2010 Mazdaspeed 3: Missing Gauge

Oil temperature. It is a $25k performance car, it is going to be missing a lot of stuff. The $140k 911 Turbo comes with everything.

What about the $130K SL55AMG? it comes with everything as well? LOL

I don't even see a coolant temp gauge...

oil temp, oil pressure, IAT... is the coolant temp somewhere else on the dash?
But, you can get all that with a plug n play scangauge 2.

Since 1995, the Miata has had a semi-fake oil pressure gauge that only has 3 positions: too low, just right, and too high. It's an idiot light disguised as a gauge. They say they were getting complaints from people who were misinterpreting the real oil pressure gauge in older models. They've stayed away from using real oil pressure gauges for 15 years now, so the real surprise would be for them to use one now.

There's no coolant temperature gauge, same as the regular Mazda3. It's been replaced with a blue/off/red idiot light, that indicates that the temperature is cold/normal/too hot.

It really conveys about as much info as the gauge on most cars, as they're programmed to stay in the center or slightly below as long as the engine is in a normal range.

Since the gauges are all electronic these days, it would be nice if manufacturers would include a programmable option to make the gauges accurate for those of us who won't freak out if the temperature gauge moves up a millimeter. By the time the temperature gauge in the average car registers "hot," it's already too late. But to be able to watch as the temp rises gives much more warning.

clarkma5 nails it.

There's no coolant temp gauge. Certainly oil pressure and temperature are important, but coolant temperature is critical and the most common concern during hard driving. This is a mistake. Although I haven't experienced it despite very hard driving in very hot weather in these cars, I'd be willing to bet that there's a built-in limp mode when the coolant temp climbs into engine-damage range.

Still, I'd like to have a gauge. And I want a real gauge, not a three-position warning meter which are too common these days.

Josh Jacquot

Exhaust Gas Temperature! j/k I'm going to go with the coolant temperature gauge as well.

Whoops. Mandatory sign-in to comment made me late to the party. :(

Temperature gauge

"Since 1995, the Miata has had a semi-fake oil pressure gauge that only has 3 positions..."

The 2006 Miata once again had a real oil pressure gauge. However, after a spike of service visits from owners claiming something was wrong because the gauge needle moved around, they put the dummy gauge back in the next year.

As for this new MS3, the missing coolant temperature gauge is a glaring omission! It's fine for the normal Mazda3 because things like coolant temp, oil pressure, steering feel, drive wheels, etc. are irrelevant to the vast majority of consumers. But the performance version should have this, and I think it should have been more important to add than the boost gauge.

It's a light now.

"Since the gauges are all electronic these days, it would be nice if manufacturers would include a programmable option to make the gauges accurate for those of us who won't freak out if the temperature gauge moves up a millimeter. By the time the temperature gauge in the average car registers "hot," it's already too late. But to be able to watch as the temp rises gives much more warning."

I agree 100%. The rise of the "Idiot Gauge" clearly demonstrates that Cyril M. Kornbluth's short story "The Marching Morons" was remarkably prescient.

It's tragic that such important information gets dumbed down for people who don't care enough to know, nor know enough to care.

Remembering this is a "sporty car", it's missing oil pressure and coolant temperature gauges.

But if there are warning lights that actually "flash" to alert the driver to oil/temperature problems, I'd give it a pass.