Autometer Boost Gauge Problems...

[smoked28]

I'll just dive right in. In an effort to get all of the little quirks worked out of my gs-t, the last thing I had to do was replace the boost gauge(or so I thought). I had an Autometer(unltra light 30/30) in it when I got the car but because it was reading very inaccurately I was under the impression that it was busted. At first it would read 10 psi with car off, and then under boost it would top out at 30psi. So I bought a new Autometer 30/20(thinking that with my turbo I wouldn't even be close to 20lbs) from a guy on Craigslist. I put it in and it seemed to work. Right away it read 15hg from idle and was reading boost just fine. After a few mins of driving I wanted to see how much boost I was pushing so I pulled from 4th. It climbed to 18psi before I let off and I believe the needle went back to vacuum, however a few mins later I looked at it and the needle was under the vacuum side. Like as if it were to have shot up all the way trying to read 50lbs and topped out. It is now stuck there and No Matter What it will not come down. I even unhooked it and tried to suck it back down and it won't budge. Anyone have a similar experience with an Autometer boost gauge? I used the same hookups that the previous owner had installed so perhaps he did something wrong? I will provide pics. I remember him saying something about the hose from the bov being burnt so he replaced it with one from the windshield sprayer so maybe this could be the problem? Any info would be greatly appreciated and sorry for writing so much. And I looked for a similar thread but I couldn't find anyone with this problem.

 

[Blu92]

I tapped mine at the fuel pressure solenoid on the drivers side firewall. I have a 1g so I'm not sure if it's in the same place. I had a problem with my boost gauge it would sit at 5 psi with the car off then drop almost to zero when at idle and would only read up to 7 psi in 3rd gear at wot. Then eventually it would just sit at 5 psi no matter if the car was off, at idle, or boosting. I took the gauge out thinking it was bad and removed the hose. It immediately went to zero. Ended up the little ferrule in the connector had crushed when I screwed it down. I had bought another gauge before hand a Sunpro. I used the ferrule that came with it which looked like it fit better in the connector and hooked the autometer gauge back up. No problems since then.

 

[synthetek]

Is that tapped into the BOV line? if it is you should change it to the fuel pressure solenoid line and that lower hose looks pinched.

 

[smoked28]

I tapped mine at the fuel pressure solenoid on the drivers side firewall. I have a 1g so I'm not sure if it's in the same place. I had a problem with my boost gauge it would sit at 5 psi with the car off then drop almost to zero when at idle and would only read up to 7 psi in 3rd gear at wot. Then eventually it would just sit at 5 psi no matter if the car was off, at idle, or boosting. I took the gauge out thinking it was bad and removed the hose. It immediately went to zero. Ended up the little ferrule in the connector had crushed when I screwed it down. I had bought another gauge before hand a Sunpro. I used the ferrule that came with it which looked like it fit better in the connector and hooked the autometer gauge back up. No problems since then.

Thanks for the reply! Another thing to note though, however, is that I did unhook it and it still reads just as in the picture above. I can't suck it down even a little bit. Perhaps it was reading too much boost so it went passed 20 and got stuck on the vacuum side rather than coming back around? I don't know, I am stumped. I asked my mechanic who has been working on DSMs for a long time and he has never seen it either. I don't want to just buy another new gauge for it to do the same thing again...

Is that tapped into the BOV line? if it is you should change it to the fuel pressure solenoid line and that lower hose looks pinched.

I believe what you are referring to is a rubber coating for a wire. But yes it is ran off of the BOV. I am not familiar with the fuel pressure solenoid. Do you happen to have a link for this on a 2g? Sorry I am still very new to DSMs.

 

[synthetek]

I believe what you are referring to is a rubber coating for a wire. But yes it is ran off of the BOV. I am not familiar with the fuel pressure solenoid. Do you happen to have a link for this on a 2g? Sorry I am still very new to DSMs.

You shouldnt tap anything off the source for the BOV.

RRE VDO Boost Gauge Installation Instructions

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/app...tall-boost-gauge-gage-guage-1g-2g-merged.html

 

[smoked28]

You should tap anything off the source for the BOV.

RRE VDO Boost Gauge Installation Instructions

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/app...tall-boost-gauge-gage-guage-1g-2g-merged.html

I guess this is what I get for buying an already tuned on DSM. Thank you for the help.

Does anyone know how to possibly set the boost gauge back to zero? I can't seem to find how the gauge comes apart and don't want to mess up the calibration.

 

[xuberantz]

If it's a newer Auto Meter gauge it should have a small hole or two in the back of the gauge that originally when purchased had a plastic piece holding the gauge zeroed when shipping... Have you tried putting a thin piece of plastic into that slot to see if it zero's the gauge out? If it doesn't have the small openings in the back of the gauge then it's older and I've had a lot of issues when them.

 

[smoked28]

If it's a newer Auto Meter gauge it should have a small hole or two in the back of the gauge that originally when purchased had a plastic piece holding the gauge zeroed when shipping... Have you tried putting a thin piece of plastic into that slot to see if it zero's the gauge out? If it doesn't have the small openings in the back of the gauge then it's older and I've had a lot of issues when them.

Not sure if they're new or old. I took a picture of both of my gauges and they both look the same on the back. I will post it. Are these the holes you were referring to?