What Gauges Would You Recommend

drftking · Post by **drftking** » February 25th, 2005, 3:29 am

Im looking to get a 3 pillar gauge pod and i know im gonna put a a/f ration gauge. But I dont know what others I should put. Any info would be gratis.

kiwi_MX3 · Post by **kiwi_MX3** » February 25th, 2005, 3:33 am

I run a oil pressure, and water temp... Autometer....

MarkMoore · Post by **MarkMoore** » February 25th, 2005, 8:26 am

i'm also thinking of getting a triple gauge pod... so far i'm almost set on the first 2: air/fuel mixture and a voltmeter, but need recommendations for the third...

bmwm3guy · Post by **bmwm3guy** » February 26th, 2005, 12:50 pm

oh.. my.. god..

you are going about this the wrong way. The LOGICAL thing to do **IN MY CRAZY OPINION** would be.. "Hmm I think that Mazda engines oil systems suck, so I better get an oil pressure guage to see when my Oil sender unit decided to blow again... And hey, why not get an Air/Fuel guage because they're pretty (I honestly think they are pretty despite them being vitually useless). So thats two guages... Ill get a DOUBLE guage pod

"

really you dont need any more... even the A/F guage is pretty useless I just like staring it at. But since your car is N/A you dont really need anything besides the oil pressure guage to avoid f$#*&ing up your motor.

jschrauwen · Post by **jschrauwen** » February 26th, 2005, 5:34 pm

If I really found the need to, I would choose in this order:

1. Oil pressure - sometimes a little too late by the time the idiot light comes on.

2. Voltage/Charging system - Because our MX's are getting older and original electrical system items may eventually fatigue (alternator for one). Some of us are heavily into sound systems that draw excessive amounts of current and it sure would be ideal to see if our charging system/battery is keeping up. And it's a good indication of battery state. All good info before our idiot light comes on - which may be too late.

3. Toss-up - Probably Oil Temp (if we tend to over-stress our ride from time to time), perhaps Fuel Pressure, maybe a Water Temp but then again we already have one.

If I had a seriously tricked out engine where I spent huge amounts of money then I'd be more conscious of trying to keep tabs on all the fine details (using aux gauges). But if it's a bone stock engine with no serious mods than aux gauges would be merely fluff (IMO).

babyblueMX3 · Post by **babyblueMX3** » February 26th, 2005, 5:52 pm

my first one would be fuel pressure. sencond oil pressure. third egt. fourth a/f. But in my case the first one is boost

neutral · Post by **neutral** » February 26th, 2005, 6:53 pm

oil pressure

Grants · Post by **Grants** » February 26th, 2005, 7:49 pm

Oil pressure and then volt.

Tunes67 · Post by **Tunes67** » February 26th, 2005, 8:20 pm

Oil pressure and then volt.

I agree.. beyond this I think I will eventually add a fuel/air mixture gauge as well since the B6 engines seem susceptible to lean mixture conditions. Might not be a bad idea to be able to keep an eye on this even with a stock engine.

Tunes67

dewthis · Post by **dewthis** » February 26th, 2005, 9:11 pm

A/F is just a light show.
EGT is more for boost apps.
Oil pressure would be good, W/j-spec ecu you'll have no indication that your oil sending unit went out. I got lucky.
Fuel pressure is crucial, especially with an aftermarket afpr. Its good to know the fp is rising and not leaning.

jschrauwen · Post by **jschrauwen** » February 26th, 2005, 10:48 pm

dewthis wrote:Oil pressure would be good, W/j-spec ecu you'll have no indication that your oil sending unit went out. I got lucky.

I didn't know that. Confirming that when I install my KL31 ECU, my oil pressure idiot light will no longer funtion and that because you already had an aux gauge for oil pressure you were able to forecast and prevent a potential problem? If this is the case then I definitely must consider an aux oil pressure gauge. Now I want to get a KLZE sensor and vaccum schematic to persue this matter further. How would one ever come across this without it being written in Japanese?

papa roached · Post by **papa roached** » February 26th, 2005, 11:01 pm

i got a a/f for when i go to nitrous i can know if im leaning out at WOT

oil pressure cause its always good to know

and true water temp because i dont trust the indicator

papa roached · Post by **papa roached** » February 26th, 2005, 11:03 pm

jschrauwen wrote:
dewthis wrote:Oil pressure would be good, W/j-spec ecu you'll have no indication that your oil sending unit went out. I got lucky.
I didn't know that. Confirming that when I install my KL31 ECU, my oil pressure idiot light will no longer funtion and that because you already had an aux gauge for oil pressure you were able to forecast and prevent a potential problem? If this is the case then I definitely must consider an aux oil pressure gauge. Now I want to get a KLZE sensor and vaccum schematic to persue this matter further. How would one ever come across this without it being written in Japanese?

the oil pressure dumb dumb light has nothing to do with the ECU, its like the temp indicator, its basically wired straight to the dash and is a ON/OFF type switch

jschrauwen · Post by **jschrauwen** » February 26th, 2005, 11:11 pm

papa roached wrote:the oil pressure dumb dumb light has nothing to do with the ECU, its like the temp indicator, its basically wired straight to the dash and is a ON/OFF type switch

That's what I thought that's why I wanted to confirm with a schematic. Thanks P R.!!

dewthis · Post by **dewthis** » February 26th, 2005, 11:16 pm

Tell me why my "dumb dumb" light did'nt come on when my pressure switch pissed out all of my oil? I had about a quart at best left in the case.