Temperature Gauge - Description

DESCRIPTION





An engine coolant temperature gauge is standard equipment on all instrument clusters. On Dodge vehicles with the optional premium instrument cluster, the engine temperature gauge and the fuel gauge each occupy one vertical half of the left gauge dial face in the cluster overlay. On Dodge vehicles with the base instrument cluster and all Chrysler vehicles, this gauge is located on the right side of the instrument cluster. The gauge consists of a movable gauge needle or pointer controlled by the instrument cluster circuitry. On Dodge vehicles with a premium cluster, a fixed 90 degree gauge scale on the cluster overlay reads bottom-to-top from C (or Cold) to H (or Hot). On Dodge vehicles with a base cluster and all Chrysler vehicles, the gauge reads left-to-right from C to H. An International Control and Display Symbol icon for Engine Coolant Temperature is located on the cluster overlay, adjacent to the hub of the gauge needle.

On Dodge vehicles with the base cluster, the engine coolant temperature gauge graphics are gray and black against a black field except for a single red graduation at the high end of the gauge scale. On Dodge vehicles with a premium cluster, the gauge graphics are gray and black against a white field except for a single red graduation at the high end of the gauge scale. On Chrysler vehicles, the gauge graphics are gray and black against a silver field except for a single red graduation at the high end of the gauge scale. In each case, the graphics are clearly visible within the instrument cluster in daylight. When illuminated from behind by the panel lamps dimmer controlled cluster illumination lighting with the exterior lamps turned ON, the Dodge gauges all retain their unilluminated colors and appearance, while the Chrysler gauge fields acquire a blue-green appearance from the blue-green colored electro-luminescent lighting.

The Dodge base cluster uses an orange gauge needle that has internal optical illumination. Gauge illumination for this cluster is provided by Light Emitting Diode (LED) units soldered onto the instrument cluster electronic circuit board. The Dodge premium and Chrysler clusters use black gauge needles and are not illuminated. These clusters are illuminated by an integral electro-luminescent lamp, which illuminates the gauge field and causes the gauge graphics and gauge needle to appear silhouetted against the field when the exterior lighting is turned ON.

The engine coolant temperature gauge is serviced as a unit with the instrument cluster.