If I was to change to a peak/hold gauge, I'd definitely look at it. As it is, I have the Defi gauges that are really good and match the OEM gauges nicely. Besides swapping out the oil pressure gauge for an oil temp gauge, I've also been intrigued by the idea of wideband O2 sensor/gauge. The problem is they are very expensive.

 

Actually, I didn't get the Peak Hold gauges. Mine are blackout gauges, like Defi's, except they light up white durring the day and green when my headlights are on, to match my gauge cluster.

 

None of the aftermarket gauges are any more accurate than another. People were bad mouthing Autometer and praising Defi until many people started speaking out about damaged Defi units being received. There is a post around here from more of an expert on the subject that I can dig up if people want. However, the gist of it is that all of them are equally inaccurate.

As far as sickboy2345 getting a A/F gauge, it will be useless for him now on the stock ECU. Even then, he may decide a rechipped ECU is for him and not go with a programmable ECU (or stay with the stock ECU). Who knows? However, oil temp is something he can benefit from immediately as it's really just as important as coolant temp.

 

THX Mahjik

i am getting these ones for now:

boost
water temp
oil temp


still thinking if i want to have all three in this ugly hole or maybe boost somewhere on the dashboard/door column so i can see it whilst driving...

 

you may want to check out these gauges. They look really close to stock + they are in your back yard:
revotec.com

 

i would go with boost, EGT, and a wide band.. if you can fit a 4th i would add a water temp

 

That seems almost backwards to most of the informed recommendations that I've ever gotten. I'm a newb but this is what I would think.

1) Water temp. The stock water temp gauge only tells you when you are SOL. It doesn't give you any warning like an after market gauge. Since FD's tend to overheat, this one has primary importance.

2) Boost. A distant second to the water temp gauge. This only becomes important when you start to do some basic flow mods just to be sure that you aren't getting boost spikes or boost creep. Even so, with just basic dp, intake, and cb, most won't have a problem. Add a hi-flow cat and you might. Add a mb and you will.

3) EGT and Wideband. As far as I understand (and I don't understand a lot), these are only really important if you are going to tune your car. They can be helpful to make sure that you aren't running too lean, but with a stock or chipped ECU and limited mods, the car should be plenty rich at normal boost levels. The boost gauge may be more useful.

I'm often wrong however so I'm putting this out there as a chance to learn more.

 

the EGT and wideband tell you if any mods you do to your care pretune is hurting it or not, and if you have a stand alone you need those stuff to varify your tune when your dirving. the water temp is a no brainer, i notice if my car is runing hot, i rearly use the the OEM, instead i use my PFC, and if i did not then i would look at my egt and oil pressure.
Boost guage is also vital because it not only tells boost, but it give you vac, which you can help tell you if you have a healthy engine.

 

This guy does NOT have a PFC. He has a stock ECU. So no matter what an A/F or EGT gauge tells him, he can't do anything with it. It's pointless to have those without a programmable ECU. When or if he decides to go that route, a A/F gauge with a wideband will be a good suggestion. Until then, it's wasted money.

 

I understand what you're saying. Consider this however. A PFC and Commander are around $700 to $800 used ( a $1000 new?) An EGT gauge is a couple hundred bucks and I don't know if that includes the sensor. An wideband sensor and gauge I'm guessing would be a few hundred dollars. Those all would take more work to install IMO. A simple coolant temp gauge is going to be under $100 and relatively simple to install and understand for the less mechanically inclined (such as myself). That makes the coolant temp gauge seem like a bargain in comparison for someone like the OP who doesn't have a PFC.

 

agree.. it depends on where is planing on taking the car i guess/.

 

ok guys i need some serious help now

i bought:

water temperarue gauge
oil temperature gauge
and boost gauge

i've decided to install water temp and oilk temp jhust above the radio(i got a DIN blanking plate for this nast hole, made it myself) and boost gauge right next to all the main gauges(speedo,rev etc) so i can watch it whilst driving.

now:

i've recieved first two and still waiting for boost gauge but i want to install other two..the thing is i have no idea what, where..etc..

that's what i have:



and this is the manual i have recieved with gauges:



the both have the same parts and same manuals so im confused as they r for something different. i know someone posted little how to but everything here is different..

please help...

 

ok got my DIN plate with gauges already in place, wires connected but now i need to extend them and connect to something but dont know where.. anyone?

 

black goes to a ground point - find a ring terminal under the dash near the fuse box and just add another ring terminal to it with your black ground wires.
blues go to the temperature senders. Where did you mount them? Just extend the wires to each.
Red and yellow - kind of hard to read that drawing - one is for the gauge power the other for the gauge light. So you can connect the one for the gauge lights to the ash tray and the one for the gauge power to the spare connection point on the fuse box.

My old writeup (and others on line here that I got most of the info from) have more details on the connections.

 

i havent installed sensors yet, im picking up a sandwich plate tommorow(for oil temp) and still dont know where to install water temp sensor..
can i install it there?(i have eliminated ASt and this nipple is blanked off now...



and what about ashtray? r you talking about the one on the gearbox console? if so i know where it goes (i think) but where exactly is that fuse box?? have u got a picture by any chance?

 

look here: http://www.snapdrive.net/files/10340...l%20Gauges.pdf

There is a small bulb mounted under the center console that works off the dimmer for the ash tray. You need to unscrew the shift ****. Carefully pop off the panel and dont lose the retaining clips. Twist and remove the bulb/wire. Use a wire tap to take off the power from the wire.

 

thx!

 

BillM i cant open this pic..do i need to register on this site to see it ?

 

sorry try this one (you will need to modify for a rhd car)

http://www.snapdrive.net/files/10340...l%20Gauges.pdf

 

double post sry.

 

A friend of mine has them in his pretty heavily modified WRX and they work great, the subaru community in general really seems to love them. I haven't installed mine yet as my car is sitting due to a lack of time but from popping them out of the boxes and checking them over I am impressed. All of the wiring/connectors were very nice, no rattling noises like most gauges I've had in the past, just all around solid gauges. Another thing I really found refreshing about prosport was their CS. I somehow ordered 3 premium EGT gauges when I only needed one, they didn't charge me a restocking fee and sent me a label to ship them back with, all I had to do was find a box...

Defi makes good gauges, but I don't feel they are any better (or worse, for that matter) than prosport, greddy, or any other higher line of gauges. I know plenty of people who have defi's fail on a regular basis, although you'd never get them to admit it in public (or over the internet) for fear of getting lambasted over buying such expensive gauges and having them break . I ended up saving myself many hundreds of dollars buying the prosport gauges, in fact the total order between me and my friend was still less than what it would have ran me to order the defi's for myself alone...

and thanks adamc, I do that everytime I go to their website too , one day I MIGHT remember to type it in correctly ...

 

 

just a quick one, i have got a t-piece for the coolant hose to install my water temp gauge and i dont know which hose would be the best? top or bottom or maybe it doesnt matter?

and also :p

have someone got a pic of a water/oil sensor already wired? reason im asking is coz i get no readings, i get lights etc but no readings whilst drivine, i was just thinking that maybe i just wired them wrong?

 

i would just wire it to the oem water temp sensor...