As the outside temperatures begin to rise, so do the anxiety levels of Tiger owners everywhere, as they watch their water temperature gauge needles move further to the right.
Am I going to get stuck in traffic? Will my Kenlowes do the trick? Should I pull the bonnet release?
Before you get too paranoid about the engine overheating, it is a very good idea to find an accurate measurement of your water temperature, NOT just what the gauge happens to be displaying.
The standard water temperature gauges are generally pretty inaccurate in my experience, but no doubt some of you have had yours calibrated or you are using aftermarket mechanical gauges.
A cheap way of finding the true water temperature is to use one of these non-contact infra red digital thermometers with a laser beam, similar to this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Non-Contact-I ... 336a4e8ffd
Check to see if a 9 volt battery is included in the price.
My car generally runs at a gauge reading of 90 C, which in reality is only 75 C, a sizeable over-reading of 15C.