I was at the track yesterday and seen a 5.0 blow a radiator hose, and it got me thinking.

What if your driving and this happens and some how you do realize it and run out of coolant. Is your temperature gage going to show the motor getting hot if there is no coolant to read the temperature of?


The crazy things that go through my head

 

My radiator got some freak hole and I was driving and all the fluid spewed out.My temp gauge staeted creeping towards red line and mad smoke/steam was coming from under the engine comp.
So yeah,I would expect the gauge to start climbing with no fluid.Especially in stop n go traffic.
Just if ya ever see smoke...pull the Fu$$ over

 

yep, temp will red-line on ya if you blow a hose. i know first hand from my SS monte... lucky i saw it in time...

 

Yes it will show up on your guage panel because the guage reading is from an entirely different sensor (the engine temp sensor).

The coolant temp sensor sends info to the ECM (to turn fans on or off).

So even if you lost coolant and your coolant temp sensor was not getting a reading, you'd still see your guage red-line due to the engine temp sensor.

 

Scan yor gauges every 5 seconds. Anybody remember that from drivers ed or do they still teach it?

I learned that back in 87 and have done it ever since. In this case it would pay off.

 

Yeah, they teach that still. Although I don't do it quite that often. I tend to pay attention to the temp gauge more often if I'm climbing a hill or idling in traffic. The GTA will beep pretty loudly if any gauge reading goes into the red, though, but I think that's only for the digital gauges.... I like that feature.