Hey guys i was wondering what are the recommended gauges or units to have? Ive researched and the knock sensor is one, and then the obvious boost, and temp since the factory one on the gauge cluster is really that good, and the Apexi Power FC is supposed to be the best standalone! What else is needed?

 

I have Temp, and Boost gauge. Stock knock sensor is fine unless yours is malfunctioning? If the PFC was the best stand alone computer... everyone would be using it. Check out the Tec3, pricey

 

Boost and water temp. What are your mods?

 

boost/vacuum gauge and water temp gauge are number 1 and 2.

knock sensor = oops I already blew my engine sensor. So don't bother.

wideband o2 sensor is how to monitor afrs and prevent knock. Unless you do your own tuning I'm not sure if this will be very helpful.

 

umm stock knock sensor? #1 what is that #2 what does it do?

 

upcomming mods will be apexi rx6 and power fc with just the normal bolt on's. Im still debatting what size injectors to use.

(umm stock knock sensor? #1 what is that #2 what does it do?)

A; Boost gauge tells you what your turbos are doing and how much their sucking, if you want more detail READ.

A; Water temp gauge tells you how hot your engine is.


dgeesaman

On fd3s.net where i have been reading and they say one of the reliablity mods is the aftermarket knock sensor by i think jps!

 

For that setup, I would suggest:

Boost
Water/Coolant Temp
Fuel Pressure
Oil Temp (optional)

If you are going to be doing your own tuning, I would suggest getting a Wideband O2 with A/F gauge and maybe an EGT. However, the EGT should be second to the A/F and Wideband combo.

Basically, look at what you are modifying and make sure you have something in place to keep an eye on it.

 

Thanks alot mahjik so the knock their talking about would not be need because of the engine sensor right.

 

IMO, knock readings are more of something you might log and view later. Its not really something you need to monitor as a habit.

 

mahjik u don't think oil temp and pressure are as important as getting fuel pressure gauge? just wondering

 

They're talking about a J&S Safeguard, which retards ignition timing when it detects knock (from its own sensor, not the factory one). It is user-configurable so you can adjust sensitivity, and how and how much it retards the timing. More useful with an aftermarket ECU that lacks knock control like the PFC, which displays the stock knock sensor reading but does nothing with it.

It's better to tune properly than rely on a safety net like the J&S. I have one because it was installed on my car before I bought it, and a couple times I've seen/felt it back off timing when it picked up knock. There is also an issue with timing split on rotaries with the J&S, search and you'll find more on that.

 

wow this thread was brought back up... so what i dont understand is if you have a pfc or are planning on getting one why get a temp gauge?
the only thing i think of getting (besides the boost)is EGT wideband and maybe oil press or temp? anything else important if staying with the twins?

 

Fuel pressure is really only handy when you are having problems. i.e. its not something you'll look at on a daily basis. Oil temp is something you should keep an eye on. If someone was heavily modifying their fuel system, I would suggest a fuel pressure gauge. However, the OP in this thread hadn't decided if they were upgrading their fuel system a the time of the post or not.


Why run a temp gauge with the PFC? Because you can put the gauge in an area where you can just glance at it, instead of trying to look down somewhere at the PFC commander. Also, you can buy gauges with Peak/Warn/Hold options (which I recommend) that can visually and audibly alert you when your temperatures go beyond safe levels. They can be ideal for those who track their cars as they are watching the road, not their gauges.

 

which water temp gauge warns you? iv heard of a peak and hold but not warning

 

Greddy has gauges with those features. However, they aren't "pretty" like some of the other gauges available.

Greddy Warning gauges

I'm in the process of switching my temp gauges over to them (oil and water).

 

i have all autometer gauges - boost, egt (exhaust gas temp) and oil pressure (as the factory one wasnt accurate nor did it work all the time.)

 

My Defi Link Series II (egt, fuel px and boost) also have a warning buzzer built in, as well as peak/hold and playback function.

 

what max fuel / oil pressure gauge is needed. i see some that are 100psi max is that enough

 

I think 100 psi is fine for a fuel px gauge, but not for an oil px gauge.

The stock oil px gauge reads up to 120 psi, and works perfectly fine with a new sending unit.

 

new oem replacement sending unit or u're saying it can be used with a non-oem one? im confused

 

new oem replacement sending unit.

 

Anyone ready to purchase new gauges, should look into the Autometer Nexus gauges. I'd been contemplating going with the Defi's for a long time, but selection was limited in the 52mm (2 1/16"). I think the Nexus gauges look like more of a match to the stock gauges with the chrome bezels.

http://www.autometer.com/cat_gaugeli...&opid=1&szid=2

Demo:
http://www.autometer.com/demos/nexus/

These gauges have selectable LED colors, full dial red alert where you can set the warning points, peak hold, and data logging---plus seem to be a little cheaper than the Defi's. I ended up buying the boost, water temp, fuel pressure, and oil temp along with the control unit.

 

Aren't Autometer gauges kinda cheap, especially when compaired to Defi or Greddy?

My car came with 2 autometer gauges(boost and fuel pressure) and neither worked.

 

If you're referring to Autometer's other gauge lineups I would tend to agree with you---I think the Greddy & Defi units are very high quality. I've never had a problem with my Autometers, but I'm sure some have. If your gauges were electrical, it might have been an issue with the sender. If they were mechanical---well they only cost about $40. You get what you pay for.....

I'm limited in my selection to 2 1/16' gauges because of my setup---the Autometer's fit nice, look decent, and didn't break the bank.

My old setup:

 

Price isn't always everything. My BMW M3 costs a lot more than most Honda's, yet it breaks more often.

Also, the more units a company sells, the cheaper they can sell them. Autometer has a wide market so they can probably afford to be a little cheaper than the rest.