Q: What gauges are present on the instrument panel?

The vehicle is equipped with a number of gauges on the instrument panel, located in the dashboard behind the steering wheel. These relate information to the driver, and the driver barely needs to look away from the road to monitor the gauges. Here is a list of the various gauges present in the instrument panel:

• In the main cluster of gauges, there are two large, very noticeable gauges that all of the others are organized around. The large gauge on the right is the speedometer, which allows the driver to monitor the speed at which they are travelling. The large gauge on the left is the tachometer, which allows the driver to monitor what RPM(revolutions per minute) the motor is running at. This is a good indicator of how much stress the engine is under.

• On both of the large gauges, there is a small screen at the bottom. The larger screen on the left can be used to display a variety of different things such as a fuel economy reading or a compass. The screen on the right, at the bottom of the speedometer, is an odometer. The odometer tracks the vehicle’s mileage and can also display trip mileage, to monitor the distance driven during a specific journey.

• To the left of the tachometer, near the bottom of the panel, is the fuel gauge. This tells the driver how much fuel is remaining in the fuel tank. The symbol on the gauge that looks like a fuel pump has an arrow to the left of it, pointing left. This indicated that the fuel filler door is on the left side.

• On the same side of the panel, above the fuel gauge, sits the oil pressure gauge. This guages shows the PSI (pounds per square inch) of the oil pressure. The needle of this gauge will usually hover around the middle portion of the gauge. If the needle is showing a particularly high or low reading, the driver can stop and assess the problem before permanent damage is done.

• To the right of the speedometer, at the bottom of the panel, is the engine coolant temperature gauge. This shows the temperature of the engine coolant, and will indicate if the engine is reaching a dangerously high temperature before the engine itself stalls or overheats. The highest temperature on the gauge indicates that the engine is working too hard for the cooling system to sufficiently do its job.

• On the same side of the panel, above the coolant temperature gauge, the voltmeter gauge is located. This gauge tells the driver the voltage produced by the battery while the engine is running. If this gauge is showing a particularly high or low reading, it may indicate the battery or alternator are not working properly.

Tip

If the fuel gauge is not showing a correct reading after a fill-up, drive for a minute or two and it should show the correct reading by then.