Gauges -what do they tell us
 

I'd like an education regarding in-car gauges and what they measure?

The most popular and useful/common are Oil pressure, Oil Temp and Boost.

What I would like to know (and I'm sure would others) is what they exactly monitor and measure. Not only this but would also like to know if these measures were not taken/monitored what would the implications be.

For example if the Oil tempature was not monitored the signs are the engine would start to xxxxxx and there is a possibility because of this fault the car's headgasket could blow. This is only an example and there is no logic behind this but someone who can do a good write up of each gauge and its purpose and its implication if not monitored would be useful.

If there are other gauges which you guys use please specify and reasons why.

Cheers

Hi i,d add a separate coolant temp gauge to that list,the standard one is very inaccurate and doesnt show any movement from its normal posistion until its too late,

my Gauge can fluctuate from 80 to 96 celsuis and while those temps are within normal tolerances the standard gauge on my dash doesnt move to show any difference.
Dave

Fuel pressure is one that is overlooked quite often, Comes in very handy if the fuel pump starts to fail and the pressure gets low resulting in less fuel being delivered to the injectors/rails which then results in the car running lean which subsequently can be an engine killer.

Better still has a gauge vote been done on here before to see what were the top 3 gauges bought. Or not

Top 3 will be...Boost, Oil Tem, Oil Pressure.

Boost for obvious reasons so you can see what's its boosting at.

Oil temp, Anything over 120 dec C can cause issues and thin the oil out.

Oil Presure, To indicate any oil pressure problems.

Hi there

Personally I would have Boost,Oil pressure,Oil temp,Fuel pressure,Water temperature and AFR,those gauges has been and are our primary gauges(now we have only sensors for Syvecs/Toucan and DASH2 combo)

Boost still prefer have normal analogue than digital on DASH2

Jura

i've bought a depo 4 in 1 which will monitor boost, volt, oil pressure and oil temp. Im still trying to understand the pros and cons but I think by getting a single gauge which monitors the most common measures is a good start.
I look forward to it being fitted and see what feedback it gives me.

I've got 5 defi gauges, and in my mind, they are all vitally important. Boost, oil temp, oil press, fuel press and water temp. I wouldn't be without them.

I agree with the majority here, boost, oil pressure and oil temp.

Boost - to monitor what pressure your turbo is making. Can indicate if there is a problem with your turbo and can also help if you are altering / controlling the boost by various methods. Can show things such as boost creep or tale off which gives you a good idea what your turbo is doing, how its performing and any issues that might be arising.

Oil Pressure - Obviously vital to any engine is optimum oil pressure. Can save your engine if you suddenly developed a drastic oil leak etc and react quick enough. Is also interesting when you experiment with different oil grades as you can see exactly the performance of the oil and how it effects / reacts with your engine.

Oil Temp - Again very important info to ensure you have correctly warmed the engine and brought the fluid up to optimum operating temperature before giving the car a blast. Getting up to optimum temperatures can take a lot longer then some people think and proper use of this gauge would help prolong and maintain your engine. As with pressure this is also useful in gauging how different oils work with your engine.

http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/t...a/IMG_2456.jpg

Cheers now that's what I called for.

I've just had delivered a depo 4 in 1 gauge which is what JonMc and RickyA are using in their cars. Good little piece of if you don't want 3 separate gauges or a center pod

Yep, had one previous to my DEFI's and the boost reading was pretty much bang on against ECU figures when we mapped it and dyno'd it.

Pros are - space saving, only one gauge needed, economical cost wise, and seems pretty accurate.

Cons are - I found it hard to see in bright sunlight, even with the little cap hood on the dial. Also the oil pressure and temp readings are digital, so maybe not as noticeable if there was a problem (ie loss of oil pressure).

For the money I would recommend though :thumb:

Outta interest, why would you have AFR and fuel pressure? Surely a drop in fuel pressure would show up as a shift in the AFR?

I have fuel pressure, oil pressure, oil temp, water temp, afr, voltage, throttle position, boost pressure and a few more.

All monitored via a toucan

AFR and FPR are both connected through the Syvecs and on both we have set trip(when FPR is low,engine will cut or go to the Limp mode)

Why we have both,as above I've said,we are running sensor pack for Syvecs where FPR is included and AFR is Wideband and Wideband is good to have on any car

Not always fuel pressure drop will show up on the AFR,I know when FPR starting to drop(usually when we are drive low on fuel),AFR is usually same as our ECU have Wideband control and Wideband try to compensate or control AFR

Really depends on the car and on the mods and then I would decide to have or not to have gauges/sensors etc

Jura

AFR tell you if engine is running lean or running rich, FRR tell you the pressure only !!

I've just had delivered a depo 4 in 1 gauge which is what JonMc and RickyA are using in their cars. Good little piece of if you don't want 3 separate gauges or a center pod
Yep, had one previous to my DEFI's and the boost reading was pretty much bang on against ECU figures when we mapped it and dyno'd it.

Pros are - space saving, only one gauge needed, economical cost wise, and seems pretty accurate.

Cons are - I found it hard to see in bright sunlight, even with the little cap hood on the dial. Also the oil pressure and temp readings are digital, so maybe not as noticeable if there was a problem (ie loss of oil pressure).

For the money I would recommend though :thumb[/I]

Sorry to bring up an old thread but where did you have the 4-in-1 gauge placed? Newage? Pics?

Thanks

I'll post couple pics later but I'd mounted it in the a-pillar using a nomad racing 60mm complete a-pillar.

Impressed with it but feel the pod of pillar is little high for my height and would've preferred the pod to a lot lower down the pillar nearer the dashboard so more readable and discreet.

Thanks. Pics would be very useful. Discreet is important but I do want it quite close to my face so I can see those numbers.

Sorry to hassle you but do you have any pics? PM me if easier. Thanks

Without gauges my scoob would need a new engine ,,,, brought a hawkeye sti , had it about two weeks and after a mate offered me his old gauges cheap I put a set in , only to find my oil pump was failing and was only giving me just under 1bar pressure ,,so changed the pump ASAP ,, so thanks to a set of gauges I still have the same engine and now know my new pump is running great

A combination of my fuel pressure gauge and Knock Link saved mine when it developed a tiny air leak.