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Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - Printable Version

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Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - xl.617.lx - 03-13-2015

Hi everyone,

Im ready to order the guages for my w123 build, I'm going to get a egt, emp, and boost gauge.  I want to get some decent gauges but I can't spend $1000 on three guages.  Are there any decent gauges out there for aound $100 each?  What brand if any would you guys recommend in that price range?  What gauges do you guys use?  I really hope my only option at the price isn't some Chinese garbage.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated as always, thanks guys!!

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - MFSuper90 - 03-13-2015

$100 a piece should get you some nice autometers, or if your old school look into Stewart Warner's

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - wolverine - 03-13-2015

An"emp" gauge would be completely unnecessary for a permanent install.  You can use your boost gauge or an old mechanical fuel pressure gauge for checking emp while tuning/tweaking/checking or what not.  But no need to constantly monitor it.

An EGT will be the most expensive (simply because of the circuitry involved).  And there's 1 million flavors of boost gauges out there, and they will all be perfectly fine for what your doing.  No need for laboratory grade data acquisition on our old diesel Benz's Smile  

Look on Summit.  They should have about everything you need at the best prices probably.

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - Mr_Robs - 03-13-2015

Dont cheap out on the EGT one. A bad probe will break and destroy your turbo. I got my PPE one for about $165 shipped, its analog for the "old school" as some call it. I think analog is just much cleaner in the W124 than the boy racer digital stuff.

Check out some pics of the gauges in my build thread

http://www.superturbodiesel.com/std/showthread.php?tid=6272

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - Matej - 03-13-2015

SpeedHut gauges are supposed to be good. Though they are generally about 160-180$ per gauge.

This fellow uses them, and he builds some of the nicest custom gauge pods and clusters out there:
http://www.broadfieldcustoms.com/speedhut-gauges/

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - xl.617.lx - 03-13-2015

(03-13-2015, 07:31 PM)MFSuper90 $100 a piece should get you some nice autometers, or if your old school look into Stewart Warner's

(03-13-2015, 07:58 PM)wolverine An"emp" gauge would be completely unnecessary for a permanent install.  You can use your boost gauge or an old mechanical fuel pressure gauge for checking emp while tuning/tweaking/checking or what not.  But no need to constantly monitor it.

An EGT will be the most expensive (simply because of the circuitry involved).  And there's 1 million flavors of boost gauges out there, and they will all be perfectly fine for what your doing.  No need for laboratory grade data acquisition on our old diesel Benz's Smile  

Look on Summit.  They should have about everything you need at the best prices probably.

(03-13-2015, 09:42 PM)Mr_Robs Dont cheap out on the EGT one. A bad probe will break and destroy your turbo. I got my PPE one for about $165 shipped, its analog for the "old school" as some call it. I think analog is just much cleaner in the W124 than the boy racer digital stuff.

Check out some pics of the gauges in my build thread

http://www.superturbodiesel.com/std/showthread.php?tid=6272

(03-13-2015, 10:08 PM)Matej SpeedHut gauges are supposed to be good. Though they are generally about 160-180$ per gauge.

This fellow uses them, and he builds some of the nicest custom gauge pods and clusters out there:
http://www.broadfieldcustoms.com/speedhut-gauges/

Right on guys!

Thanks for all the information and advise, I REALLY appreciate it!!!

Time to do a little shopping, lol!

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - xl.617.lx - 03-13-2015

(03-13-2015, 09:42 PM)Mr_Robs Dont cheap out on the EGT one. A bad probe will break and destroy your turbo. I got my PPE one for about $165 shipped, its analog for the "old school" as some call it. I think analog is just much cleaner in the W124 than the boy racer digital stuff.

Check out some pics of the gauges in my build thread

http://www.superturbodiesel.com/std/showthread.php?tid=6272

Wow, nice build!!
How's it coming along, I'd love to check it out some time!

I used to live in San Jose, downtown on 2nd.  Im in the east bay now.

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - [486] - 03-13-2015

Both my pyros were used and dirt cheap, around ten bucks apiece for an aircraft one out of a helicopter, and one from a kenworth made by isspro.

The probes I use are normal water heater thermocouples.

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - matfield - 03-14-2015

I used VDO vision. Great quality and very reasonably priced.

http://www.egauges.com/VDO-Vision-Black-Series-Gauges-s/21006.htm

Hope that helps

Mat

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - matfield - 03-14-2015

EGT...

http://www.egauges.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=310-153

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - matfield - 03-14-2015

Boost:

http://www.egauges.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=150-1042

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - CRD4x4 - 03-14-2015

I just got a set of New South Performance analog gauges (boost, oil temp, oil pressure) which are a "perfect match to VW/Audi gauge colors".
I got then used for $100 total (not each) from a part-out and figure my vehicles are used, engines used, why not buy used gauges? They can be tested with a multimeter beforehand.
$$ I WTB a matching EGT gauge $$

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - raysorenson - 03-14-2015

Auber iinstruments has a large selection of reasonably priced thermocouples and bungs, and some simple, cheap digital gauges that can be discretely installed in a 123.

