Right in front of you is your new Ford F150 vehicle; you got in, and on the dashboard lies many gauges (as expected), but being your first Ford car, you really don’t understand what the gauges represent.
Well, the gauges are not so different from what you’ve seen in other cars. But then, we will discuss common Ford F150 gauges meaning in this article.
The Ford F150 truck comes with a number of gauges for fuel information, speed notice, mileage reader, tachometer, and many more. These gauges are all electrically powered – draw power from the truck’s 24V battery. It is important you know the actual information displayed on each gauge because they are all vital.
Ford F150 Gauges Meaning
Each gauge on your Ford F150 is calibrated with numbers or letters, indicating different helpful information. When a gauge stops working, it is important to have it fixed. Hereunder are the available gauges in Ford F150s and what they transmit.
- Engine Pressure Gauge
- Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge
- Fuel Gauge
- Turbo Boost or Transmission Fluid Temperature Gauge
- Speedometer
- Tachometer
1. Engine Pressure Gauge
The engine pressure gauge, or engine oil pressure gauge, is usually the first gauge in the F150 display console. It is indicated with L and H calibrations, which means Low and High; when the handle swings towards the L region, it means the oil pressure is Low, and when it moves towards the H region, it means the pressure is High.
Basically, the standard engine oil pressure stays between 20-50 PSI (Pounds Per Square Inch); however, it increases with the engine speed. You should keep an eye on this pressure; it doesn’t have to be too high or too low; if any of these occurs, you should have the engine checked thoroughly.
2. Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge
Every engine uses coolant fluids to regulate temperature and maintain optimal performance. The temperature of every automobile engine is measured using a temperature gauge, which is calibrated with C and H letters, meaning “Cold” and “Hot,” respectively.
If the gauge’s handle is in-between the Cold and Hot regions, then your engine is running under normal temperature; if the handle swings towards the Hot region, your engine is well-heated and overheating could occur next.
However, in most cases, the gauge’s handle is always in the middle or towards the Cold region when you just start the car and moves slightly closer to the Hot region when you’ve driven for a long time.
3. Fuel Gauge
In Ford F150s, the third gauge reads the fuel level information. It transmits the current fuel level in your truck’s fuel tank. This gauge has an E marking on the left side and an F marking on the right; the E represents Empty, and the F represents Full.
Apparently, when you run on a full tank, the handle would stay on the F region, but when the fuel in your truck’s tank starts to go down (probably after driving a long distance), the handle will swing towards the E region.
The moment the handle reaches very close to the E mark, chances are that your truck will stop driving sooner than you may expect as the fuel is exhausted. When the fuel gauge gets faulty, it’s important to fix it as soon as possible.
4. Turbo Boost or Transmission Fluid Temperature Gauge
This is usually the last gauge on the top row; it relays information about the transmission fluid in your Ford F150 and is calibrated with C and H, meaning Hot and Cold, respectively. Auto transmission fluids have an ideal operating temperature rating between 175 and 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
If the temperature exceeds 240 degrees Fahrenheit, the additives used in the fluid will start to cook, which could result in varnish formation inside the transmission. Similarly, if the ATF gets too cold, it becomes much thicker and won’t be able to lubricate the internal transmission components.
So, the Transmission Fluid Temperature gauge helps to relay the current state of the ATF in your F150 truck. When the gauge shows that the ATF is too cold or too hot, apparently, you should take action to see what’s about to go wrong with your truck’s transmission.
Note: This gauge relays Turbo Boost information on F150 models with Ecoboost; it is the gauge to monitor fuel pressure.
5. Speedometer
Virtually the commonest gauge you will find on any automobile. The speedometer, as the name hints, is the gauge that lets you know the speed you’re traveling at (in KM/hr).
Also, the small (separate) display built-in to the speedometer gauge is the odometer, which indicates how far the truck has been driven (calculated in miles). With the help of the speedometer, you’d know when you’re about to exceed the recommended speed level on a particular major road.
6. Tachometer
A tachometer, also called the RPM gauge, is the gauge that calculates the engine’s Revolution Per Minute (RPM) by monitoring the rotation speed of a shaft or the car wheels. This gauge is calibrated using numbers, usually from 1 to 8.
When you start driving, the gauge’s reading starts from 1 and keeps increasing as you accelerate. To find the actual RPM, you’re driving at, you have to multiply the number (where the tachometer handle is pointed) by 1000.
So, if the handle is at 2, it means 2 x 1000, which gives us 2,000. In other words, you’re driving at 2,000RPM, which is not so bad.
What More?
Well, there’s actually nothing more; Ford F150s have just six gauges on the console/display center. These gauges all relay important information that helps drivers stay in line with road regulations and, of course, monitor how their F150 truck is performing in real time.
These Ford F150 gauge meanings are concise; notwithstanding, you’d find more detailed information about these gauges in your owner’s manual. This article centers on Ford F150s; the gauges on other Ford truck models slightly differ in arrangement(s) and number(s).
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