[Black widow]

i want to instal few gauges for my 10' 328xi. If i DIY, how long would it take/is it hard? if so, is it expensive to get someone to install it for me
Something like this would be nice:
http://fsv-image.autoc-one.jp/images/1096600/043_o.jpg
http://s9.postimg.org/dr4xxr1u7/DSCN1387.jpg
http://www.evasivemotorsports.com/mm...6201-19011.jpg (1st)

[chandleerr]

Originally Posted by **********

i want to instal few gauges for my 10' 328xi. If i DIY, how long would it take/is it hard? if so, is it expensive to get someone to install it for me
Something like this would be nice:
http://fsv-image.autoc-one.jp/images/1096600/043_o.jpg
http://s9.postimg.org/dr4xxr1u7/DSCN1387.jpg
http://www.evasivemotorsports.com/mm...6201-19011.jpg (1st)

It's pretty simple if your handy. I wouldn't pay someone to do it but then again I have car electrical experience. Prob take you a few hours to diy

[mashimarho]

Gauges for a 328xi???

[chandleerr]

Originally Posted by mashimarho

Gauges for a 328xi???

I thought the same thing but whatever if he wants it screw it. Maybe it's supercharged...bahahahaha

[1QuikWS6]

Originally Posted by mashimarho

Gauges for a 328xi???

Same thing I think when I see people putting gauges in a 335, while I'm setting in either my 427 Lingenfelter/NOS TransAm or my Vette - so it's all perspective

[Tom Droze]

Yeah, I suppose 328i's arent aworth modding at all! This is what a couple of 335i owners thought on a BMW outing last weekend, until we got into the twisties, and not a one could keep up with me. Sometimes it's not all about horsepower, sometimes it's about your willingness to keep your foot off the brake pedal.

[soursamo]

The problem with gauges, and I used to have that 3 gauge with Stack's in my center console, is they do no use down there; you don't look at them when driving.
You have a 328 so you don't need to worry about the super high oil temps like 335i drivers, no boost gauge. So you want to monitor water temp and voltage?

[1QuikWS6]

I agree that the lower center console area for gauges is an ineffective place to mount for the reasons cited - gauges, if installed, should be easily read while driving without really taking your eyes off the road.

In my TransAm I have an 'A' Pillar Gauge Pod on DS that houses (3) needed gauges. They are super ez to view as they are right there slightly to the left of direct line of sight of the road, right at my eye level

My nitrous control panel is mounted low right above center console in bottom of center stack & is pretty much a PITA to monitor while using the nitrous. I didn't have much of a choice for location & the controls were designed to integrate into that area of the center stalk PnP - so it looks as if factory


In my 328 I use the digital Gage Vent from Turner - not really needed, but it does afford much more accurate digital values pulled directly from the CanBus over the dash mounted analog gauges that pretty much display only 'dummy' values that are only showing general approximate values

Even with that gage I need to glance down slightly to view - taking my eyes off the road

[Nitrousbird]

Originally Posted by 1QuikWS6

In my TransAm I have an 'A' Pillar Gauge Pod on DS that houses (3) needed gauges. They are super ez to view as they are right there slightly to the left of direct line of sight of the road, right at my eye level

In your TA you can pull the vent and a gauge fits perfectly in there. The center vent is where my nitrous gauge is mounted in my Formula. I also found a shift light that fits perfectly in the vent for the side window.

[1QuikWS6]

Good to see another F-Body owner on here

Yeah, my nitrous control panel is a leetle more involved than just the gauge so it can't be installed in a dash vent

[Tom Droze]

Originally Posted by soursamo

The problem with gauges, and I used to have that 3 gauge with Stack's in my center console, is they do no use down there; you don't look at them when driving.
You have a 328 so you don't need to worry about the super high oil temps like 335i drivers, no boost gauge. So you want to monitor water temp and voltage?

Actually, depending on the year of his 328i, he could have an oil temperature gauge, mine has one. With respect to your comment about oil temperature, this is not necessarily true; during my last two track days with 90 degree ambient temperature my oil temperature approached 300 degrees during the latter part of each session. I was also monitoring my coolant temperature with a Bluetooth ap using my cell phone as a analog temperature gauge, and my coolant temperature never exceeded 220 degrees and mostly it stayed between 216 and 218 degrees. I had the cell phone in a cradle mounted on the left center AC vent.

