I just hope there's some kind of warning in case our xc70 overheats. Otherwise I am used to have no temp guage.

Sent from my SM-G925W8 using Tapatalk

 

Just some thoughts from an Engineer with a 2011 XC70 and 2013 Boxster.
All parameters are now monitored by computer systems with Driver Warnings in case of parameters exceeding normal levels and Urgent Warnings when damage could occur.
Gauges cost money and may or may not be as reliable as computer monitoring.
Temperature gauges for as long as I remember for Volvo's show an artificial reading of Top Dead Center for a large range of temps, so in effect have been useless for decades. The 2011 XC70 has no temperature gauge.
My Porsche has a configurable TFT display for water temp, oil temp, battery voltage, fuel level and the like. The water temp is held to an artificial set point of 194F (it never varies once it reaches 194F). It has gauges for speed and engine revs(Tach).
The TFT also shows the oil level as there is no 'dipstick'
So with the use of computer systems to monitor engine parameters, why do you require gauges?
The use of cars with newer technology requires a shift in how we perceive driving and monitoring a vehicle. Now you can litteraly just concentrate on driving and any abnormal condition will generate a warning.-Richard

 

+1. My Chevy Traverse has a water temp gauge, and it never moves off of 210. I have driven uphills in a low gear on purpose to try and get it to move, and it doesnt. They have become placebos.

 

I agree the lack of gauges is "no fun". However as budrichard has said everything is computer controlled now.

So what I'd LOVE to see, is a page/screen in the sensus "My Car" area that has all these as software gauges, including (irrelevant but interesting) things like boost pressure.

All the information is going over the CAM bus, as you've pointed out you've pointed out you've got an OBD dongle. Why not put it into the infotainment center?

 

As an IT I very well understand the movement to total computer control of the vehicle. In the past having a gauge warned me of impending engine issues like lower than normal oil pressure or higher than normal coolant temp. Most drivers today are just "aimers" and not real drivers so I guess they really would pay little attention to gauges. Many are so busy talking on their phones to even notice gauges. Personally, my driving comfort zone includes having some physical drive train monitoring media in front of me!

 

Some use a OBDII bluetooth reader and an app on their phone that shows them everything about the car. Water temp, boost, oil temp etc.

 

Yep, get an Android device and the Torque app and an OBDII bluetooth dongle. Enjoy monitoring everything!

 

The lack of gauges is one of my pet-peeves about the car too... and saying that the gauges are useless because they just go to 'normal' and stay there doesn't help. I didn't like that either. On long trips with a heavy load, long periods of idling/slow traffic in the summer heat, laps around the racetrack (albeit in a different car) or even just for sh!ts and giggles, there are many good reasons to need to know what's up with your engine.

 

I agree, but sadly car manufacturers do not.

 

I really think that Volvo missed the boat on this issue. I have driven several newer vehicles that have information displays that can be changed to suit the driver's desires. If I can plug in a twenty dollar Bluetooth device and have a readout on my smartphone, then why can't Volvo include an engine information center in the display? No matter what has been said by others here about the viability of gauges, as a consumer I expect a vehicle the quality of Volvo to give the driver the option of monitoring the engine.

 

Those newer vehicles do not show you actual values for the reasons pointed out by ozzimark above. The only way to get a real reading is to read the computer.

 

Just picked up my first Volvo product. It's a 2011 XC-70 3.2 FWD. While I appreciate the commentary above, I believe that one who actually DRIVES a car rather than merely aiming it will come to quickly appreciate that "normal" is a range, rather than a line and depends on things such as atmospherics, nature of the drive, etc. I drive 40-50,000 miles per year and have used gauges to spot potential trouble well before a car had the chance to leave me on the side of the road.

As to the suggestion that most newer cars now lack the temperature gauge -- my observations have not borne that out.

In any event, I shall look into the dongle and smart phone app that gorj mentioned at the beginning of the thread.

 

That is not so that gauges are not accurate. Just because someone on this forum made that statement, that does not mean it is correct. In the past I have used Snap ON diagnostic tools to check the gauge reading with the actual reading and in my experience the gauges were close to the actual. I still say Volvo is not being responsive to the consumer. They talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk!

 

i want gauges.

not what some think is the sophisticated future.......................

useless...............

 

You can't handle the gauges!


Seriously most automakers believe that most drivers can't understand the gauges and therefore either don't provide them or when they do they are so normalized that never move. The problem is a certain segment of population will see a gauge move and then go right in to the dealer saying their car is "overheating" when infact is just running a little warm. So to get better "reliability scores" you just never give a warning to driver. The see everything looks normal.. Well until it is not. At least I do have one car with moving temp gauge and oil pressure gauges. 88 944 Turbo. I can see when the fans kick in to lower the temps as the gauge moves. Gauges moves to the higher line and fans kick in and bring the temp back down. Hot idle and oil pressure is low. Giver her some revs and oil pressure jumps back up.