What's In An Instrument Panel?
Most of us drive a car every day, but how many of us pay much attention to the instrument panels in our car. Sure, we all pay attention to the speedometer so that we do not get pulled over, and even then sometimes we do not pay close enough attention to keep ourselves from getting pulled over and getting that speeding ticket.
We should be paying more attention to some of the other gauges in our cars for very good reason. The reason is simple. They are there to alert us to the condition of the car as we drive down the road. The cars gauges can be our warning that something is wrong with the car before everything breaks.
Most of us do pay attention, at least to some degree, at our speedometer and our gas gauge. However, many vehicles today do not have much more in the way of gauges, but rather have warning lights. I am sure that the auto makers have discovered that the average driver never looked at the other gauges and were not educated about when they should be concerned, so likely decided that warning lights were likely a better route to getting the drivers attention when there was something that needed attention.
If you're lucky enough and have a car that still has gauges, you should pay attention to them. The water temperature gauge is there so that you know when things are heating up. This way, you can make sure that the car is not getting too hot. A car overheating is a particular problem in the heat of the summer time. The average street car normally operates between 200-210 degrees Fahrenheit. If you see the water temperature creeping above that, you should pay close attention and stop the vehicle if it continues to climb, otherwise you will be on the side of the road with a bunch of steam coming out and you could possibly ruin some major parts of your car's engine.
The oil pressure gauge is another gauge found in dash of a car. The oil gauge reads the pressure of the oil through the engine. This is good to know; because a lack of oil pressure usually means something serious is wrong and large problems are around the corner if you do not get it checked very soon. The loss of oil pressure, whatever the cause, can mean that the engine is not being lubricated like it needs to be. If you do not stop the car and turn it off, you are asking for big trouble.
A tachometer gauge is the gauge that tells you the RPM's (revolutions per minute that the crank of the engine is turning). This is important, because the higher the RPM's, the faster everything is turning and in turn, is more vulnerable to breaking. Street cars generally run between 2000-3000 RPM's while driving down the road, reaching no more than 5000-6000 RPM's when getting the car to speed in a lower gear. For some comparison, NASCAR race cars run around 8000-9000 RPM's and Indy cars run between 12,000-13,000 RPM's.
The oil temperature gauge is less common, even in cars that have lots of gauges. However, if you have one it is good to understand it. While oil pressure and water temperature are more important, oil temperature can also signal a potential problem. When the oil gets too hot in the engine, it breaks down and loses its ability to lubricate properly. The lubrication in the engine is crucial to the internal, moving parts. When those parts do not have sufficient lubrication, they heat up beyond the capacity of the part and break, destroying the engine. Most cars that have gauges still do not have an oil temperature gauge, but if they do pay attention to it.
The instrument panels in our cars are something that more people should pay attention to. If you have gauges, you should learn what each gauge really means and pay attention. However, many cars today have warning lights instead of gauges. In my humble opinion, warning lights in your cars instrument panel usually come on too late. Speaking as someone who understands and prefers gauges, you need to understand that if a light comes on in your dash, you are already into the trouble zone and should park the car very soon. - 21396
We should be paying more attention to some of the other gauges in our cars for very good reason. The reason is simple. They are there to alert us to the condition of the car as we drive down the road. The cars gauges can be our warning that something is wrong with the car before everything breaks.
Most of us do pay attention, at least to some degree, at our speedometer and our gas gauge. However, many vehicles today do not have much more in the way of gauges, but rather have warning lights. I am sure that the auto makers have discovered that the average driver never looked at the other gauges and were not educated about when they should be concerned, so likely decided that warning lights were likely a better route to getting the drivers attention when there was something that needed attention.
If you're lucky enough and have a car that still has gauges, you should pay attention to them. The water temperature gauge is there so that you know when things are heating up. This way, you can make sure that the car is not getting too hot. A car overheating is a particular problem in the heat of the summer time. The average street car normally operates between 200-210 degrees Fahrenheit. If you see the water temperature creeping above that, you should pay close attention and stop the vehicle if it continues to climb, otherwise you will be on the side of the road with a bunch of steam coming out and you could possibly ruin some major parts of your car's engine.
The oil pressure gauge is another gauge found in dash of a car. The oil gauge reads the pressure of the oil through the engine. This is good to know; because a lack of oil pressure usually means something serious is wrong and large problems are around the corner if you do not get it checked very soon. The loss of oil pressure, whatever the cause, can mean that the engine is not being lubricated like it needs to be. If you do not stop the car and turn it off, you are asking for big trouble.
A tachometer gauge is the gauge that tells you the RPM's (revolutions per minute that the crank of the engine is turning). This is important, because the higher the RPM's, the faster everything is turning and in turn, is more vulnerable to breaking. Street cars generally run between 2000-3000 RPM's while driving down the road, reaching no more than 5000-6000 RPM's when getting the car to speed in a lower gear. For some comparison, NASCAR race cars run around 8000-9000 RPM's and Indy cars run between 12,000-13,000 RPM's.
The oil temperature gauge is less common, even in cars that have lots of gauges. However, if you have one it is good to understand it. While oil pressure and water temperature are more important, oil temperature can also signal a potential problem. When the oil gets too hot in the engine, it breaks down and loses its ability to lubricate properly. The lubrication in the engine is crucial to the internal, moving parts. When those parts do not have sufficient lubrication, they heat up beyond the capacity of the part and break, destroying the engine. Most cars that have gauges still do not have an oil temperature gauge, but if they do pay attention to it.
The instrument panels in our cars are something that more people should pay attention to. If you have gauges, you should learn what each gauge really means and pay attention. However, many cars today have warning lights instead of gauges. In my humble opinion, warning lights in your cars instrument panel usually come on too late. Speaking as someone who understands and prefers gauges, you need to understand that if a light comes on in your dash, you are already into the trouble zone and should park the car very soon. - 21396
About the Author:
I have been brought up around cars and auto racing and I am passionate about cars and high performance. The instrument panel is one of my pet peeves because I want to know what is going on rather than counting on the warning lights that come in cars today. There are many car gauges that should fill the instrument cluster of a car and they each have a specific purpose.
posted by X - Men @ 2:40 AM
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