed when I bought the car in 2018 and it is still going strong (knock on wood), but I do keep it on a CTEK. The only issue that I have with the unit is that if I turn off the car for a short time (like to go into a store), I have to reach down and unplug then re-plug the dongle to re-connect to the unit after re-starting the car. Seems to be a bluetooth connection issue. Slightly annoying but it is what it is.

He doesn't make them anymore AFAIK, but I think they've been sold in Marketplace.

Punchline: Looks good, functional, no discernable effect on battery when keeping the dongle in full time. Slight inconvenience of bluetooth dropping. Might be hard to obtain.

 

Thanks, I do not know who Cabrio Bob is and if not made anymore, I would have to buy used which is not a plus. Thank anyway....Sounds like it might be a consideration... Any pics of what this thing looks like? Who is the manufacturer?

 

I've seen yours many times and thank you, but I'm looking for a simple set up. I don't want to disturb any of the electronic in our cars which are fragile enough. Thanks again.

 

I'm not sure where this displays? It's not the phone correct? Is there any changes that need to made for the car? I wish I could see it in our cars? Thanks again.

 

i'm not sure where this displays? Where is it shown in our cars? Any additional info? Thanks for the info.

 

Long thread, but cool owner created device:
Cario Bob’s Ashtray Display

 

yep, it is a neat gizmo. I have one in my 2008 xk.
wj

 

Not true. You have an android phone, just run the torque pro app in that and it will display the same on m12v

 

I also have a basic OBD2 hud display like that just displays my water temperature. It is on the dash and reflects off of the windshield so is a bit more discrete than a visible gauge. It's a good solution and sounds like what you'd be after. Most advertise being 'smart' and power down once the vehicle is shut off. I've noticed no issues with mine during a recent road trip (3 days without being on my battery maintainer).

 

I have a mr12volt, wouldn't it be amazing if you could use our app through Android auto

 

Oh does that mean I can run my car scanner pro via android auto?

 

And relax. The electronics on the car are no more delicate than any other modern car. There are those that are in denial when the battery is on its last legs and swear it's the 1970's Lucas electronics on the car... which haven't existed since the '70's. It's good for the annual springtime entertainment.

Oh, and let me add that I think @ceejay 's display is a pic (a very good pic, mind you)... ever notice that the readings are always the same ;-)

Happy Saturday Everybody!

 

It's a Heads up display - wired down to the OBDII port. They typically rest on the dash and are hideous add ons.

Honestly @bocatrip , you're not going to find what you're looking to find. Nothing can be done without involving the electronics, the OBDII port at a minimum.

I also don't know why you need it to display and I know you don't want it on your phone, but, your best option is to add Torque Pro to your phone and set an alarm. You never have to look at it and if your temp rises to a level you set, you get an alarm. It can be set to launch when you turn on your phone, stay in the background. It does require an OBDII dongle though but if you're that stressed about battery drain, you can remove it when you're shut down for a while.

that's about it. The set up Cee Jay has is something I did years ago and is outdated and too complicated. @jagtoes had some small display that sat on his instrument panel. It was small but functional, although ugly and still relies on the OBDII port.

Cabrio Bob is a pretty smart guy. @wymjym showed the pics. Fits into the ashtray, plugs into the lighter and gets its reading from the OBDII port. The ashtray cover slides closed if you don't intend to use it. You can see it had multiple display options. That said, he designed and built several, maybe 100 or so for members, using a 3d printer, LCD display and some great coding for either the 4.2 or 5.0 liter. Later he provided instructions to build your own. I don't know anyone who has though. I had one for a while, it worked, it was out of the way, just wasn't for me. They pop up for sale once in a while, but this was just a private effort from one man. no warranty not a retail product.

And Mr.12Volt is a nice unit but again, interfaces with the can bus so your reluctance to involve the electronics is noted. I'll keep an eye out but unless you have someone drill into the cooling system and put in a real gauge (and where would that go in the car without looking hideous too?) you will have to rely on some electronics.

 

LR117568 thermostat assembly has an integral sensor. Otherwise, it is the same as the 5.0L thermostat assembly but with no seam to remove the temperature element (or cause a leak).
Dirt cheap on eBay. Good start for an old-school electric temperature gauge.

 

In much the same vein of simplicity, my plan for my early 4.2 convertible is going to be replacing the header tank.
From what I understand the new ones (C2P25607) which (as the superseding part is now the replacement for all engine types) contains a built-in "low coolant" detector, whereas my original one does not.

When, on a long run, my n/a 4.2 x350 started to leak coolant from a split (in that annoying hose that runs under the inlet manifold) it was the "low coolant" red light and warning that alerted me, not the temperature gauge, which I might to be frank have missed. I didn't really need to know the extent to which the coolant temperature differed from the norm, all I needed to know was there wasn't enough!

My car obviously has no factory wiring to support this later and improved tank, but never mind, I just plan to hook up a high intensity alarm (probably dismantled from a freezer alarm or a personal security alarm etc). Might take a 12v feed to it or for originality I might just use a little 9v battery glued underneath. If the shrieking alarm is loud enough I think I'll hear it at speed even if its tucked away under the bonnet somewhere. I'll then stop the car and investigate.

If the cooling circuit has integrity and the coolant is so hot that it is venting then I tend to find you can usually smell the antifreeze.

 

Or... just lift the bonnet and take a glance whenever you feel like it. At the petrol station is interesting... Everyone loves the look of the xk with the bonnet raised and feels the need to come and say hello.