Lee
Lee UberDork
6/8/21 12:47 p.m.

I'm looking for an "all-in-one" gauge.

I've been going to buy a Glow Shift 3-in-1 for ~18 months, but I keep thinking there's got to be something better, so I scour the interwebs and wind right back up at Glow Shift.

 

While I like the Glow Shift well enough, I need a Tachometer too, not just any tach either I need a diesel tach, so <6K ideally <4K range.  I had resigned myself to have 2x gauges, the Glow Shift 3-in-1 and a tach.  Well, while Glow Shift makes tachometers, they're all 10K RPM tachs, and their 3-in-1 is an odd size, 2-3/8" (60 mm), Glow Shift doesn't even make anything else that size.  The handful of diesel tachs I've found from other folks like Auto Meter and Speed Hut are either slightly smaller or slightly bigger, i.e. 2-1/16" or 2-5/8", both much more common sizes than Glow Shift's 2-3/8".  That leaves me with miss-matched size, and while Speed Hut lets you customize a lot of things on their gauges, I won't be able to exactly match Glow Shift's font, color, needle, etc.  Talk about first world problems huh?

What I want is something that will do RPM, Boost, and EGT, icing on the cake would be an additional temp gauge too (250-300º max), all in a smaller form factor <3" gauge.  I'm not tied to any particular shape, round or rectangle.

Anyone know if what I'm looking for even exists?  Am I going to wind up with an Arduino and a little LCD to get what I want?

 

 

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner MegaDork
6/8/21 1:20 p.m.

They're not fancy, but you used to be able to get multiple needle gauges from Westach. 2" size.

Mazdax605
Mazdax605 PowerDork
6/8/21 1:31 p.m.
WillG80
WillG80 Reader
6/8/21 1:49 p.m.

What about the Edge CTS3? Or the CTS2 if the budget is tight. It works via OBD, then you have to buy their probe to get EGT added

TheRX7Project
TheRX7Project HalfDork
6/8/21 2:04 p.m.

Sort of off/on topic, but does anyone make a gauge pod like the above that DOESN'T require OBD? Like one that I can hook to individual sensors (like say GM sensors or even their own brand)?

I'd love to get something like this for my RX7. It just seems like they all require an ECU of some sort.

 

EDIT: I see what I was looking for was actually 2 posts up... GRM comes through.

Lee
Lee UberDork
6/8/21 2:57 p.m.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

They've got some nifty stuff, looks like motorcycles are their target audience, it took me longer than I'd care to admit to figure out what a "CHT" gauge was.

In reply to Mazdax605:

I've been watching some YouTube videos, using Arduino and little OLED displays for gauges.  The Onegauge hub might make things simpler.

These https://nextion.tech/ screens/interfaces and an Arduino might be a fun project.

In reply to WillG80:

No CAN bus in 1989 yet.

 

Lee
Lee UberDork
6/8/21 8:42 p.m.

In reply to TheRX7Project :

I was just admiring this Banks iDash, it's pretty trick, but pretty spendy too.  The easy answer is OBD2, plug and play, but they've got a bunch of sensors and modules you can add, so it can be used on pre-OBD2 vehicles or provide data from stuff that's not available via CAN.

iDash:
https://www.bankspower.com/c-69-products-idash-digital-monitor.html

iDash fiddly bits:
https://www.bankspower.com/c-70-products-idash-digital-monitor-idash-1-8-accessories.html

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner MegaDork
6/8/21 8:49 p.m.

Note that anything universal that uses OBD-II will be a little laggy. Fine for slow data like ECT, less so for fast-changing gauges like tach. If it's reading the marque-specific CAN data that's a different story. 

Patientzero
Patientzero HalfDork
6/8/21 9:32 p.m.

Things certainly could have changed but many years back I bought some Glowshift gauges and they were wildly inaccurate.  I would not recommend those based on my previous experience.  I am a big fan of my Racepak however, lol.

Lee
Lee UberDork
6/9/21 8:30 p.m.

I think y'all have talked me out of Glow Shift.

This thing is almost perfect, can use this round gauge pod, or buy a bluetooth dongle for it and use an old phone or tablet.  I say almost perfect, as the boost cap is 30 PSI.  Claims it has a 3 bar map though, so I don't know why it caps at 30 PSI, 3 bar is 43.something PSI.  Edit: answered my own question, learn something new every day.

https://www.plxdevices.com/SM-PRO-Combined-Sensor-Module-Array-p/897346002085.htm

 

crankwalk (Forum Supporter)
crankwalk (Forum Supporter) SuperDork
6/10/21 5:03 p.m.

I have the Banks I gauge in my truck on a column pod and it's great for what I need (Boost, egt, Intercooler temp, voltage, etc.) 

amerson
amerson New Reader
6/10/21 8:55 p.m.

In reply to TheRX7Project :

I bought a CTS2 from 4wheelonline. This tool is one of my favorite upgrades to my truck. It allows me to monitor various parameters as well as read trouble codes. Even though the screen is a bit slow, I'm still pleased with it.

stukndapast
stukndapast Reader
6/10/21 10:00 p.m.
Lee said:

In reply to TheRX7Project :

I was just admiring this Banks iDash, it's pretty trick, but pretty spendy too.  The easy answer is OBD2, plug and play, but they've got a bunch of sensors and modules you can add, so it can be used on pre-OBD2 vehicles or provide data from stuff that's not available via CAN.

iDash:
https://www.bankspower.com/c-69-products-idash-digital-monitor.html

iDash fiddly bits:
https://www.bankspower.com/c-70-products-idash-digital-monitor-idash-1-8-accessories.html

I have this in my racecar, connects to the MegaSquirt3 CAN bus.  Works OK.  Lots of programmability to see what you want to see.  It is a little quirky and I have yet to be able to update the firmware which is available as it refuses to read my microSD card.  But it does what I need and I don't need a ton of gauges to scan between turns.  Most channels can be programmed to warn of out-of-range parameters with a full-gauge-face alert, but I added a bright red LED for low oil pressure just to make sure it gets my attention.

 

iansane
iansane HalfDork
6/11/21 9:43 a.m.
Lee said:

I think y'all have talked me out of Glow Shift.

This thing is almost perfect, can use this round gauge pod, or buy a bluetooth dongle for it and use an old phone or tablet.  I say almost perfect, as the boost cap is 30 PSI.  Claims it has a 3 bar map though, so I don't know why it caps at 30 PSI, 3 bar is 43.something PSI.  Edit: answered my own question, learn something new every day.

https://www.plxdevices.com/SM-PRO-Combined-Sensor-Module-Array-p/897346002085.htm

This is really cool. I wish it could display two things at once. I really want a gauge just to show AFR and boost at the same time without being horrendously distracting in a car not usually equipped with aftermarket gauges.

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