My favorite is the Idash. It can meet your needs for about 350, and still have massive expandability. I'm pinching my pennies for one now.

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - mach4 - 03-14-2015

 I wanted to have a complete set of engine gauges for my project vehicle so I built an Arduino microcontroller based system that captures oil temp, trans temp, EGT, boost, vacuum, intake temp, voltage and fuel pressure. The Arduino transmits the data to a steering wheel mounted tablet wirelessly over bluetooth to provide several display screen options.  

[Image: 126412d1418926691-engine-instrumentation...uges-d.jpg]

The Arduino parts cost about $25, the tablet was $65 and the sensors were about $60. Obviously there is a lot of time involved to engineer and program the system but it's pretty cost effective for what it does... and the tablet does double duty as a nav computer and a HUD trip computer. 

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - MFSuper90 - 03-14-2015

I wish I knew about using arduino boards. You can do lots of awesome stuff with it!

And x2 on the egt gauge. Everyone I know (Bedsides myself) that has a glowshift pyro has stopped working.

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - Joystick - 03-15-2015

(03-14-2015, 09:06 PM)mach4  I wanted to have a complete set of engine gauges for my project vehicle so I built an Arduino microcontroller based system that captures oil temp, trans temp, EGT, boost, vacuum, intake temp, voltage and fuel pressure. The Arduino transmits the data to a steering wheel mounted tablet wirelessly over bluetooth to provide several display screen options.  

[Image: 126412d1418926691-engine-instrumentation...uges-d.jpg]

The Arduino parts cost about $25, the tablet was $65 and the sensors were about $60. Obviously there is a lot of time involved to engineer and program the system but it's pretty cost effective for what it does... and the tablet does double duty as a nav computer and a HUD trip computer. 

Do you want to make some and sell them? 

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - mach4 - 03-15-2015

(03-15-2015, 03:13 AM)Joystick Do you want to make some and sell them? 

I thought about it, but there is just no way - everything is just too custom. If you add or delete just one sensor, both the Arduino and the Android have to be reprogrammed. And then there are the sensor mounts which are also custom. And there is no guarantee that the bluetooth would work with a particular tablet (had big problems with an HTC phone I started with). And of course many would want iPhone or iPad apps. And providing support would be a nightmare. Not to mention that the market is just too small to support the effort. And finally there are excellent systems for providing similar functionality on OBD equipped cars which makes the market even smaller. 

If someone were inclined to embark on a similar project I'd be happy to share my design process, sensor choices, code processes and other issues. 

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - erx - 03-15-2015

Is someone using wideband lambda sensor and AFR gauge on STD car? I was just wondering if there's any reason I should consider buying one or just stay with EGT gauge only. 

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - xl.617.lx - 03-16-2015

(03-14-2015, 09:06 PM)mach4  I wanted to have a complete set of engine gauges for my project vehicle so I built an Arduino microcontroller based system that captures oil temp, trans temp, EGT, boost, vacuum, intake temp, voltage and fuel pressure. The Arduino transmits the data to a steering wheel mounted tablet wirelessly over bluetooth to provide several display screen options.  

[Image: 126412d1418926691-engine-instrumentation...uges-d.jpg]

The Arduino parts cost about $25, the tablet was $65 and the sensors were about $60. Obviously there is a lot of time involved to engineer and program the system but it's pretty cost effective for what it does... and the tablet does double duty as a nav computer and a HUD trip computer. 


Holy shit!!

Thats too nice, well done!!!

RE: Which (budget) brand gauges to you guys recommend? - raysorenson - 03-16-2015

(03-14-2015, 09:06 PM)mach4  I wanted to have a complete set of engine gauges for my project vehicle so I built an Arduino microcontroller based system that captures oil temp, trans temp, EGT, boost, vacuum, intake temp, voltage and fuel pressure. The Arduino transmits the data to a steering wheel mounted tablet wirelessly over bluetooth to provide several display screen options.  

The Arduino parts cost about $25, the tablet was $65 and the sensors were about $60. Obviously there is a lot of time involved to engineer and program the system but it's pretty cost effective for what it does... and the tablet does double duty as a nav computer and a HUD trip computer. 

This is similar to iDash. iDash addresses some of issues you mentioned. It works will all operating systems, and uses WiFi. Got accelerometers too. It's really a great bargain if you utilize 25% of it's capability.