Aftermarket gauges.
Discussion
Thought this would be a good place to put this thread. I have a turbocharged MX5 that is slowly being turned in to a track toy.
What aftermarket gauges are you all using in your cars? Mechanical or electronic?
I am looking to install boost, oil temp, water temp and oil pressure gauges but the choices are somewhat overhwelming. With there being a number of gauges to install I would like something with warning lights so I am not having to scan the row of dials all the time.
What aftermarket gauges are you all using in your cars? Mechanical or electronic?
I am looking to install boost, oil temp, water temp and oil pressure gauges but the choices are somewhat overhwelming. With there being a number of gauges to install I would like something with warning lights so I am not having to scan the row of dials all the time.
Many race cars use electronic displays by Motec, Stack, Pi or more recently AIM and other new entrants.
The primary display is revs and perhaps 2 or three critical items, e.g. Oil pressure, water temp. A myriad of other items are monitored and can be scrolled through as required, though you would normally not look at them unless you were monitoring an issue. Instead each has a programmable alarm level, so when for example fuel pressure drops to a certain level an alarm appears on the screen.
This would achieve what you want, with lots of info being monitored, but only what you need to know actually being displayed at any one time.
These things do of course come at a cost, although the newer systems are cheaper than the established players
The primary display is revs and perhaps 2 or three critical items, e.g. Oil pressure, water temp. A myriad of other items are monitored and can be scrolled through as required, though you would normally not look at them unless you were monitoring an issue. Instead each has a programmable alarm level, so when for example fuel pressure drops to a certain level an alarm appears on the screen.
This would achieve what you want, with lots of info being monitored, but only what you need to know actually being displayed at any one time.
These things do of course come at a cost, although the newer systems are cheaper than the established players
Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'm not sure I need an LCD screen and I would think that in my part of the world it would be illegal to have unless I can somehow prove the speed calibration on them.
I am liking the sound of those stack gauges...Where would be the place to get them? There is no supplier in Australia.
I am liking the sound of those stack gauges...Where would be the place to get them? There is no supplier in Australia.
Weslake-Monza said:
Stack with the programmable back lighting.
How neat is a water temp gauge where the backlighting goes from white to red at a pre-set temp programmed by you that also switches on an electric fan?
Or how about an oil pressure gauge where the backlighting turns yellow at a preset oil pressure programmed by you.
When the gauge backlighting is also the warning light you don't need a big warning light because the gauge does that for you. Also you don't need to look from a warning light to a gauge because they are combined. Can't believe more racers don't use them.
Pi do the same thing - its not unique. In fact looking at the Stack website, I can't see this feature - are you sure you don't mean Pi? Brochure here: http://25.enable.com/fusion/getfile.asp?k:A3:5F:24...How neat is a water temp gauge where the backlighting goes from white to red at a pre-set temp programmed by you that also switches on an electric fan?
Or how about an oil pressure gauge where the backlighting turns yellow at a preset oil pressure programmed by you.
When the gauge backlighting is also the warning light you don't need a big warning light because the gauge does that for you. Also you don't need to look from a warning light to a gauge because they are combined. Can't believe more racers don't use them.
I use a Motec dash with a shift light module mounted in the driver's line of sight. The shift light module has 8 leds, each individually programmable for colour, intensity and static or flashing. Normally it operates as a conventional shift light. When I engage the pit lane limiter the whole thing flases blue. If an alarm is triggered then it temporarily goes orange. If it is critical issue - a turn the engine off right now type thing - e.g. oil pressure, it lights up bright red at max intensity. This is how I have it set up but you can really do whatever you want with it - you can play wityh each light individually if you want. It is hugely flexible - and I still wonder how the heck it is all driven by just three wires!
The only time I look at the dash display itself during a race meeting is to check lap times during qually, or if an alarm is triggered.
The Pi dash uses different coloured back lights to achieve the same thing, but other than this the Pi and Motec dashes are very similar in functionality
Back to the OP - the only analogue guage on a Stack dash is the rev counter - speed is part of the digital display. Same with Motec and Pi.
Motec is obviously easiest for you to get hold of given where you are. None of them are cheap though - hence suggestions of AIM and Race Technology systems
i would avoid stack at all costs, i had a full dash and logger system in my previous race car and it was aful, kept breaking, and not doing what it was suposed to. even had stack themselfs out on a number of test days to try and make the system work and they couldent. after a year of trying to make it work it was ripped out and replaced with a Pi system and it worked straight away and had no issues. a number of people i have spoken to regarding the stack unit have told me they have had problems with them. they may have improved in the last few years, and i dont know the relyability of there current units, but would never go there again.
i would recomend either Pi or if you can afford it a motec system, failing that there are plenty of cheaper "budget" setups such as the aim or atb dash units
i would recomend either Pi or if you can afford it a motec system, failing that there are plenty of cheaper "budget" setups such as the aim or atb dash units
Thanks again for the advice guys.
Are there any opinions on the equipment made by SPA Design?
The have individual gauges as well as full dash units. I think I am going to go for individual gauges at the moment, a touch cheaper and not OTT for what I am doing with the car.
http://www.spa-uk.co.uk/design/
I quite like the look of the duel display digital gauges. Easy to read and have a programmable warning light.
http://www.spa-uk.co.uk/design/gauges/
Are there any opinions on the equipment made by SPA Design?
The have individual gauges as well as full dash units. I think I am going to go for individual gauges at the moment, a touch cheaper and not OTT for what I am doing with the car.
http://www.spa-uk.co.uk/design/
I quite like the look of the duel display digital gauges. Easy to read and have a programmable warning light.
http://www.spa-uk.co.uk/design/gauges/
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