Which direction should i go with gauges or dash unit?

[Alex.P]

If you plan on keeping thecar a while just bitethe bullet and get good gear...cheap haltech ecu and dash or the best motec ecu and dash.

It can always be moved into thenext car etc.

[takai]

Hm, a slightly cheaper option might be to see if i can get a E8 and use that with a Racepak dash.... only slightly cheaper though.

[Banzai]

I've had a similar dilemma for quite a while. Now that I'm running a Haltech Platinum series ECU I'm going to put in one of their logging ECUs

[smee]

I shall watch from the benches.
Similar issue and need to adapt dash to Autronic SMC.
Might have to be a project for 2012 season along with new brakes and wheels.

[Carlos the Jackal]

I shall watch from the benches.
Similar issue and need to adapt dash to Autronic SMC.
Might have to be a project for 2012 season along with new brakes and wheels.

*cough* my shit works with Autronics too. I also have PF special pricing

/blatant ad

[Cplus]

Dash hooks up to the ECU via a CAN bus, if the dash dies the ECU will still trip the bright warning light. If the ECU dies well thats a game ender right there.

i was thinking more of a sensor/sender failure.

[takai]

Yeah, no way in hell am i going to bring hot fluids inside the cabin.... no thanks.

Impakt: if you could ask Haltech to release their E6X data i would like that a lot.... doubt its going to happen though.

[Walt Kowalski]

...simply replace my water and oil temp gauges (if one has failed, the other is likely to) and keep soldiering on. If i do this then ill need to find a water/oil temp gauge which has a user settable warning output so i can hook it up to the idiot light on the dash.
Unsure on which type of unit to get for this, but im guessing they are around $200 a pop. Anyway, thoughts?

Recently installed the Racepak data dash. Like it. It's much more than $2250by the time you add all the sensors and install it. More than $4k on basic 4 channels for me. I could not justify AIM or Motec Dash mainly because nopics saw the email quotes. LOL.

I still have the old guages in a box and will sell soon if you want a cheap option.

One is a fantastic digital PIVOT water temp guage that flashes when you get to whatever you preset via easy up down buttons. No output for monster idiot light that I know of but it might be there. Very light and compact but nice piece.

Also have in that same box digital water temp and oil temp guages by SABER. Cheapies - about $120 each new - but they also flash when you get to whatever you preset on the up down buttons but not as nice as the PIVOT ones. No output for monster idiot light that I know of but they flash like a devo.

PM if interested

[Cplus]

Yeah, no way in hell am i going to bring hot fluids inside the cabin.... no thanks.

who said anything about that!

[MRMOPARMAN]

Dash is all pretty and everything, but still a single point of failure.

surely mech gauge's for engine life (water temp, oil pressure) are still a must?

this perhaps?

[takai]

Recently installed the Racepak data dash. Like it. It's much more than $2250by the time you add all the sensors and install it. More than $4k on basic 4 channels for me. I could not justify AIM or Motec Dash mainly because nopics saw the email quotes. LOL.

Yeah, but if i grab the new ECU then i can control the Racepak directly from the CAN bus out of the ECU. No extra sensors required.

Looking like ill just go the new gauges at this point.

[Cplus]

this perhaps?

sorry, terminology error - my bad

mech as in sweeping arm - not old school hot fluid into the cabin style.

actually, i think i was typing one thing, half deleted it then got going again - oops.

i knew what i meant!!

[Banzai]

surely mech gauge's for engine life (water temp, oil pressure) are still a must?

Many years ago I killed the engine in one of my Datto 1600s when the oil line from the engine to the gauge failed. Unfortunately it was a weekend, there was a petrol strike so no stations open to get some oil and I was a fair way from home.

The more connectors and pipes you have hanging off the engine the more chances you have of an engine-killing failure. If a sensor dies it usually doesn't spit out your oil or water and kill the engine.

[Cplus]

okay, to clarify - :D - what I was thinking (in my rather sick(flu) head) was DUAL sensors for oil and water - one feeding the ECU, one feeding a gauge.

no taps and shitty bundy line sending hot oil into the cabin (is that even legal anymore?) or similar.

ie: N+1 on the two most vital signs. (could probably add fuel pressure to that also, but that is a whole different debate (and one i think we've had here before))

[takai]

Yeah. That does sound like the way to go. I'm going to investigate setting up the E6x for idiot lights as well. That way I can use a cheaper gauge. Also going to investigate gutting my old eeepc for a dedicated pc logger.