Autometer gauges, I'm not impressed

turtlevette

turtlevette

The Turdle
Joined
Mar 24, 2008
Messages
1,492
Location
Marshfield, MA
I just finished installing autometer gauges. Pro comp ultra lite silver face. Sure they look pisser. I even canted them at a siight angle to face the driver seat.

Temp gauge shows me running at 210. Just went out hours after shutdown and the meter still reads 110. That shit can't be right. I'm going to buy an infra red temp gauge to double check tomorrow.

Oil pressure shows almost zero at idle. Max i can push is 30psi. Stock gauge showed 20-40 psi.

Voltmeter needle hits the case and sticks when i switch ignition off.

The only one i'm impressed with is the full sweep stepper motor fuel gauge. It has like 64 ticks so you can count quarts consumed, however i doubt sender is linear anyway. Never was before with stock gauge.
 
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A few years ago I put Equis (sp?) gauges in center panel, and so the fuel is not damped, bounces around...the temp reads a steady 10f high, from the computer readout on the FI, confirmed with a IR temp probe...

the other two are right on...

I figger everything today is China, same factory probably, so I went cheep...

:clobbered:
 
Electrical or mechanical gauges? If you have a mech temp gauge, those things are dead accurate but with an aluminum bulb adapter in the ehad they can heat soak, however they also are very quick to react to steam pockets travelling by.

Is the oil pressure gauge mechanical or electrical? Mechanical, again are dead accurate. The electrical all depends on the quality of the installation and I have found them to be off a little most of the time. I use mech. gauges for that reason. A bigger PITA to install but they do work.
 
Twin_Turbo said:
Electrical or mechanical gauges? If you have a mech temp gauge, those things are dead accurate but with an aluminum bulb adapter in the ehad they can heat soak, however they also are very quick to react to steam pockets travelling by.

Is the oil pressure gauge mechanical or electrical? Mechanical, again are dead accurate. The electrical all depends on the quality of the installation and I have found them to be off a little most of the time. I use mech. gauges for that reason. A bigger PITA to install but they do work.
Click to expand...

On mine the computer is on pass side 6-8 cyl, 1-2 cyl for the brass screwed into the driver's side, stock shit...L98 heads....I don't feel a 10f variation is enough to worry over....the fans turn on/off via computer just exactly as programed....my temp gauge is mechanical, so is oil pressure...

:nuts:
 
electrical gauges. I think it's really reading the temp of the aluminum head not the coolant.

http://www.autometer.com/cat_gaugedetail.aspx?gid=3113&sid=11
http://www.autometer.com/cat_gaugedetail.aspx?gid=3099&sid=11
http://www.autometer.com/cat_gaugedetail.aspx?gid=3111&sid=11

this full sweep programmable fuel gauge is the only one i really like.
http://www.autometer.com/cat_gaugedetail.aspx?gid=3470&sid=11

I'd suggest going with full sweep oil pressure, coolant temp and volts with the stepper motor movement.

The short sweep stuff is around $60 per gauge. The full sweep is $225 range.









and i probably do have low oil pressure with a high mileage engine and 5W30 synthetic oil

there is no excuse for that stuck voltmeter. I'll take a picture.
 
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I assume you used the autometer sending units that came with the gauges? Mine are all electric and read dead on. Water temp and oil pressure were compared to mechanical gauges and they were right on the money. I did run all new wire for the sending units to the gauge though... If you used the old wire it might have a slight internal resistance (from age) and could be messing up the reading? Just thinking out loud here...
 
yes i mounted the electric sensors that came with the gauges. I just shot the heads and hoses with an IR gun a while ago. As i suspected the heater hose was around 185/190. The heads shot at 200. The gauge reads 210.

So not only is it sensing the head temp instead of the coolant temp, it's also reading 10 deg high.

This IR temp gun is pretty cool. Should have bought one of these a long time ago. Keep an eye on the rear bearing temps and such.
 
5076534024_large.jpg

needle stuck on voltmeter

5076534022_large.jpg

overall view

5076534020_large.jpg

shows gauges angled

5076534023_large.jpg

i like the full sweep gas gauge

5076534026_large.jpg

temp probe

5076534025_large.jpg
oil transducer
 
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BTW

Just for general information. The stepper gas gauge shit the bed about a week ago.

What's that about 2 months?

These things look pisser but they're junk.
 
turtlevette said:
BTW

Just for general information. The stepper gas gauge shit the bed about a week ago.

What's that about 2 months?

These things look pisser but they're junk.
Click to expand...

Shit, that's too bad, but my O'Reilly AP cheep shit Equiss have been very consistent....the electrical head temp is high by 10f but very consistent....

the fuel gauge is not damped...so bounces like a well trained whore....

:beer:
 
turtlevette said:
MYBAD79 said:
zero problems with my AutoMeter gauges..... What kind of warranty do they offer ??????
Click to expand...

It had been sitting around on my shelf for over a year and i can never find receipts.
Click to expand...

Shit man, wouldn't matter if you did, the damn receipts all printed with disappearing ink these daze....a year later, not able to read.....
kinda makes record keeping funny for IRS if you are a contractor, and so every stupid HD/Lowes receipt is unreadable by the time if you ever got audited....

claim the thing is ten grand not one grand, whatever.....:clap::shocking::devil:
 
Got a tranny temp one that's suddently dead, was brand new. It reads completely wrong, i1 of 2 electrical gauges I have apart from fuel level. Also ultra lite gauges
 
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