Gauges

[IanT54]

I want to add some gauges to my Vig. My plan is to follow Fromero's lead and install them in the radio slot above my aftermarket head unit.

I've looked at a couple of manufacturers and I'm leaning towards Glowshift - they seem to have reasonable reviews and they have a neat-looking 3-gauge din panel which should make installation relatively easy.

I'm planning to get a boost gauge, oil pressure and air/fuel ratio. These seem to be the most useful but I've seen a couple of posts that suggest that air/fuel gauges aren't actually much use. Is this true?

[Ryan33]

Thats completely untrue. Air/fuel will let you know if your car is going to blow up becuase to lean of air fuel ratio. What people might mean, is unless they are digital and or mechanical and not tapped into the exhaust with a oxygen sensor they are useless.

I would only run an air/fuel gauge that was a aem uego, and you can actually get an accurate air fuel mixture becuase it is tapped into the dp with a real oxygen sensor.

[touche6784]

In terms of A/F gauges, they are talkikng about narrow-band gauges that are only useful when at WOT. Wide-band are more useful and accurate in determining A/F.

[saabkid37]

Originally Posted by touche6784

In terms of A/F gauges, they are talkikng about narrow-band gauges that are only useful when at WOT. Wide-band are more useful and accurate in determining A/F.

there not even useful at wot.

get a wideband or dont get an af gauge simply put.

[comtrang]

Narrowband are useless. Just as they're called 'narrowband', it's really only letting you know that you're not at stoich anymore.

[touche6784]

For some reason I thought the narrowbands were good at WOT. I guess I was wrong. Get narrowband if you like having lights flickering around.

[Ryan33]

Originally Posted by touche6784

For some reason I thought the narrowbands were good at WOT. I guess I was wrong. Get narrowband if you like having lights flickering around.

Thats all narrowbands are good for, flickerg lights and looking ricey.

Widebands are the way to go, useful and extremely accurate.

[comtrang]

And look cooler ^^

[IanT54]

Thanks everyone - wide-band it is.

Ryan - you recommended the Uego gauge because it has its own sensor. Does this mean that piggy-backing off of the pre-cat sensor is not a good idea?

Also, I guess that, if the catalog doesn't say it's wide-band and it only costs $57 it probably isn't. True?

[saabkid37]

Originally Posted by IanT54

Thanks everyone - wide-band it is.

Ryan - you recommended the Uego gauge because it has its own sensor. Does this mean that piggy-backing off of the pre-cat sensor is not a good idea?

Also, I guess that, if the catalog doesn't say it's wide-band and it only costs $57 it probably isn't. True?

you cannot piggy back a wideband, saabs do not have wideband sensors.

i im 99% sure you will not find a wideband for $57

[Ryan33]

Originally Posted by saabkid37

you cannot piggy back a wideband, saabs do not have wideband sensors.

i im 99% sure you will not find a wideband for $57

I couldn't agree with you more, I paid about $220 a few years ago for my uego, they have gone down some since then, but for an average I have located them from about $180-$220 depending on brand.

[NeedForSwede]

For $57, you're probably looking at only the gauge. The UEGO is $220 and is ok if you're just using it to monitor. But if you are going to get into tuning, you want something that can be re-calibrated to get accurate readings for each tune. The Innovate LC-1 comes with a wideband sensor, gauge display, and the controller for calibration for around $185 on amazon. PLX products are also nice, but expensive.

[Ryan33]

Originally Posted by NeedForSwede

For $57, you're probably looking at only the gauge. The UEGO is $220 and is ok if you're just using it to monitor. But if you are going to get into tuning, you want something that can be re-calibrated to get accurate readings for each tune. The Innovate LC-1 comes with a wideband sensor, gauge display, and the controller for calibration for around $185 on amazon. PLX products are also nice, but expensive.

I've had both the PLX and the uego, I prefer the uego 10x over the PLX unit, and you can re-calibrate the uego as well.

[NeedForSwede]

Ya but you don't get a controller for 220. The innovate comes with that with better real-time logging software for a cheaper price.

[saabkid37]

Originally Posted by NeedForSwede

Ya but you don't get a controller for 220. The innovate comes with that with better real-time logging software for a cheaper price.

the uego is under 200 and has a logging output.

[GarrettCharger]

Try and install the uego sensor as far downstream as you can. I installed mine about 6 inches downstream of the turbo and it failed after about a month. Right after I installed it, the guy at the dyno shop saw where i installed it and told me that it wouldn't last more tham a month or two...he was right . He said he sees it all the time, people install them too close to the turbo and the sensor just burns up. Once I get back home I'll post a pic of my gauge setup.

If you find a wide-band AFR gauge for $57 it is definitely just the gauge, and doesn't include the sensor.

[NeedForSwede]

Originally Posted by saabkid37

the uego is under 200 and has a logging output.

I just remember the UEGO being around 220 when I bought. Regardless it's still more expensive with less benefits than the Innovate.

Ya it comes with datalogging software but it's sketchy, and innovate's is better developed.

Originally Posted by GarrettCharger

Try and install the uego sensor as far downstream as you can. I installed mine about 6 inches downstream of the turbo and it failed after about a month.
.

That's why instructions say something like 22" away from the turbo

[saabkid37]

Originally Posted by NeedForSwede

I just remember the UEGO being around 220 when I bought. Regardless it's still more expensive with less benefits than the Innovate.

Ya it comes with datalogging software but it's sketchy, and innovate's is better developed.

its competitively priced with the innovative now. the thing is im not sure if anyone has done it with the trionic suites yet, but in every other car with a tuneable ecu you can replace one of the o2 inputs with the Uego's 0-5v output and read the wideband through software/ecu making it just as good as the innovative.

also, the innovative gauge is just ugly, and id hate to look at constantly changing numbers all the time, i much prefer the sweep.

EDIT: nm forgot innovative makes a sweep gauge that looks like the uego too. issue is to buy the xd-16 gauge with lc1 is $299 and the freaking gauge only is more than a whole UEGO kit...scratch that idea even though i already have a damn lc1 installed.

[leebizz]

try heated seat gauge, headlight temp gauge, and a wideband dome light temp gauge ... the 3 most important gauges in the race world

^_^

[IanT54]

Originally Posted by saabkid37

im not sure if anyone has done it with the trionic suites yet, but in every other car with a tuneable ecu you can replace one of the o2 inputs with the Uego's 0-5v output and read the wideband through software/ecu

So you`re saying replace the standard precat O2 sensor with the Uego sensor? That would be great. I don`t really want to have to tap the downpipe for another sensor. Anyone tried this?

This thread has certainly been educational for me. I see now that it`s actually the sensor that`s wideband/narrowband. Thanks for all of the input.

leebizz - those were next on my list. Maybe I should ditch my radio so I can get those extra three gauges in there