gauges are so expensive!!!!

[REFLUX]

besides the need for accuracy in tuning, how do you guys justify spending $200+ for a SINGLE gauge (GReddy & HKS come to mind....)
I can understand the need for good gauges if you're running 28psi and are on the edge of blowing up...

but for someone (me) who has a bone stock car with no real plans for increasing power, do i NEED $300 GReddy/HKS gauges?
or could I go with ones such as VDO (inexpensive like autometer but more accurate)?

I can't think of any reasons why I would need more than just Boost/Water Temp/EGT as well.


What do you guys think? Get some ok gauges to keep an eye on things or spend hundreds of dollars for top-end gauges?

[buh_buh]

for bling factor? I can't justify spending that much on gauges myself.

[bol]

yeah
and it really starts to add up when you have to do a custom gauge cluster... :o

[Ven]

Cheap gauges are just decorations, might as well stay with the stock ones. Or if you want to look cool with gauges just buy the ones at crappy tire.

[audio1der]

Are Autometer really not that accurate?

[Dirty_SOHC]

Compared to HKS and Delphi gauges which are way more accurate. I need somre more HKS Archie:rofl:

[buh_buh]

Originally posted by Ven
Cheap gauges are just decorations, might as well stay with the stock ones. Or if you want to look cool with gauges just buy the ones at crappy tire. we're not talking about tachs. You can't really use a stock boost or air fuel gauge if your car doesn't have one.

[jdmakkord]

Originally posted by Ven
Cheap gauges are just decorations, might as well stay with the stock ones. Or if you want to look cool with gauges just buy the ones at crappy tire.

Dude, we all know how shitty the mk3 supra boost gauges are. It shows boost on or off, to hell with psi levels.

[Ven]

I'd never use VDO or Autometer, they're cheap for a reason. A while back AutoSpeed did a great gauge comparison article on most all gauges. The cheap gauges a as high as >11% off, that's totally unacceptable for a gauge, might as well carve one out of wood. Omori, Greddy, HKS, always score the highest.

Like I said before if you want gauges because they look cool then just get cheap ones and ignore them, if you actually care about what's going on with your engine and want accurate information then pay up sucka.

[Ven]

Originally posted by jdmakkord


Dude, we all know how shitty the mk3 supra boost gauges are. It shows boost on or off, to hell with psi levels.

Ya that's right, just a decoration, same like all the OEM gauges in most cars . It looks cool when people test drive the car nothing else. That's why I invested in good gauges.

[Ven]

Originally posted by buh_buh
we're not talking about tachs. You can't really use a stock boost or air fuel gauge if your car doesn't have one.

Then you have 3 choices.

No gauges/ No information

Cheap gauges/ Corrupt information, might as well have no gauges.

Good gauges/ Accurate, reliable information.

Tach, oil pressure, boost, water temp, A/F, whatever. Do you want to know what the values actually are, or not?

[dogstar]

id rather have slightly inaccurate information than none at all, at least then you have some idea of what your cars doing.

[02bump'nWRX]

I doubt autometer gauges are that bad. Look at any NHRA drag car or any nascar or something like that. Ever see a greddy or hks gauge in one of those;) They all use autometer as far as i can tell so they can't be that bad. Thats why i bought autometer.

[jdmakkord]

theres a huge difference between the autometer we see and may buy, and the high end autometer used by racers.

[ecstasyracer]

Everyone thinks autometer is shit because all people bye is the cheapest ones usually. There are good autometer gauges too.

[Ven]

Originally posted by 02bump'nWRX
I doubt autometer gauges are that bad. Look at any NHRA drag car or any nascar or something like that. Ever see a greddy or hks gauge in one of those;) They all use autometer as far as i can tell so they can't be that bad. Thats why i bought autometer.

Haha that's the marketing machine at work. "If it's in a NASCAR ride it's gotta be awesome" Christ they put a NASCAR logo on EVERYTHING now, it's all marketing, making the mental connection between the racetrack and the consumer. jdmakkord said it perfetcly, the gauges in those vehicles aren't off the shelf, they are supplied blueprinted units that have also been worked over and tested by crew chiefs and techs, those gauges are perfected.

Ever see Autometer in any of the cars racing at high levels in Japan? I don't think using Japanese gauges and electronics in a NASCAR race car would go over with the other American suppliers and the fans, & vice versa.

For off the shelf consumer gauges VDO and Autometer get walked on. Another example of getting what you pay for. The tests are out there if you care to look.

