engine temperature change
 

The HHR is the first car ive had with the digital engine temperature display in addition to the temperature gauge. I notice that when im sitting at a light the digital display increases 2 degrees every 30 seconds or so to as high as 198 or 200 for a long light whereas the temp gauge hardly moves up. This is with the a/c on and the cooling fan running. Is this something other cars do too and because we don't have the digital readout we don't see it and is this normal for the HHR? Thanks

The analog gauge isn't accurate... More for looks than anything else.

Normal................Yes

The analog gauge has 3 positions; cold, warm, too hot.

Ok so whats the high acceptable temp reading on the digital gauge at a stop light with the ac and coolant fan running?

I have typed that too many times "I got blisters on me fingers".

Don, I will use my young fingers to type this for the bazillionth time myself.

Keeping in mind some slight debate on the topic, 219 is the highest the car should be getting at any time anywhere at all. And it should never stay that high if the fans work properly. 180-219 is acceptable operating temps. If you start your car cold, look at the analog gauge for a minute or so, it does slowly rise it JUMPS to preset locations based on a range of temps. In other words its just there to look at and doesn't really reflect accurate reading. and when its in the red your engine is already cooking itself. Always use the digital readout. In fact, stuck in traffic, I notice that in the above temp range, 180 to about 219, the analog gauge stays on the same small white line right below halfway throughout that entire range.

As I said before I see why this site has relatively very few posts. There are some knowledgeable people here but the repeated sarcasm is unwanted and unnecessary. Perhaps you should put a warning on the home page. "IF YOU CANNOT ASK A QUESTION THAT HASN'T BEEN ASKED BEFORE DO NOT ASK"