Upgrade stock boost gage to show accurate pressure.

[nickheart]

I have yet to add any modifications to my 2g gs-t spyder, and i'm pretty sure i want to upgrade the boost gauge first. However, I'm not to keen on adding a panel to the a-arm, or hanging something new on the dash. What i'd really like is to use the existing gauge on the dash, but control the needle with a device that actually measures the pressure. I could get the parts to show the pressure as a voltage and make my own, but i'm interested in knowing if this product exists.

 

[JayRolla]

Ive never heard of anything like this. It could be done I guess. Best cheapest way is just get a real gauge. It would be pretty cool if you could figure it out.

 

[Batman™]

I know you can buy a boost pressure "switch," but I've never heard of doing what you're talking about.

Why not just do something like this if you don't want to run the a-pillar and don't want to "hang" gauges off your dash?

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That's mine and it's beautiful. Looks almost like it came that way from the factory.

 

[nickheart]

That does look nice, product name, vendor???

I looked around for a part that would output DC based on pressure, but there doesn't seem to be a large market unless you are looking to gauge in the 1ks of PSI, and that would probably blow more than gaskets !

Anywho, I'm thinking about using that style, because I don't want to advertise that my ride has been altered to anyone in the lane to the left of me, but I would need to upgrade the speedo and such to match the face of tj\he added gauges you have. Is the housing sold separately from those gauges???

 

[nickheart]

Do'h

This is why they have the preview button eh?

Also, what does the boost gauge on the stock panel do when the car is running?

 

[MrBoxx]

Okay, the only thing you buy is the plastic bezel. Link just for an idea of a vendor. Check out other vendors on the Vendors page. These are available on ebay for as little as $7. I'd buy one from a reputable vendor even if it were more expensive, however. Then you decide what gauges you want to put into the empty holes. They'll probably be 52mm gauges. For random trivia, the font/color/face of VDO gauges match the factory font/color of the stock gauges fairly closely. Autometer gauges are also fairly low-key and will still match the stock gauges fairly closely. I don't think it's necessary to go that crazy trying to make everything match just so people don't know you're modded, but if that's what you want to go for, then that's fine. It's just a lot more work that doesn't really need to be done.

The stock boost gauge doesn't run off a pressure signal like a REAL boost gauge, so it will still rise and fall, unless programmed to do otherwise. DSMLink, Keydiver chips, and a few other aftermarket ECU toys can make the stock boost gauge display other data, such as knock, fluid temperatures, timing, etc. Mine is set to read knock via DSMLink.

 

[Batman™]

I'm not quite sure what you're asking.

The gauges are Pro Sports, just type it into google and go to their site. They're the Amber/White ones. Very nice. Here's a couple pics. The first is what they look like powered on in the daytime, the second what they look like at night.

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As for upgrading the housing, I'm not really sure what you mean. I bought the trim piece separate from the gauges on eBay. Just type in "eclipse gauge bezel" or something like that in the search on eBay. Then there's the brushed trim piece on the actual gauge cluster that matches the silver rings on both the after market gauges. Again, eBay. search "eclipse cluster trim" or something like that.

As for what the stock gauge does, my understanding is that it interprets the airflow signal from the maf to roughly display how much boost it thinks you're running. They're highly inaccurate, and since they don't display numbers, I don't see the point.

 

[DSMunknown]

Caped Crusader, you know Guy or Mike is gonna come across this thread and "lay the smacketh downeth" on you, right?

 

[Batman™]

uhhhh... my bad? if someone could resize them for me i'd be very grateful. don't exactly have the means to do it myself, and wasn't exactly aware. andymoraitis just filled me in. apologies.

 

[90GSTBoosted]

I wish they made those gauge "frames" with the side pods for the 1g. I would really want to have it like that than to have the A-pillar gauges. That looks really nice and the color of the gauges really matches with everything else. Very nice.

 

[Defiant]

BOT, the factory "boost guesser" works from a few parameters, including throttle position, water temperature, atmospheric pressure, MAF readings, and I don't know what all else. If you're hot on electronics, there's not really any reason you couldn't get an electric pressure sender and re-calibrate the factory needle to be "accurate". However, after all that, you'd soon find that the factory scheme for all its jimcrackery is surprisingly accurate when compared to a real Bourdon-tube boost gauge. But it's not good enough to be doing higher-pressure tests with.

 

[steve]

Yep, if you wanted to feed the ECU with a 3 bar MAP sensor you could display the corrected output on the boost gauge or build your own hardware to do the same. What you wouldn't be doing is saving any money over buying a mechanical or electrical gauge.

Steve

 

[nickheart]

Thanks for the pics with the gauges turned on. The first picture made them look like compleltely different colors, but when they're on, you're right, they look really nice next to the rest of the cluster.

I'm thinking this is the way to go. Just hacked my airbox, cut the BOV dump tube, and think i need a real pressure reading before i buy a new BOV and replace the upper IC pipe.

Thanks for the info about where you got that parts!

Also, i understand that the stock boost gauge is only a calculated estimate, but it has to be driven by some wires. i think Steve put it best when he said that i can make that gauge work, but it will be more costly than just getting more gauges.

 

[calreef18]

Before you buy I highly recommend getting the autometer bezel, I have the obx ebay one and its ok but if you want a perfect fit I'd say go with the autometer. hope that helps you out.

 

[nickheart]

BatMan! Did you really get 157 miles on less the 3/4 a tank??? i'm lucky to get that on a full tank, but i have a heavy foot, and most of my commute is 0-45-0-45-0 and repeat.

 

[jeffrey]

I got 364 miles on my last tank

 

[ilikespeeding]

I got 364 miles on my last tank

Those dash-mounted gauges are hard to see around the steering wheel. Jeff, are you the red GST with a front mount in greenville? I see you around from time to time. You probably have seen a green TSi with exhaust and stickers. Thats my friends and thats not only whats done, thats just what's visible.