[95DRW4x4]

I'm planning on putting a pillar type 3-gauge set-up in my truck. I'm going to install the usual pyro and boost gauges. But, I really can't decide what would be a third gauge so I thought I'd fill the hole with an outside temp gauge for now. My other vehicles have one and I enjoy knowing the temp when I get started in the mornings. I was interested in Autometer and Isspro gauges but they don't make a temp gauge. I found that VDO does and I read in the archives about VDO gauges. It seems that they match the original gauges very well and have good lighting. in fact better than Autometer. There were some negative comments about VDO's pyrometer slow reading of EGTs. Most of the comments were several years ago, Does anyone know if this problem still exists in their pyrometer gauge? Also since no one mentions these gauges are they of poor quality or problematic?

Thanks

 

[Believer45]

You do not say if you have an auto tranny - if you do I would put in tranny temp. If you have a manual I would put in a real oil pressure gauge - the one from Ford is an idiot gauge and works like an idiot light - if you have 6-7 lbs it shows, if you have less it does not.

Dave / Believer45

 

[bugman]

I agree with Dave, if you have a manual get the oil pressure gauge. When I did mine I only did the two gauge pilar mount and then 6 months later wished that I had done a 3 with the pressure gauge. It would be like the boost gauge, not really needed since if the low pressure pump goes out the engine will shut down but it would be nice to see where the pressure is.

Jim

 

[Patrick Feeley]

I had an ISSPRO "Black Ice" outside temp gauge (it'll be in a pic of the pillar in my sig, bottom gauge). It is not in either of the enhanced visibility lines however. I was happy with it, but didn't need it after I put in the Explorer overhead console. I have a manual tranny temp gauge in now. I think if I was to add a third gauge I would opt for a real coolant temp gauge (but that's just me). The VDOs seem too expensive to me (and I've used them before on VW projects). Cheers!

 

[95DRW4x4]

Thanks for the ideas.

Does anyone know about the VDO pyro, if it has changed from the old issue of being slow?

 

[95DRW4x4]

Does anyone have any current info on the VDO pyro. I like the "vision black"guages but I'm afraid of a 10-15 delay in temp reading as described in some old posts in the Archives Forum. These post were in the 2001-03 time frame. Haven't read to much one way or the other since then. I'm not real good at using the "Forum" yet and maybe there's more recent data. If anyone has an update or can tell me how to search the Archive Forum better I'd appricate any help. Thanks again!

 

[nashvillebill]

I have not noticed anything with my VDO pyro to lead me to believe that there is a significant lag time. When I pull into a rest area for example, my EGT's seem to drop very quickly.

There is a mod listed on Baz's page that will let the dash oil gauge act as a true oil pressure gauge. Looks easy but I haven't done it. I've installed separate oil pressure gauges on other cars and don't really care for having an oil-filled tube running through the dash, I've had the tube break. Using the existing dash gauge uses an electric sender so the oil leakage is not an issue.

For the 3rd gauge spot, one possibility is the DB-Tuners selector switch I put an outside temperature gauge in my 3rd spot.

 

[Patrick Feeley]

The "real oil pressure gauge mod" doesn't really work that well. When I did it, the gauge range doesn't match with the pressure readings and I don't think anyone found a sending unit that could get a decent range match for the factory gauge. I eventually just went with a real gauge, but got rid of it too (I didn't like the particular gauge). Cheers!