[Black widow]

I need one because I want to monitor the oil temp during -50 in the winter

[Mike.]

Originally Posted by **********

I need one because I want to monitor the oil temp during -50 in the winter

Christ..

[Tom Droze]

Originally Posted by **********

I need one because I want to monitor the oil temp during -50 in the winter

Here is my question to you, the purpose of a gauge is to report data so that you can make adjustments if they are warranted. Given your cold temperatures, and if you determine the engine oil is not getting up to operating temperature, what will be your solution to fix the problem?

[justpete]

There's really no reason to have any extra gauges unless you're tracking your car and even then you'd want to be doing that quite often to make it worth the trouble to install the sensors. A logger (Race Technology, Motec, etc.) can provide the same information via a display but it's much more expensive than Stack gauges. Any OBD link to a phone app should be more than good enough I'd think. It's main limitation is update rate via the CAN bus. Only real way around that is redundant analog sensors. OTOH I'm using a Stack oil temperature gauge to control the pump and fan in a differential cooler rather than programming the Race Technology logger to do the same thing mainly cuz it's out of I/O.

[sirdaft1]

Originally Posted by 1QuikWS6

Same thing I think when I see people putting gauges in a 335, while I'm setting in either my 427 Lingenfelter/NOS TransAm or my Vette - so it's all perspective

Ehhhh.... That's a bit of a stretch. Other than going S/C or turning a 328 it into a dedicated track car, there is very little functional utility of adding gauges to an N51/N52.

This is completely superfluous at this point, but modifying a twin turbo n54 from 300hp to 600hp+? You better have a way of monitoring the additional load! Even then, most modded N54 owners monitor thru their smartphones; not tacky A-pillar gauges.

Originally Posted by Tom Droze

Yeah, I suppose 328i's arent aworth modding at all! This is what a couple of 335i owners thought on a BMW outing last weekend, until we got into the twisties, and not a one could keep up with me.

@ the butthurt

[Nitrousbird]

Originally Posted by 1QuikWS6

Good to see another F-Body owner on here

Yeah, my nitrous control panel is a leetle more involved than just the gauge so it can't be installed in a dash vent

My switch panel is located there, but it is larger switches. My gauge is in the dash. That's a neat looking panel.

[1QuikWS6]

Originally Posted by Nitrousbird

My switch panel is located there, but it is larger switches. My gauge is in the dash. That's a neat looking panel.

Thanx - it was custom made many years ago by a vendor on LS1Tech forum, I don't think they are on there anymore, at any rate I can't remember the vendor due to my accelerated age

[albotronic]

Probably not what you want to hear but you're going to decrease the value of the car for no added value from the gauges. Spend the money on beer and women.

[NSean]

For my car I have the MPG gauge rather than the water temp gauge, so I have a Raspberry Pi connected to the OBD port with a little touchscreen mounted on my air vent.

Works perfectly for letting me know when things are up to temperature and for displaying other stats as well. Cheap solution but quite tech-heavy.

I can post a picture of it if you're interested in doing a similar thing.

[Black widow]

Originally Posted by NSean

For my car I have the MPG gauge rather than the water temp gauge, so I have a Raspberry Pi connected to the OBD port with a little touchscreen mounted on my air vent.

Works perfectly for letting me know when things are up to temperature and for displaying other stats as well. Cheap solution but quite tech-heavy.

I can post a picture of it if you're interested in doing a similar thing.

Yes please post a pic!!

[NSean]

Originally Posted by **********

Yes please post a pic!!

Here it is!

First off, I know that currently it looks like an ugly version of Frankenstein's monster (especially with that orange mount and ridiculous screws, need to sort that out!)
This is because I'm still developing the software for it so I take it out of the car a lot. I have plans to detach the screen and have all the gubbins hidden under the dash.

As the functionality, it works great for what I want it for! Tells me coolant temp, speed, RPM, engine run time, intake pressure, airflow rate (MAF), calculated load%, when the coolant has been at optimal temperature for five minutes and when the car has idled a bit before being turned off (like a manual turbo timer).

Hoping to get it tidied up soon! (yes, that is a nasty, half-peeled screen protector!)