[REFLUX]

Ven: i've heard nothing but praise about VDO, they DO supply their gauges for Porsche, Audi, Saab, etc

[02bump'nWRX]

Ok well if the nascar gauges are different thats fine. But if you pick up a copy of chevy high performance, vette, 5.0L, mopar, etc.... I have never seen any different gauges in cars than autometers. My question is if autometer is such crap and someone with a domestic needs a good gauge what do they buy? It certainly won't be a greddy or hks. What other options are there?

[CRXguy]

I'm picking up these puppies on Monday!! :D

http://www.gruppe-s.com/Omori/om_60eb_wrx.jpg

[REFLUX]

Crxguy: how much & where did you get those Omori's?
plus, what color do they light up!??!

[CRXguy]

I'll be getting them from a Subaru vendor in California.

Total price is $660USD shipped for the 3 gauges and pod to my door. I wanted to get the Defi's, but they're wayyyyyyy too much for my poor ass. :rofl:

[Ven]

Originally posted by CRXguy


http://www.gruppe-s.com/Omori/om_60eb_wrx.jpg


:drool: :thumbsup:

[Ven]

Originally posted by 02bump'nWRX
My question is if autometer is such crap and someone with a domestic needs a good gauge what do they buy? It certainly won't be a greddy or hks. What other options are there?

I don't know man, Autometer sort of has the domestic gauge market cornered. Maybe buy the top end Pro-Comp series and have them checked against a reference set-up? They can be calibrated.

All I can say is I've now seen 2 gauge tests with autometer and VDO scoring at or near the bottom of the heap. These tests we using nuclear grade test instruments for reference.

www.autospeed.com had a great 2 part series on a slew of different gauges, you can check out a portion of the article if you "search" for gauges on the site. I regret not saving the entire article while I still had a membership.

UPRD did another massive comparison too, that company has since been bought out and disolved, but the tests are still floating around the net on lots of personal sites.

Off the shelf AM/VDO are crap, if you buy them get them checked and calibrated if they need it. Once they've been verified/adjusted I'm sure they'll be just as good, or close to, the quality of the Japanese gauges.

[REFLUX]

Ven: check out this link, shows VDO to be spot on
now i'm REALLY confused

Autometer vs. VDO independent comparison (http://www.teamfc3s.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11396)

[LUDELVR]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that autometer is made in the states and is more directed towards the domestic market as ven has indicated where as it is not as popular as the japanese gauges which are more widely used and accessable over seas.

[Ven]

Originally posted by REFLUX
Ven: check out this link, shows VDO to be spot on
now i'm REALLY confused

Autometer vs. VDO independent comparison (http://www.teamfc3s.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11396)


That's not particularly a scientific test, he's using a plastic handheld vacuum pump and never tested the gauges with pressure. You can see what I mean about the Autometer gauges though, they don't even center properly sitting on the damn shelf brand new. In the test the VDO is still off, but much better in this case for vacuum only. The question is how will it perform under boost, does it retain accuracy at all scale values, how long will it be accurate for? I already know the answers.

Good instrumentation costs money, period. The AutoGauge gauges at Canadian Tire probably compare to most AutoMeter and VDO gauges.

[REFLUX]

yeah very true
guess i'll stay with the stockers till i need real gauges ;)

[Joe Malms]

shameless plug
http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10929

and these are priced about 30% back from retail. I guarantee you wont find them cheaper ANYWHERE.

duh..forgot they are conditionally sold..waiting on $$
but you should consider them. VERY accurate guages.
In fact, im buying the exact same ones again, just different color and backlighting.

[Roaring G60]

You know what is funny, How 90% of race cars have autometer guages, seeings how there motors are tuned within 98% of blowing up yet they rely on these guage's, funny how that works, The digital dispay guage's you see in Cart and such (ie: Motronic, Stack,Magneti Marinelli) are actually using the same sending units as autometer.

[REFLUX]

so I talked to an avid road racer (has multiple rx-7's, does his own everything, multiple trophies)

his logic to using Autometer gauges is:

"When you're racing, you're not going to be worrying whether your car is 2psi or 10 degrees over the maximum, you will be focused on DRIVING. All the gauges do is give you an approximation, so even if they ARE a bit inaccurate, if you boost 15psi and it reads 17psi, no big deal. But if the gauges shows 20psi, you know you should let off. They are there to give you a general idea of how your car is doing, I use all autometer gauges in my race car."

sounds like good logic to me, peak hold is a definite bonus but I would assume that unless you are on the limit of popping your engine or driving it in a fashion that would make that probable, not much use.