Engine Watchdog

Hi Folks

I'm a new member here & recent purchaser of a 1992 Hiace campervan.  it's not been plain sailing, a week after taking ownership it suffered head gasket failure  This has now been fixed but I'm now completely paranoid about it overheating. To keep tabs on the temp I've bought an Engine Watchdog TM2. I was wondering if any members have any experience with this device? I'm not sure where would be the best spot on the engine to attach, and vitally what temp to set the alarm to go off at. Any advice gratefully received!

Cheers,
Pete

I'm not familiar with that unit but would suggest it might be monitoring the problem rather than fixing it. I also have a 1992 campervan which started to get an overheating problem of increasing severity. After the usual checks of thermostat, radiator cap etc proved negative the radiator was replaced. (about $A350). Since then the temperature hasn't budged from the "normal" position even in 40C heat on extended hill climbs. That suggests to me that overheating isn't an inherent design fault in the vehicle.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, it is a monitoring device, you attach it to the engine & it sounds a warning alarm if you reach a certain temperature.

After deliberating for a while, I bit the bullet and installed an Engine Watchdog TM1. I put the temperature sensor on a bolt holding an earth wire next to where the radiator cap sits.
 
Running temp (ambient 31C) was 76C-83C on mostly flat/gradual uphill. Going up a steep 2-3km incline the temp went from 81C to 93C and then cooled off to 83C once I reached the top of the hill and was travelling along flat/slightly downhill terrain. The temp dropped down to 76C once I was heading through a valley. Ambient may have been lower in this region.
 
Coming back home at night, the temp sat on about 76/77C most of the way home.

MalL wrote:

I'm not familiar with that unit but would suggest it might be monitoring the problem rather than fixing it.  

You're bang on but its really a question of noticing sooner rather than later. That gauge creeps up silently and once you see it you have no idea how long its been there.
I've had a couple of problems with the radiator and cooling but would have benefited from an audible warning.

Marko

That's fair enough Marko, understood. I'll expand on the thinking behind my statement: My campervan was getting closer and closer to the red line on a long hill climb that I drive regularly. After replacing the radiator the gauge now doesn't budge from the normal position even on a 35C+ day climbing that hill. That suggests to me that the designed cooling system is perfectly adequate if it's in good condition, so if big dollars need to be spent they are better off being put into diagnosis and repair rather than a monitoring system. Of course, if you can afford both........

I am very dubious of the genuine temp guage ..I had the engine overheat and even with the radiator fluid issuing forth from the radiator , the guage didn't move from half way ..End result was a new head required ..I have an aftermarket temp guage installed now and ignore the old one ..
I found that you need to keep the old one in the loop or the engine warning light displays ..

I can't remember but does the Toyota temp gauge display an actual temperature or is it just a graphical indication of 'cold' 'medium', 'hot'?

How hot is the normal average running temperature?

There's only so far prevention can go but yes, looking under the hood before each trip, checking pipes and junctions is essential. Esp. in sunny old Oz!

I still don;t have an after market gauge but for me just a sound signal would be good.
(amazing, Toyota irritate the hell out of you with a reverse alarm and an ignition alarm but nothing for one of the most important warnings!)

No, the gauge is just graphical with a red section indicating too hot ( I assume). The normal operating area is a bit below half scale deflection but I understand from another thread on here somewhere that a zener diode in the circuit prevents smaller deflections around the normal mark so the needle will climb rapidly if it does start to overheat. That does make a case for an after market gauge or monitor.

Oh so if you fit an engine watchdog you have to see whats its reading when your regular gauge is at normal and figure out what to set the alarm for?

I guess that would be so.