Trying to figure out what I want to do for Gauges. This will be a completely custom setup in my LS powered Exocet so I don't need to keep any Miata parts working. I was at first thinking a set of SpeedHut OBD2 gauges but the more I read about them being a little slow to update and the daisy chain design knocking out everything downstream if one goes bad I am rethinking them now. So I am back to the old standard AutoMeter standalone gauges. I like the looks of the all in one displays like the racepak but I have no frame of reference for this types of displays. Racepak seem to be the only affordable one the autometer version is several thousand and I can't spend that on gauges. But I don't know exactly what I would need for the racepak to work so getting a total cost is a little hazy.


So what type of solutions have worked for others here? Trying to see if there is something I am not considering.

 

Not sure which PCM youre using but Im running an Aim Mxl dash via an E67. Needs to be mefi 5 or newer to function and is almost plug and play. Fuel level readouts can be obtained using an external calibrator.

 

It's a gen 3 GM ecu.

 

I've been happy with my SpeedHut gauges thus far. Seem to be of very good quality and have a clean, uncluttered look that I wanted.

 

What size gauges are those? I like your layout with all of them being in the pod. Are these the gauges that use the individual senders?

 

I don't go anywhere without an ultragauge. Best 60 bucks of the build! I also have an old school mechanical oil pressure and water temp hanging on the side of the pod.

 

i did the holley dash. the little one is kinda hard to see.

eventually i switched it out to the larger touch screen.



got a full wright up on my webpage. http://www.johnnycichowski.com/2014/...le-wiring.html

 

I've been using Autometer electric gauges for decades on a variety of vehicles. Relatively inexpensive, accurate, easy to install and read. Dead nuts reliable. I switched to some Speedhut gauges last year. Not as reliable as I want them to be; I think I'll go back to AM.

The electronic dashes are pretty cool. Not as easy to read, but do have a number of advantages. They can be difficult to make them work with stock ECU's though. The expensive ones contain a data logger; which is great for racing. But for street use something like an MXL Strada would be more appropriate and no more expensive than a good set of complete gauges. You can usually connect them to a GPS receiver for the speedometer.

The big issue with these dashes is that they mostly connect to the ECU. They have connections for external sensors, but mostly from the ECU. And not all ECU's are supported. Make sure your ECU is on the list.

 

I have over the years used a ton of AutoMeter gauges. I was really into the idea of the display but looking more and more into it I think it's just not going to work. I'm used to looking at normal gauges so I think I have talked myself out of trying something new. I don't need data logging as I know I am not a good driver I don't need documented proof.

 

+1 to normal gauges! I felt the same way. I love the idea of the pac man dash but am old enough to know what pac man is so...

But I would not leave home without my little OBDII gauge. The thing I like about the ultragauge is you have so many automatic system monitors. It will tell you if a trouble code is close to tripping before it trips and display most of the sensor inputs to see what is going on. I like the audible alarms too. When my alternator went and was putting out 18 volts the thing went off like the 4th of July!


LOL and yeah it tells me when to change oil...

 

Jim I just looked up the ultragauge. That's a pretty neat little thing. I think I am going to order one.

 

P-bear, the Speedhut package that I'm using has 3-3/8" speedo & tach. 3-3/8" Freedom CAN-BUS Speedometer Gauge 120mph (w/ turn signal and high beam). Auto With Turn Signals From Speedhut.

I didn't have these gauges picked out when I started, heck - I'd never even heard of Speedhut for that matter... But once I learned how easy it was to just use all the data that my E40 pcm had to offer, it was a no brainer. No speedo cable to deal with, no oil pressure sender to mess with next to the firewall, etc, etc...

 

Stock. Wiring a NB instrument cluster into a 96 NA with a NA6 dash, reading the data off the e39a ECU and tossing it out on the dash. I've already got control of it, more accuate than stock. Just need to finish up reading the OBDII pid's (which I do have some experience with).