The 7 Best mechanical coolant Temperature Gauges (2023 reviews)

We consider a mechanical coolant temperature gauge to be a worthy investment in the long run. We are here to help you choose the right one for your purposes from all the best available products in market today.

Our review process: Show/Hide

Our Top Picks:

Best Overall: Buy: Dorman mechanical Gauge READ REVIEW

Best With WARNING Light: Buy: HOTSYSTEM mechanical coolant Temperature Gauge READ REVIEW

Best For project cars: Buy: Equus Temperature Sensor READ REVIEW

Best For car: Buy: Auto Meter Great Gauge READ REVIEW

Best For transmission: Buy: Dorman mechanical coolant Temperature Gauge READ REVIEW

Best With every street or race vehicle: Buy: Auto Meter mechanical coolant Temperature Gauge READ REVIEW

Best Easy To read: Buy: Equus mechanical coolant Temperature Gauge READ REVIEW

Best Overall: Dorman mechanical Gauge

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We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a gauge. The dorman mechanical gauge is exactly that - it's a simple gauge that hits all the right notes. This is a universal gauge so it will fit most cars. It has the water from the radiator piped to the gauge. It comes with a 3/8th and 1/2 inch pipe thread adapter. The threads are SAE on this kit fittings and the threads in your engine are Metric. It is suitable for outdoor/off-road equipment.

The Fittings are good for installing in the 4 cylinder flathead and the 2" hole is perfect for the gauge. It is easy to access for water temperature.

• Fits a 2 inch hole perfectly
• Nice gauge free of electrical issues
• Tested in boiling water and was very accurate
• Works like a charm and is accurate

Best With WARNING Light: HOTSYSTEM mechanical coolant Temperature Gauge

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It will work on any car with a coolant system. It is designed to monitor the cooling water for a water-cooled engine, and it has an alarm at 212 degrees f. The gauge isn't going to read right off until the coolant is warm over 104 and the thermostat STARTS to open. The gauge is a 3/8"tapered NPT thread and it screws into whatever fitting you have. The wires are very small and can pull out of the fitting.

The sensor is 1/8th inch pipe thread. The size of the hole is about 1.8in can fit this gauge, and it comes with thread and nut to fix it. On an air-cooled angine, you can only monitor the oil temperature or the cylinder head temperature. The gauge isn't going to read right off until the coolant is warm over 104 and the thermostat STARTS to open. There is a wiring diagram but does not tell you to ground the sensor also no big deal. This gauge comes with a new sensor, you can use it too.

• 24 gauge, very small to adapt too but it can be done
• Easy to read night and day
• Works great easy to install had it wire in and working in a hour

Best For project cars: Equus Temperature Sensor

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Best part: equus temperature sensor costs comparatively low and it is available to ship in 24 hours. The Electrical temperature gauge console offers excellent instrumentation value featuring easy to read 90 degree sweep white on black dial artwork with high contrast orange needle, through dial backlighting, and electrical movement for efficient monitoring of your engine coolant / water temperature. It comes with one or two and it is a small kubota diesel. It has a rear big plastic nut to hold it in the dash. It includes adapters and a sending unit in the kit.

It is perfectly, temp is very accurate, easy to install and setup. The engine has two drain plugs. There are only three connections, light power, sensor connector and ground. It is a good size and fits well on the bottom on the trim for the radio/climate control. It is very easy to install.

• Fit in the dash perfect, easy install
• Very accurate and of decent quality
• Good value, installation was simple and the gauge is very accurate
• Good backlight, accurate and they hold up very well over the years

Best For car: Auto Meter Great Gauge

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The auto meter great gauge should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease. It comes with everything needed to install gage minus wiring. The whole in the bezel has to be the right diameter to acept the autometer gauge. It uses a 1/8th npt sender and hooks into a standard 12V electrical system. The gage head has one ground wire for the gage and one ground wire for the internal light. The lighting is fairly faint, and you can only see it in the evening/night.

This is much nicer using a small 16 gauge wire than running that huge coiled cable through the fire wall of the mechanical gauge to the block. It has to complement the existing gauges.

• Easy to install, it had all the correct fitting and wires
• Perfect autometer budget friendly electrical gauge
• Has a very nice look.works good
• Gauge, 12 volt, and connects to the sender on the engine block

Best For transmission: Dorman mechanical coolant Temperature Gauge

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Next on the list, we've got yet another gauge that manages to win our hearts. It's the dorman mechanical coolant temperature gauge and it's widely considered as one of the best convenient gauge you can buy. Backlit for clear visibility, Dorman's Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge features a sleek black face with crisp white marks, green and red â€safe zone†indication, and a red needle. It provides at-a-glance monitoring of the coolant, oil, or automatic transmission fluid temperatures to help prevent overheating and ensure a long engine life. It features a sleek black face with crisp white marks, green and red â€safe zone†indication, and a red needle. It is available in a kit that includes the gauge, mounting panel with optional wood grain panel insert, sending unit, adapter fittings and installation hardware.

• Available with an adjustable tilt tube for optimal alignment with driver's line of sight
• Easy to install looks and works great
• Available in narrow or wide sweeps

Best With every street or race vehicle: Auto Meter mechanical coolant Temperature Gauge

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The auto meter mechanical coolant temperature gauge's superior materials makes sure that it ages well with use. Auto Meter’s race proven mechanical instruments provide trusted accuracy while being simple to install. It features a rugged air core meter. It includes 1/2" npt adapter, bulb and socket assembly, red and green bulb covers, mounting hardware, and detailed instructions for installation. It has a design for a factory look. Traditional incandescent lighting illuminates around the perimeter of the dial.

Mechanical movements provide accuracy and durability even in the harshest environments. It is compatible with every street or race vehicle. High performance movements and understated good looks make this series a perfect choice for low-key instrumentation.

• Electrical system required for gauge operation
• Subtle all black design for a factory look
• Good brand reputation

Best Easy To read: Equus mechanical coolant Temperature Gauge

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Next on the list, we've got yet another gauge that manages to win our hearts. It's the equus mechanical coolant temperature gauge and it's widely considered as one of the best convenient gauge you can buy. This water temperature gauge is engineered to provide accurate readings under harsh conditions and can accurately measure the temperature of the coolant, which can prevent serious internal problems, and help prevent overheating. It has a mounting bracket, and several adapters for the mounting of the sensor in the block or head, and wire ends for hooking up the light.

This is a very professional looking temperature gauge. It is able to provide value and performance in oe replacement instrumentation. It is easy to install and works well.

• Rear twist-on mounting ring is included for easy installation
• One of the new comers and featured product