hey guys,
i just got my autometer boost gauge in, and i was wondering if the boost gauge vacuum hose goes in the nipple with the blue arrow or the red arrow in the pic below or does it matter?. right now the nipple with the blue arrow is connected to the blow off valve. what do i have to do?
thanks,
Craig

 

You need to use the one with the red arrow

 

Either "T" in to the blue one, or use the red one, it's not doing anything

 

Just use the one with the plug on it. If you wanted to you could T it into the bov line, but there is no real point. They are both a source of manifold pressure, which is what your boost gauge needs.

M-P

 

Red.

No need to bother with the other one.

 

ok, well,
i plugged a rubber hose to the nipple with the red wire and went through the firewall with it, but when i started my car it was reading 30 vacuum, not pressure (i guess -30 pressure) at idle. i took off the rubber hose and put my finger up to the nipple and it was sucking in air. is this right? while driving it would go up to right around 0 pressure when i floored the gas. does anyone know whats wrong?
thanks,
Craig

 

it kinda sounds like your guage is off by -10....your supposed to get 10psi when you floor it and -20 vac

 

Try T'ing into the MAP sensor line and see if you get the same or a different reading.

 

Either tha gauge is messed up, you wired it wrong, or your car is messed up, lol.

 

I wish I got 30 in of vacuum at idle!

But not 0 boost.

 

when the car is off, the boost gauge reads 15 vacuum. is this right or does that matter? do you think i sould T it in the same line as the bov or would that read the same?

 

It should read 0 when the car is off.

T into the MAP sensor line like I said eariler and see if you get the same readings. If you do, most likely the hose going to the cabin is kinked or something.

 

Your gauge is f*#ked. You'll have to get another one.

Even if the hose leading from the UIM to the gauge was kinked, it wouldn't explain the 30in vacuum readings at idle.

 

Disconnect the gauge to see if it returns to zero. If not zero, See the above post

 

when the car is off it reads 15 vacuum, and when i unplug the hose from the UIM it still reads 15 vacuum, does this mean the gauge messed up and i have to buy another one?

 

If you have nothing plugged into the gauge, and it doesn't sit at 0 (or near there).... the gauge is faulty... Return it for a working one.

Did the gauge look like that out of the box?

 

try blowing into it to get it back to zero. its a manual gauge so it needs pressure to get it to zero. if it doesnt read correct after that your gauge is defunct.

 

Sorry, I disagree. The gauge should not need anything to return to zero.

Take the gauge back to where you got it, and exchange it for one that starts at zero. What brand gauge is it? If it's a cheapo, maybe you should consider another manufacturer.

 

i took a autometer gauge and accidently kinked the hose. the needle jumped up to 5 psi and stayed there. the only way i got it to return to zero was to suck the needle back to zero. worked fine again.

 

Uh...just "kinking the hose" won't make the gauge needle "jump to 5 psi and stay there". If you had to "suck the needle back to zero", you have a faulty gauge.

As Mahjik stated, if you remove the hose from the gauge and it still reads 15in of vacuum, you need to return it for another one that works correctly.

 

Let the Auto-meter bashing begin!
Hajime! Fight!
!


Is this an electric gauge that possibly required "custom" wiring?

 

Heh...actually, I've got an Autometer boost gauge that's been working fine so far for several years...

 

i didnt say autometer was bad. i was just stating my own experience. thats what happend, its not like im trying to make stuff up.

it seemed to work just fine. i dunno. either way i just got a decent deal on a apexi gauge.

 

I know, I'm just stirring up trouble. My father has an ultra-light in his boosted miata, it's been there for at least 8 years, no problems.

 

Aye Ive got one on my 7 as well. Normally shipping messes them up. BTW Dont T off because I tried to do that and my BOV wasnt opening and I was getting the "turkey" sound. (which is bad) Only happened once btw.