# Adding Gauges



## jlw (Sep 18, 2010)

My temperature gauge started intermittently not working again, which bugs the hell outta me because I put a new used tach cluster in (with temp gauge) a couple of months ago to fix the same problem- which it did cure, for a few months. Now it's doing it again. So there must be something weird going on and im not sure i feel like diagnosing it... so:

I was thinking of adding some VDO gauges (black early vw style) to center console in place of the cassette tape holder. I was thinking oil pressure and either oil temp, or coolant temp - and probably volts while i'm at it..

My questions are:
1. coolant temp or oil temp? or both.. whats the advantage of oil temp? - coolant temp probably changes before oil temp does..

2. do you think the VDO oil pressure sender will thread into the Q engine? (like this one: http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=360006 )

3. has anyone installed similar setup? comments?


Thanks,
Jason


----------



## Southcross (Jul 2, 2004)

I have VDO oil pressure and oil temp on Mr Hanky... Oil temp and Pressure are nice, but not necessary unless your one for romping on the engine. the Pressure gauge will help diagnose an oiling issue early, as well as the temp gauge will help to identify an oil quality issue if your temps go too high for your oil type. Oil temp can also help identify when the engine is fully warmed up, or if you have an "over cooling" issue (thermostat stuck open) that prevents the engine from running at proper temp.

if I were to purchase them, I'd find "matching" gauges and senders (egauges.com)... or source them as matching "sets" from junkyard cars. the normal thread for our temp and pressure senders are 10mm x 1.0mm... which also happens to be similar to the 1/8" NPT... but if you convert to NPT sensors, you can't go back to 10x1.0mm thread


----------



## jlw (Sep 18, 2010)

Thanks for the reply,

Yeah i know they're not particularly "necessary" but i like to be able to keep an eye on things.. I'm on my second engine because of extreme overheat at highway speed (while my stock temp gauge wasnt working..) an oil pressure or temp gauge probably would have diagnosed before it the head warped...

So youre thinking oil temp over water temp?? 

any practical reason to have volts? its would be nice, but i feel like you either do or dont have correct voltage, and there's usually not much you can do about that one while on the road anyway... 

I think there's enough room to fit 3 gauges across, so i gotta norrow it down :beer:

thanks again


----------



## Southcross (Jul 2, 2004)

jlw said:


> Thanks for the reply,
> 
> Yeah i know they're not particularly "necessary" but i like to be able to keep an eye on things.. I'm on my second engine because of extreme overheat at highway speed (while my stock temp gauge wasnt working..) an oil pressure or temp gauge probably would have diagnosed before it the head warped...
> 
> ...


you definitely need a working coolant temp gauge... in my experience the culprit for a bad cluster coolant temp gauge has been the wiring socket to the cluster. Sometimes wiggling or even unplugging/plugging in the cluster wiring harness can fix it. can even be a broken sensor wire in the engine bay

overheating on the highway is a typical sign of either a bad waterpump (pump cavitation causing it to not move coolant), stuck thermostat, or blocked radiator passages. Your coolant temps should be "lowest" when cruising on the highway due to air flow through the radiator.


----------

