laptop..save on gauges?
 

i have a fairly new dell laptop and was wondering if there were programs that i could install to monitor my engine instead of getting the normal gauges?....my car will be a n/a for a while but i am planning on porting it this winter, and want to keep tabs on it

I do not want danger to manifold like fandf so dont call me a ricer

there is if you have a stand alone ECU with their own software but A laptop would be an easy thing to swipe out of a car do you not think? Plus there is no real convinient heads up way to mount the laptop! like you can the guages!

Well, my Microtech has labtop software to monitor readings and I'm still buying a labtop. However, its just for minor monitoring and will not be in the car at all times. I prefer gauges. Water temp, oil pressure are probably the ones to get for an NA.

well i wouldnt keep the laptop in the car 24/7. just when i was fooling around or wanted to make sure everything was running efficiently.

this is depending on the cost for the programs ofcourse

does anyone know any good site where i can read up on this type of software?

You would need to have a way to connect the laptop to the sending units, I haven't heard of such a system unless it runs through a standalone ECM.

there is no such thing....

and stuff should be monitered constantly not just every now and then....

ok so gauges it is...
thnx for the help guys

Speak for yourself buddy ;)

The issue is this. The stock sensors are all analog, so some means of converting them to digital is required. Aftermarket ECUs already do this, and always offer a serial/parallel connection to enable programming and data acquisition.

So if you really want to do this, you need a few things:

1. ADC board with a multiplexor so you can read the voltages from the stock sensors. These are available from hobbiest electronics sources, normally in kit form.

2. Laptop. Duh

3. Software. You'll be making this yourself, so you better be familiar with low level I/O. Most ADC boards come with an SDK, so you should be fairly set if you can program in VB or VC.

Overall, for someone with electronics knowledge, it's not hard at all. Will be expensive though, probably more then the cost of all the gauges it is to replace. And remember that laptops are volatile. They crash, lock up, etc. and are large and bulky.

EdgeTech's wide band has the ability to data log *things*. See this site... http://www.techedge.com.au/vehicle/wbo2/1v5/sw.htm

and read around on that site. I'm sure there's other similar sites/tools for you techies. You might even go to the ECU forum on this site and ask around there.

I know HKS used to make something called a CAMP. I think it might be discontinued. If you can find one of these, i think it will do everything you are looking for.

http://www5.ocn.ne.jp/~oki/CAMP/index2.htm

I look at my guages on a laptop :D

but then again my laptop is directly connected to what controls my engine