Do You Know How To Read Your Car Gauges

By: Jordan McPelt   

Submitted: 2009-08-29 16:04:29

Before you drive, you must first learn how to drive. There is more to driving that just driving the car. You must also learn what road signals mean, and you should also know what your car gauges are saying to you. Paying attention the gauges in your car can mean the difference between a car that operates for years and one that is broken in a short time.

Some cars have more lights than gauges, but all cars will have some type of an alert system in place to warn you about things on your car that are not operating as they should be. All forms of warning can be found in the dashboard of any vehicle. For those cars with gauges rather than lights, you will be able to tell what is going on with your car long before there is any problem. Learn what they are and where they should be so that you will know if you need to take any action.

The fuel gauge is one that almost everyone knows about by instinct. However, some drivers have a hard time learning to pay attention to this gauge. If you do not want to run out of gas in the middle of the road and a long ways away from a gas station, then you will need to pay attention to the gauge and make it to a gas station before you run out. If you are going on a long trip, then you can plan ahead where you will stop for fuel to make sure that you do not run out on the trip between towns.

Another gauge that is self explanatory is the speedometer gauge. On every road that you travel there will be a speed limit. You need to be sure to look for the speed limit sign and then travel no more than the speed limit. If you pay attention to the signs and your speedometer you can avoid a costly speeding ticket and make the roads safer for all of us to drive.

A lesser known gauge is the tachometer. While it is found in almost every car, many people do not understand what it is gauging. The tachometer is designed to tell you the speed of the engine. This is measure in revolutions per minute of the crank of the engine. It is more widely known as RPM. The reason you need to know this is because the faster your engine is turning the greater the chance that it will break. The RPM gauge should have a red zone on it. As a driver, your job is to make sure that the gauge does not go into the red zone. This is done by driving in the appropriate gear.

The temperature of the coolant in your engine also has a gauge. The temperature gauge tells you how hot the coolant is. The hotter the coolant, the more likely you are to have problems inside the engine. Again, the gauge should have a red zone and you need to watch to make sure that the gauge does not get into the red zone. If the gauge is moving in that direction and does not come back down quickly as you get to speed, then you should pull over. You will need to let the engine cool down substantially before continuing on. You should check the coolant level the next morning before driving because it is likely too low and needs to be topped off to prevent the engine from getting too hot.

A less familiar gauge is the oil pressure gauge. The oil pressure gauge can tell you about the flow of the oil through the engine. Because oil is critical in maintaining your engine, it is important that it is always flowing with the right amount of pressure. A drop in oil pressure may mean you are low on oil. A rise in pressure may mean that you are too full on oil. A fluctuation up and down may indicate some clog in the system and should be checked out by an auto mechanic. If you need to check the level of your oil, remember to always shut the car off before doing so.

Gauges are important in the proper function and use of a car. These instructions are general in nature and you should consult your driver's manual of the car that you are driving for specific instructions concerning the gauges of that car. Paying attention to the gauges and taking actions when needed can give your car years of life and use.

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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC '-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN' 'http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd'>; <html><head><title>ElectricText | Do You Know How To Read Your Car Gauges</title></head><body><h3>Do You Know How To Read Your Car Gauges</h3><br><br> By: Jordan McPelt<br><br><p>Before you drive, you must first learn how to drive. There is more to driving that just driving the car. You must also learn what road signals mean, and you should also know what your car gauges are saying to you. Paying attention the gauges in your car can mean the difference between a car that operates for years and one that is broken in a short time.</p> <p>Some cars have more lights than gauges, but all cars will have some type of an alert system in place to warn you about things on your car that are not operating as they should be. All forms of warning can be found in the dashboard of any vehicle. For those cars with gauges rather than lights, you will be able to tell what is going on with your car long before there is any problem. Learn what they are and where they should be so that you will know if you need to take any action.</p> <p>The fuel gauge is one that almost everyone knows about by instinct. However, some drivers have a hard time learning to pay attention to this gauge. If you do not want to run out of gas in the middle of the road and a long ways away from a gas station, then you will need to pay attention to the gauge and make it to a gas station before you run out. If you are going on a long trip, then you can plan ahead where you will stop for fuel to make sure that you do not run out on the trip between towns. </p> <p>Another gauge that is self explanatory is the speedometer gauge. On every road that you travel there will be a speed limit. You need to be sure to look for the speed limit sign and then travel no more than the speed limit. If you pay attention to the signs and your speedometer you can avoid a costly speeding ticket and make the roads safer for all of us to drive. </p> <p>A lesser known gauge is the tachometer. While it is found in almost every car, many people do not understand what it is gauging. The tachometer is designed to tell you the speed of the engine. This is measure in revolutions per minute of the crank of the engine. It is more widely known as RPM. The reason you need to know this is because the faster your engine is turning the greater the chance that it will break. The RPM gauge should have a red zone on it. As a driver, your job is to make sure that the gauge does not go into the red zone. This is done by driving in the appropriate gear.</p> <p>The temperature of the coolant in your engine also has a gauge. The temperature gauge tells you how hot the coolant is. The hotter the coolant, the more likely you are to have problems inside the engine. Again, the gauge should have a red zone and you need to watch to make sure that the gauge does not get into the red zone. If the gauge is moving in that direction and does not come back down quickly as you get to speed, then you should pull over. You will need to let the engine cool down substantially before continuing on. You should check the coolant level the next morning before driving because it is likely too low and needs to be topped off to prevent the engine from getting too hot.</p> <p>A less familiar gauge is the oil pressure gauge. The oil pressure gauge can tell you about the flow of the oil through the engine. Because oil is critical in maintaining your engine, it is important that it is always flowing with the right amount of pressure. A drop in oil pressure may mean you are low on oil. A rise in pressure may mean that you are too full on oil. A fluctuation up and down may indicate some clog in the system and should be checked out by an auto mechanic. If you need to check the level of your oil, remember to always shut the car off before doing so. </p> <p>Gauges are important in the proper function and use of a car. These instructions are general in nature and you should consult your driver's manual of the car that you are driving for specific instructions concerning the gauges of that car. Paying attention to the gauges and taking actions when needed can give your car years of life and use.</p> <br><br> <b>Author Resource:-></b>  Jordan Mcpelt is a professional author who specializes in <a href="http://instrumentclusterstore.com/Car-Gauges-W11C17799.aspx">car gauges</a> and other automobile related articles. For more information on speedometer clusters please visit <a href="http://instrumentclusterstore.com">http://instrumentclusterstore.com</a><br><br><b>Article From</b> <a href='http://www.electrictext.com/'>ElectricText Article Directory</a><br></body></html>

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