Any ideas for mounting extra gauges? Disco 3

[vee8auto]

Hi, I would like to mount several analogue gauges, 50mm round, VDO, for engine oil pressure, volts, etc.
Does anyone have pics of a good way to mount them? or even some sort of gauge pod that saves a lot of messy work?

Any solutions will be appreciated.
thanks.

[Tombie]

Scangauge. Get your data on a digital display direct from the Sensors already onboard.

Far more info than a few gauges will give...

[sheerluck]

Wouldn't you be better off with a digital screen instead?

*edit* Tombie beat me to it.

[vee8auto]

I prefer analogue displays. I am not familiar with the scan gauge, I will have a look.

This is taking a swerve though, I need ideas on how to mount gauges.

[sheerluck]

You may prefer analogue displays, but you are dealing with a highly digitised beast.

Converting the digital output of the existing sensors (or installing your own, and duplicating what's already there) to an analogue dial may well prove challenging.

[vee8auto]

The swerve is getting larger......

I will manage. :)

[Tombie]

I prefer analogue displays. I am not familiar with the scan gauge, I will have a look.

This is taking a swerve though, I need ideas on how to mount gauges.



In the cubby above the radio would be about it unless you have Nav..

Then you'll need to find a way to get that volume of cable through the very small grommet into the engine bay.


I'd have more faith in the Scangauge readings than a set of VDO gauges...

Interestingly enough - the gauges will do very little for you information wise...

Volts fluctuate due to ECU managed alternator profile.
Oil pressure - I would be hesitant to fit a brass fitting and sender - adding a fatigue/failure point into the engines lubrication system (and if there's a rapid failure the engine will be gone by the time you notice).

It's highly digitised, and is monitoring it all to ensure engine survival.. Gauges aren't really necessary...

Or even better - get a GAP IID Tool and have everything plus diagnostics, CCF editing capability, Suspension height control, fault reader etc...

[sheerluck]

Careful Tombie, we're not telling him what he wants to hear.

Best of luck making your D3 look like a 19 year old's VN Commodore. I'm out.;)

[vee8auto]

Jeez... you guys are so determined to have your way. Just step back for a minute.

Any idea what my skills or experiences are? No?

Limited numbers of posts on this website doesnt mean limited skills.

I am not frightened by complex electro technology, it has been my career in heavy industry for 35 years. I have a GAP IID Tool. My monitoring of an analogue oil pressure gauge prevented the destruction of a good V8 in a previous car as I was able to spot the trend over several summers.

We could go on and on and on, but lets not turn this into a pi$$ing contest.

[vee8auto]

Careful Tombie, we're not telling him what he wants to hear.

Best of luck making your D3 look like a 19 year old's VN Commodore. I'm out.;)

I find that pretty condescending and offensive.

[Tombie]

I'm not intent to have my way. Just suggesting embracing the tech for the readouts, the IID can even log so you can download and review.

You can also set alarms to draw attention.

Something the analog gauges likely lack.

Your vehicle. Your choice. As I said earlier take a look at the spot you have to pull all cables in/out it may be a limiting factor or it may not... (It's where DBS power goes also)

[shanegtr]

No idea with the mounting bit, but as others have suggested I recon the large cubby at the centre of the dash would be a good spot.


Also have a look at speedhut gauges as you may be able to use their OBD II gauges.
About Our Freedom CAN-BUS Gauges (http://www.speedhut.com/about-freedomgauges.html)

[vee8auto]

......

Also have a look at speedhut gauges as you may be able to use their OBD II gauges.
About Our Freedom CAN-BUS Gauges (http://www.speedhut.com/about-freedomgauges.html)

those OBD derived Analogue gauges are brilliant. Trust the yanks. I will have a search on the interwebs to see if there is something else that doesnt look so 'US Performance Car'....

Just a bit of background, my career is based around industrial instrumentation technician in the offshore oil&gas industry, maintainer/operator, gas turbine controls, critical systems etc. And now I design the stuff. And after all that I will still use analogue readouts for some situations.

Go figure hey?

[Ean Austral]

Is there enough room around the engine to fit the senders where you would be getting your readings from?

Other than putting a pod on the dash above the cubby hole or removing the double din radio I can't think of anywhere.

I see a few of the rice burners around town have them mounted externally in front of the windscreen but with such a big bonnet not sure how that would fit.

Be keen to see pics of you do opt for that setup .

Cheers Ean

[jonesfam]

I thought the modern thing was to stack them down the A pillar?
Jonesfam

[jonesy63]

That's ok for Jap performance cars, but ours have an airbag behind them. :cool:

[Tombie]

Still not Analogue but worth a look never the less.
http://ultra-gauge.com/ultragauge/ultragauge_wired.htm

And when you see the price :)

[vee8auto]

I thought the modern thing was to stack them down the A pillar?
Jonesfam

yeah, as someone else mentioned there is the airbag already in that zone, and I want to avoid the 'ricer' look. but maybe if it wasnt for the airbag that might be a last resort.

Its a struggle, if I want to keep the upper console area free for a navigator, and other spots are obscured by the steering wheel. thats why I was hoping that someone else had already been there done that with pics to prove it.

[vee8auto]

Also, I've been reading up on this topic on the Disco3.uk website and people who own Disco 4s should really have a look into this issue. It appears that some if not all D4s have a 5 second timer on the oil pressure idiot light. As well, its masked (forced off) during engine start up.

so the oil pressure switch, which is already set at a scarily low pressure setpoint is also inhibited for 5 seconds, so if it was randomly or intermittently switching due to a genuine low pressure event you would never know.

This almost guarantees destruction in some circumstances.

These cars are evolving into a mobile collection of idiot lights. Be warned.

[jonesfam]

I have been unable to get my Scan Gauge 2 to give me oil pressure.
Is it possible?
Jonesfam

Vee8auto
How many gauges do you want to mount?

[vee8auto]

I have been unable to get my Scan Gauge 2 to give me oil pressure.
Is it possible?
Jonesfam

Vee8auto
How many gauges do you want to mount?

I dont think there is an analogue signal from oil pressure. I know there is a switch but havent seen a pressure transmitter, and havent seen an oil pressure reading using the GAP IID tool.

Gauges? 2 maybe three. It depends if I see a means of mounting them and how many holes it has.
I reckon one of those multi gauge pods mounted just to the left of the instrument binnacle. I dunno, thats why I'm fishing.

[TDV6]

See a post that I submitted in February on my attempt at something usefull

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/l319-discovery-3-4/231993-d3-extra-gauges-dash.html

Ryall,

The text is included below

D3 extra gauges on the dash
My dash setup on an 05 D3 TDV6
TPMS on the left of the steering wheel showing under inflated front drivers tyre at 32PSI and 31 degrees temp while ambient is only 26 degrees I put 4 PSI in and it now reads around 36PSI just above ambient temp.
The other gauges are Engine Watchdog (coolant temp being returned from radiator (showing 68 degrees) and auto transmission fluid temperature (showing 68 degrees normally 76 on highway 86 when towing) and a Scanguage showing what the CPU thinks the temp is it's normally around 80-85, the voltage between 13.2 to 14.6 volts, RPM and Manifold Air Pressure (MAP) 14.9 at idle 22 at cruise 30 fast at acceleration.
MAP is the modern version of a vacuum gauge for a measure of fuel economy.
Regards,
Ryall