So randomly my truck started showing the actual engine temp.... Any idea why and is it possible to show it all the time??





This is what it normally shows and after a few minutes it went back to this -- I touched nothing!

 

No clue, but that's cool! I'm a fan of actual numbers.

 

Yeah I'd love to see the numbers for all the temps

 

That's a normal - if poorly documented - feature.

Just like the trans temp gauge on the 8" Productivity screen, when the temp hits a certain threshold, it begins to display actual degrees above the virtual gauge.

Convert 108 Celsius to Fahrenheit - it'll become clearer - yer reaching elevated coolant temps.

I see no oil pressure - so KOEO condition - so likely the coolant is heat-soaking the ECT/CHT sensor ( no coolant flow ).

After a while, the coolant dissipates stored heat and the number disappears.

MGD

 

My temp gauge sits about where the OPs is at, and I've never seen the actual numbers. If the coolant was heat soaking, wouldn't the actual gauge be moving toward red?

 

Think it through. 'Heatsoak' in this context is relative.

My temp gauge sits around there ( midpoint or thereabouts to be considered as 'the 'normal range' ) when up to operating temp - which for me is ~ 205 degrees F on my Scangauge. Any device that can access the ECT PID can display that data.

The threshold is, IIRC, ~ 225 deg F. 108 deg C = 226.8 deg F. Hence the numeric display appearing.

Doesn't take much.

I'd wager the OP never sees that numeric display while driving - I never have - even when towing in FLA heat.

The 'virtual gauge' is not really a definitive representation of actual temps - it lacks the granularity. Who knows what full-scale translates into - I don't think you wanna know - can't be good, lol.

MGD

 

Good point. I understand the logic. Be nice if we could actually see the numbers, but like you said, maybe we shouldn't.

 

thanks for the insight everyone.

It's no suprise these gauges show little truth. I recently learned the volt gauge in my Jeep is actually total BS.. Volts below 10.5 actually show "0" and volts over 14 actually show redline/pegged/16 -- which means it's not a volt gauge it's a display for the ECU.

What's so wrong with showing us real data... Glorified idiot lights.

 

Ok, who are you? Where is MGD? I understood every word here. I must be in the twilight zone... Either way, this real/fake MGD hits it on the head. It is as advertised. I wouldn't worry too much and just monitor it as it comes on in the upper threshold.

 

So I just noticed this on my trip from Dallas to Taos. Somewhere around the foothills of Amarillo the digital temp showed up. I have never seen this before. We were running pretty fast but not towing. Engine peaked at 237. Things seemed normal other than again, this is the first time in 47k miles this has happened. And I have made this same trip before - no issue. I had the vct rattle fixed recently so I'm wondering if something happened during the repair that might affect cooling? I'm a little nervous about the drive back on Christmas Eve. I really don't want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere! And I know without a code Ford won't find any issue.

This change from analog to digital at such seemingly high temp is a terrible interface. It seems to imply something is wrong, or at least outside of normal. Not being able to find the normal operating specs for this engine makes me think this is a tell that something is not right.

2017 3.5 eco with the package. 46k miles

I continued to test what was going on as we drove. As long as the gauge was in the middle I didn't feel too uneasy. Giving it throttle didn't seem to spike the temp but backing off seemed to make it go up a few degrees before eventually dropping below 225. Air temperature was 47F Speed was 75-80 when I first noticed this. I backed off to 65 to make sure then temp wasn't rising at 'normal' speeds. Oil and coolant levels look fine (coolant res is full).
10 speed transmission temp never budged.

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