I have been using the excellent RealGauge temperature gauge for about 2 years and have just installed the oil pressure gauge option which I bought at the same time...and thanks (again!) are due to Steve Klonsky for his additional and rapid assistance last Sunday to successfully help me through an installation problem.

My temperature gauge rises rapidly on start up to a little over half way, and goes to about 3/4 on hard driving (I am also occasionally experiencing real overheating, which may the subject of further investigation). The oil pressure (50psi is half way on the dial) is 60psi cold idle, around 30 psi hot idle, increasing I think to about 40/45 psi on acceleration. I am using 5/30 oil, the engine has done about 100,000 miles, uses very little oil and shows no obvious signs of wear. The air temperature is between about 25 and 35 C. (around 75 to 95F)

So what are your readings, and do they tell you anything about engine condition?

 

the oil pressure readings look fine except for hot idle which seems rather high. would normally be 10 PSI or less.

 

Oil pressure ( on a warm summer day after at least 15 minutes of driving )

At idle: slightly above the red mark ( maybe 10psi )
City cruise : between 1/3 and 1/2 way
Highway cruise ( 110 kph ): between 1/2 and 2/3
Moderate to hard acceleration : 3/4 or just above


Temperature : about 3/4 way on the gauge ...may go up a bit when idling for a while in traffic . Genrally quite steady

 

Same on both of mine. Was concerned at first on the oil pressure but found out most read the same.
I was going to adjust the Temp on the gauge, just wasn't worth taking it apart to move it down to the normal on the gauge. I think I read there was a way to do it.
Takes a bit of getting use too.

 

Please don't take this as a criticism but I think this is why vehicle manufacturers install "dumb" gauges in the first place. I also own a later model (2014) Harley Davidson Limited motorcycle. As part of the infotainment system there is a screen that reads OAT, Oil Pressure and the status of the EITMS (a system that disables the rear cylinder at idle when the OAT is 80F or above in order to reduce engine temperature). The screen is activated by a button on the right handlebar. One of the more popular thread topics on Harley forums are started by riders worried that their oil pressure reading is not exactly where it should be. Harley solved the issue on their 2017 and newer models by changing the pressure indicator from a digital readout to one that simply says "OK". No, I'm not joking, it literally says "OK".

 

No, I don’t feel criticised, but you have made a bit of an assumption here, about the reasons and reactions of fitting the Realgauge, Robert! The existing dumb gauges, if you ask me, are more than useless, since they give a false sense of security and provide no early warning of developing problems. Yes, warning lights do work, but not necessarily early enough to prevent damage, and this surely applies to cars as well as bikes!

The Realgauge temperature gauge has alerted me by an unusual needle display and, on a couple of occasions, by screaming at me, to overheat situations before disaster struck, and allowed me to take timely action. Similarly, deviation from normal behaviour of a functioning oil pressure gauge can indicate oil flow problems, oil temperature problems, or engine wear, for example, and the fact is I would like to know if there is any deviation from normal at a very early stage.

I know what my temperature gauge usually does, but the data from the oil gauge is new to me. Having the experiences of other readings posted here increases understanding of normal behaviour and provides a broader baseline against which deviations can be judged. It is just a matter of learning to understand the new data.

 

I'm 100% with you on the importance of accurate gauges. I think dumb gauges are actually offensive. Why bother, just put in an idiot light for Pete's sake, don't insult my intelligence with dumb gauges.

 

Diddion, you can calibrate your temp gauge easily by using the Torque app on your phone(free), and a cheap ELM327 Bluetooth adapter for the OBDII port(Ebay, Amazon, etc). Install, pull up the temp readings on the phone, and compare them to where the needle is pointing. It will give you comfort to know that center of gauge is maybe 190F, while 3/4 gauge might be 220F, etc. Once you know where the relevant numbers might appear on your gauge, you can stop using the Torque app. I know the developer of the Real gauge has a decal with numbers that can be applied to the gauge face. Might want to look into that too.

 

My mechanic and I converted my 2006 XK8 from Nav to RealGauges with the help of the team a JagWrangler. Could not have asked for better assistance. Had to call up for an extra part that was shipped right out. The gauges work great. The oil pressure will roll down at idle but pull back to the 'normal range during cruise. A lot of this depends on the oil weight, and local temp. If you are not interested in keeping a 'eye' on your engine conditions, stay with the idiot gauges.