# What in-car gauge is most important to monitor for FI cars



## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

What are the most important in-car gauges to monitor on a FI car? And in what order of importance?


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: What in-car gauge is most important to monitor for FI cars (glenng78)*

post some pics of your gauge setups


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## 05JettaGLXVR6 (Jan 25, 2006)

*Re: What in-car gauge is most important to monitor for FI cars (glenng78)*

Boost, Wideband, Oil pressure. Could use EGT but thats about it.


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## Salsa GTI (Aug 29, 2000)

*Re: What in-car gauge is most important to monitor for FI cars (05JettaGLXVR6)*

Wide Band
EGT
Boost 
Fuel pressure
gauge pics tomorrow


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## slc92 (Feb 9, 2005)

*Re: What in-car gauge is most important to monitor for FI cars (Salsa GTI)*

Wideband and boost in the car. I don't know how you add FI to a car without those. Fuel pressure gauge/ adj. fpr under the hood to "tweak" A/F at WOT.


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## kevhayward (Mar 13, 2007)

If I was forced to use only 1 gauge then it would be EGT.


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## need_a_VR6 (May 19, 1999)

*Re: (kevhayward)*


_Quote, originally posted by *kevhayward* »_If I was forced to use only 1 gauge then it would be EGT.


Why so you can see if it's either lean or backing off timing and not knowing which?
WIDEBAND


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## slc92 (Feb 9, 2005)

*Re: (need_a_VR6)*


_Quote, originally posted by *need_a_VR6* »_

WIDEBAND

all day


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## Salsa GTI (Aug 29, 2000)

*Re: (need_a_VR6)*


_Quote, originally posted by *need_a_VR6* »_
Why so you can see if it's either lean or backing off timing and not knowing which?
WIDEBAND

X3


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## 05JettaGLXVR6 (Jan 25, 2006)

*Re: (kevhayward)*


_Quote, originally posted by *kevhayward* »_If I was forced to use only 1 gauge then it would be EGT.


Is your VR a diesel now?


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## RedDevil (Sep 21, 2001)

*Re: What in-car gauge is most important to monitor for FI cars (05JettaGLXVR6)*


_Quote, originally posted by *05JettaGLXVR6* »_Boost, Wideband, Oil pressure. Could use EGT but thats about it.


x2


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## Agtronic (May 14, 2001)

*Re: What in-car gauge is most important to monitor for FI cars (glenng78)*

Wideband, Boost and EGT.
Wideband for AFR, and EGT for timing ...
Also, I'm the kind of guy who thinks that less is more, don't like having too many gauges, like oil pressure, oil temp, voltage, and other gauges like that ...


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## slc92 (Feb 9, 2005)

*Re: What in-car gauge is most important to monitor for FI cars (Agtronic)*

93' and up SLC's came with oil pressure and voltage gauges http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## speeding-g60 (Aug 1, 2004)

*FV-QR*

all of them.
both drag chassis i run Tach, Boost, WB02, EGT, Volt, Oil pressure, Oil temp, Coolant temp. no speedo or fuel level, fuel pressure is on the FPR.
but the main one i think would be WB02 then EGT for the above normal boost gauge addition.


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## Agtronic (May 14, 2001)

Old setup :








More recent (after everything got stolen) :


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## jackyltardvaark (May 30, 2005)

*Re: (Agtronic)*

I voted voltmeter, because thats the dumbest one listed


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## speeding-g60 (Aug 1, 2004)

*FV-QR*


_Quote, originally posted by *jackyltardvaark* »_I voted voltmeter, because thats the dumbest one listed



hmmmmm. last run i made, the voltmeter was what told me the alternator quit. no charge = low volt = low fuel (pump and injectors) = lean out = HMMMMMMMM.


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## jackyltardvaark (May 30, 2005)

*Re: FV-QR (speeding-g60)*

Note to self: Dont leave vortex logged in at work, get 3 threads of just stupid stuff left for you.

_Quote, originally posted by *speeding-g60* »_

hmmmmm. last run i made, the voltmeter was what told me the alternator quit. no charge = low volt = low fuel (pump and injectors) = lean out = HMMMMMMMM.


But to add on, your car is a stripped out drag car most likely without dummy lights to tell you the same thing. A dummy light will come on before you have time to see a gauge drop. 
So even though it wasnt me posting, i will stand by what they said


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## speeding-g60 (Aug 1, 2004)

*FV-QR*


_Quote, originally posted by *jackyltardvaark* »_But to add on, your car is a stripped out drag car most likely without dummy lights to tell you the same thing. A dummy light will come on before you have time to see a gauge drop. 
So even though it wasnt me posting, i will stand by what they said


yes, these are all true statements. and a street car would have some sort of warning light.
i have identical setups in both my drag cars. rabbit is Autometer, Audi is Stewart Warner. but same gauges in both.


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## 05JettaGLXVR6 (Jan 25, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (speeding-g60)*

What do you want me to have 150 guages? No everyone here likes having a race car. Plus if my car leans out i have a wideband.


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## speeding-g60 (Aug 1, 2004)

*FV-QR*


_Quote, originally posted by *05JettaGLXVR6* »_What do you want me to have 150 guages? 

was this to me? if so, i dont want you to have any. OP is asking for opinions, and last time i checked it was cool to answer those questions.

