Last time I ever buy cheap gauges.
Back when I had my Excursion I remember a number of guys running glowshift gauges and being fairly happy with them, appears that when you mix them with the shitty electrics of an SN-95 you get a recipe for uselessness. Just got down topping off the A/C tonight and I've known that the gauge was off but decided to check to see just how badly.
This is parking lights on, 1000rpm idle (block of wood wedged under brake pedal), stereo off, a/c on max, fan on high. Car had been idling for approximately 10 minutes maximum at this point in a garage that's 95 degrees.
262 degrees
now this is my infrared thermometer pointed straight at the block at the base of the distributor
One of these things is not like the other.