The Cooper S is a performance car, right? Feisty turbocharged engine, sports car handling, blah, blah, blah.
So why isn't there a temp gauge in this thing?
I flicked through the trip computer's functions, thinking that maybe it was like recent BMW's where you access coolant temp info. via the trip computer. No dice. Then, not being too proud, I RTFM which simply states that "A warning lamp will come on if the coolant, and therefore the engine, becomes too hot." In other words, an idiot light. We can almost hear Napoleon Dynamite's reaction...
This is strange, because as you can see, the previous-generation Mini had one:
Are they serious? Our LT Ford Focus has a temp gauge. Granted, you hardly ever hear about modern cars overheating, but still, we enthusiast types like to know when the engine is warm for a few reasons:
1) To know when it's safe to drive it harder (having the oil warm and circulating freely is a good thing.)
2) To know when you can blast the heater on those cold commutes to work.
John DiPietro, Automotive Editor at 11,442 miles.
firstwagon says:
04:56 PM, 02/11/08
Really big oversight. I know it doesn't matter much when the car is new but as it ages, it becomes very valuable.
The first early sign of leaking coolant, leaking head gasket or a clogged rad is a temp guage that starts creeping up in traffic. Long before any idiot light comes on, a guage will show a good driver of an upcoming problem.
estreka says:
05:32 PM, 02/11/08
Eh, it doesn't much matter. Most guages don't actually provide realistic temps. They just jump at various checkpoints.
7driver says:
05:37 PM, 02/11/08
A coolant temp gauge won't tell you when the oil is warm. It will tell you when the coolant is warm. To tell when the oil is warm, you need either an oil temp gauge or an oil pressure gauge.
firstwagon says:
05:58 PM, 02/11/08
"Eh, it doesn't much matter. Most guages don't actually provide realistic temps. They just jump at various checkpoints."
What cars have those? Everyone I've had you can see small changes in temp due to conditions.
johnnyturbo says:
08:52 PM, 02/11/08
7driver,
If the coolant is warm that means that the engine is warm. I'm willing to bet that if the coolant temp is 200 degrees or so, that oil's probably pretty warm too.
An oil pressure gauge would be a nice bonus. Ditto for an oil temp gauge, but they're as rare as hen's teeth. My point is that most cars have a coolant temp gauge (whereas an oil pressure gauge is a relative rarity) and it's unforgivable that the S version of the Cooper doesn't.
blueguydotcom says:
08:58 PM, 02/11/08
3 series doesn't have one either and the 3 is considered more of a performance car than a Mini.
Had many cars with a temp gauge. Two without. Shrug. Unless i'm tracking, I don't really worry about the engine's temp.
7driver says:
11:30 PM, 02/11/08
Then riddle me this, John:
Why is it that when first starting out in the morning that the coolant temp gauge comes up quite rapidly but it takes much longer for oil pressure to drop at idle?
Perhaps you and I have two different definitions of "warm". Maybe to you "warm" means "not cold" and to me it means "fully up to operating temperature"?
bennetpullen says:
02:03 AM, 02/12/08
As somebody who has a car with a water temp gauge and an oil temp gauge I can tell you they are not the same. My water temp gauge reads "normal" after a few miles of driving. My oil temp gauge can take 15-25 minutes to get up to temp (180-220) if I am driving conservatively. If I drive aggressively the oil temp will get into the normal range faster than the coolant!
Also, we should look up and find out if the previous MINIs gauge was real or if it was an "idiot gauge". If it just an idiot gauge I would rather have the light because it takes up less room on the dash for the same information. An "idiot" gauge I think is the worst thing because you don't get info, and you are a poser.
stingray454 says:
10:15 AM, 02/12/08
I agree with bennet. My '02 Z06 has a coolant and oil temp gauge. In general, the coolant temp warms up much faster than the oil temp when going from a cold start. When fully warmed up, the oil temp usually runs about 20 degrees hotter than the coolant temp when driving normally. But under heavy load, the oil temp can climb much higher than the coolant. When driving my car hard on the big track at Willow Springs, the oil temp hit 300F after 30 minutes of hot laps, while the coolant temp was about 210F (ambient air temp was about 103F that day).
johnnyturbo says:
05:10 PM, 02/12/08
Guys,
As you know, the Mini doesn't have an oil pressure gauge or an oil temp gauge. Most cars apart from serious performance cars don't. And again, an oil temp gauge is even more rare. So all you usually have to go on is a temp gauge.
My point is that at the least, the Cooper should have a coolant temp gauge which will give an indication that the engine is warming up.
At that point, it's safe to drive the car harder (not all-out, mind you) which will, as bennet and stingray point out, also warm up the oil further at a much faster rate.
cellularcoffee says:
12:44 PM, 02/15/08
Worrying about temp gauge? Dude, get a girlfriend.
SubyTrojan says:
04:24 PM, 02/15/08
John has one. Do you?
redshift7 says:
09:11 PM, 02/16/08
I don't see why the MCS shouldn't a gauge...even my Focus SVT has one. Actually it has the water temp, the oil temp and the oil pressure gauges.
And trust me it clears a lot of doubts from your mind when you are driving hard..
firstwagon says:
08:03 PM, 02/18/08
"Worrying about temp gauge? Dude, get a girlfriend."
Sounds great but I doubt my wife would approve.
Seriously though, I can name a lot of advanges to having a temp guage, can you name one downside to having a temp guage?
eldaino says:
08:17 AM, 02/27/08
'john has one. do you?'
ha ha ha! yeah, he wont be visiting this blog anymore!
nealibob says:
03:17 PM, 02/ 9/09
I know this is long since closed, but I think part of the reason there is no gauge is that the water pump is electric and actually does not run until the engine is at operating temperature.
nealibob says:
03:18 PM, 02/ 9/09
continuing my comment...
which means that the engine should, in theory, warm up much faster than a gear or belt driven water pump.