_Quote, originally posted by *glenng78* »_post some pics of your gauge setups


if you sit and take the 14 seconds to think it out, the factory cluster has almost all of what i run. especially if your car has the 3 gauges down low by the shifter. then all you NEED to add IMHO (which is still free might i add) would be AFR, EGT and boost. exactly as Markku showed.


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## 05JettaGLXVR6 (Jan 25, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (speeding-g60)*


_Quote, originally posted by *speeding-g60* »_
was this to me? if so, i dont want you to have any. OP is asking for opinions, and last time i checked it was cool to answer those questions.
.

Calm down buddy it was just a joke.


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## Salsa GTI (Aug 29, 2000)

*Re: FV-QR (05JettaGLXVR6)*

Or be like me and get one of these......all 3 important gauges all in one








They have a round gauge as well that does all 3


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: FV-QR (Salsa GTI)*

that looks really expensive


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## GoKart_16v (Dec 17, 2004)

*Re: What in-car gauge is most important to monitor for FI cars (glenng78)*

I know this is going against the grain...
1. Boost
2. Oil
3. Volt
For in-car real time...when not tuning
Boost/vac is critical to see if your car is boosting, leaking, having vac issue
Oil help determine is you have too much pressure or too little
3. Volt tells you if your injectors/pump is providing the fuel you need

I prefer to use a recorder type or a seperate system for wideband...you need to be able to match rpm to the graph


_Modified by GoKart_16v at 11:06 PM 6-28-2009_


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## kevhayward (Mar 13, 2007)

*Re: (need_a_VR6)*


_Quote, originally posted by *need_a_VR6* »_
Why so you can see if it's either lean or backing off timing and not knowing which?
WIDEBAND

So you can't tell how an engine is running without sound and smell then? Knock last time I heard (pun intended) is clearly audible. Weak and rich mixtures are easily detectable by smell / gas analysers. Turbos were around long before Wideband was.
I have EGT, wideband, Fuel pressure and Boost guages, but EGT is the one I look at the most.


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## need_a_VR6 (May 19, 1999)

*Re: (kevhayward)*

It's pretty hard to tell how a car is running by smell as it goes down the track. 
Knock is also not always audible.


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## Salsa GTI (Aug 29, 2000)

*Re: (need_a_VR6)*

I keep leaning out the mixture and increasing the timing...Until the bridge between cyls 3&4 burns clean through....head gasget as well.....THen i richen it up a little and back off on timing some








OOPS........
PS. to Paul....I'll be calling for a MS verry soon...for a VR6


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: (Salsa GTI)*

more pics guys


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## need_a_VR6 (May 19, 1999)

*Re: (Salsa GTI)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Salsa GTI* »_I keep leaning out the mixture and increasing the timing...Until the bridge between cyls 3&4 burns clean through....head gasget as well.....THen i richen it up a little and back off on timing some








OOPS........
PS. to Paul....I'll be calling for a MS verry soon...for a VR6

That reminded me I have a 16v cylinder head I need to weld up!


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## Agtronic (May 14, 2001)

*Re: (kevhayward)*


_Quote, originally posted by *kevhayward* »_ Turbos were around long before Wideband was.

Yes, and there were a lot more blown motors in the DIY world. People also read plugs a lot more than they do now.
I seriously don't see the point in having an oil pressure gauge ... Oil pressure isn't something that varies a lot, and if it does and you see it on the gauge, then what? I mean, if you want to monitor it fine, but I wouldn't get one in place of EGT, Boost or Wideband.


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## rocklizzard91 (Dec 18, 2007)

*Re: (Agtronic)*

stupid question, im sure:
what is an EGT? like whats it do?
im pretty sure EGT stands for exhaust gas temp.
but im not sure what its for/how its used


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## MrMoon (Dec 23, 2008)

*Re: (rocklizzard91)*

egt gauges let you know if you are running lean and about to (or by the time you look at the gauge) have melted something


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## MrMoon (Dec 23, 2008)

*Re: (MrMoon)*

and my setup


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## CD155MX (Dec 18, 2007)

*Re: What in-car gauge is most important to monitor for FI cars (05JettaGLXVR6)*


_Quote, originally posted by *05JettaGLXVR6* »_Boost, Wideband, Oil pressure. Could use EGT but thats about it.









Got any more pics of your console? http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif I need to build one of those!!!!!!


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## benzivr6 (Feb 16, 2001)

*Re: What in-car gauge is most important to monitor for FI cars (glenng78)*

Air/Fuel Wideband - Intercooler temp - Boost Gauge/ Controller


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## rocklizzard91 (Dec 18, 2007)

*Re: What in-car gauge is most important to monitor for FI cars (benzivr6)*


_Quote, originally posted by *benzivr6* »_Air/Fuel Wideband - Intercooler temp - Boost Gauge/ Controller









how do you like the gauge/controller?
easy to use?


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## benzivr6 (Feb 16, 2001)

*Re: What in-car gauge is most important to monitor for FI cars (rocklizzard91)*

It's alittle getting used o at 1st but very easy to control after about 2-3 days of usage. Highly recommend http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## CD155MX (Dec 18, 2007)

*Re: What in-car gauge is most important to monitor for FI cars (benzivr6)*


_Quote, originally posted by *benzivr6* »_It's alittle getting used o at 1st but very easy to control after about 2-3 days of usage. Highly recommend http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

I thought the newer Tru Boost controller/gauges displayed vacuum in -psi


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