Seeking the group's wisdom on this.
> Car is 2005 330Ci, my first bimmer and one I'm enjoying greatly. >
> However, I find that the water temp guage is "buffered". That is when,
> say, climbing up a mountain road to a pass, many of which Washington State
> here in the USA is blessed with, the temp guage never climbs. When
> descending long stretches in cool weather the temp guage never makes any
> movement to a cooler reading.
>
> I've heard the more than likely apocryphal story that for the USA market
> the average bimmer owner was concerned that such a fine car had such
> fluctuations in its coolant temp, hence the rock sold reading regardless
> of actual engine temp. I pray this story is urban myth.
>
> Anyway, I'm convinced that the guage won't to a damn thing until someday
> when something untoward happens and then it will jump into the red. I want
> a real guage not an idiot light costumed as a guage.
>
This is exactly how the "idiot light" gauge is apparently designed to behave. I think the oil temp bar gauge on my BMW air/oil cooled motorcycle actually moves up about 1/64" when the ambient air temp rises from 75o to
100o, but it's a bit hard to judge such miniscule fluctuations. Be happy - at least your car still has a dipstick and spare tire.Tom K.