Replacing Standard Gauges

[Stu_22]

I know its a repost for some

I want to replace the standard oil press and boost gauge with some SPA Design ones but want to keep then in the standard position. Is this possible while keeping the rest of the dash features working

[Nod]

I know its a repost for some

I want to replace the standard oil press and boost gauge with some SPA Design ones but want to keep then in the standard position. Is this possible while keeping the rest of the dash features working

Yes. The complexity comes if they are to deep. The SPA ones I'm sure are very shallow due to the LCD so it should be easy. I had to machine the whole back off and chop/solder the membrane to get mine in and retain the OEM features.

Nod.

[supradupra.com]

Rite I replied to this the other day then some ba5tard upgraded the forum software and wiped it, of all the selfish things to do :)

The space behind the oil, batt or turbo gauge is not alot, max about 40mm at its highest point.

As above if you have to drill through the white plastic body at all you would need to modify the membrane circuit board behind.

One option is to strip down the factory gauge and use the plastic former that its made of to mount a stripped down after market gauge.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/supradupra/ClockButtons001.jpg

This former will give you a plate at the correct angle etc to mount a after market gauge face plate and display PCB.

If you strip down an after market gauge you will find its only made up of a couple of very small PCB's, normally a main board and a display unit.

The one below is a rev counter, the very back board just has a switch on it, this board could be removed in favour of a wire link on the main PCB insted.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/supradupra/ClockButtons003.jpg

The display PCB is only connected by DIL pins so, can, if need be, separated from the main PCB and mounted else where in the instrument cluster on flying leads to make up space.

You could then mount the display PCB into the factory plastic former making up any area the screen print dont cover with black plastic so it fills the bezel and looks standard in the factory hole.

Pretty similar to how I make my gauges by using plastic formers made out of plexiglass and my own PCB's that screw through and mount the LEDs in the correct place for the screen.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/supradupra/ClockButtons004.jpg

You can draw the power for your gauge off the back of the instrument cluster and on things like turbo boost modules you could even use the stock wires as they run directly from the instrument cluster to the pressure sensor under the hood.

Depends how much trouble you wanna go to to get a gauge in, it saves having to destroy the back of the cluster etc.

WHY THE LIMIT OF 4 IMAGES ON A POST? - ti not enough to explain some things!

[john89t]

You can draw the power for your gauge off the back of the instrument cluster and on things like turbo boost modules you could even use the stock wires as they run directly from the instrument cluster to the pressure sensor under the hood.

Depends how much trouble you wanna go to to get a gauge in, it saves having to destroy the back of the cluster etc.


Your a clever guy when it comes to this sort of thing Stuey :yes: ..great idea, just need to find an aftermarket gauge that matches the speedo and rev counter, then i might have a go at it :)

[Stu_22]

Thanks for the technical reply supradupra think I'm going to have to get a spare set of clocks.

I dont face pulling apart a £130 spa gauge

[supradupra.com]

Lol, pulling stuff apart is normally the first thing i do!

[Finfon]

Lol, pulling stuff apart is normally the first thing i do!

i used to do that when i was a lil bairn lol

[bradz]

i used to do that when i was a lil bairn lol


Do you have any pictures of yours all finished in daylight?

Im planning to do simular :D

[supradupra.com]

www.supradupra.com (http://www.supradupra.com) All questions answered!

http://www.clickdesign.co.uk/supradupra/assets/images/digidash_3.jpg

[Karma Supra]

Stuey, whats that temperature guage under the engine warning light??? I like that :D

[supradupra.com]

Outside temperature, has a couple of "snowflake" indicators next to it that light yellow for frost warning and red for ice.

What I can't believe is this stuff has been in the car since 2001 now! Really must have a refit this year!

[Karma Supra]

Cool.... how hard was it to do, or how hard would it be to do, in say the same color as the stock clock.... for oil temp? :D

[supradupra.com]

Stock clock uses a fluorescent display which is a tad harder to do and considerably bigger!

Best bet would be to get hold of a green LED oil temp gauge and use the display from that instead.

Now the dash is blue I find the red LED goes real well with it & looks clear.

[Karma Supra]

No chance I can butcher a stock spare clock then :(

Are there any after marked guage that have a scren small enough to fit in there? what screen did you use?

[supradupra.com]

I use a small screen from a temperature controller I had knocking about. The controller is kinda clever as you can set alarm points on it - these I used for the 2 warning LEDs so they came on at the correct temperatures.

The main body of the controler is mounted away in the dash and just the display PCB lives in the cluster linked via a small multicore and D plug for removal. (which can be several times a day if playing :))

Dont see why you couldnt use just a standard autgauge type meter - the green LED displays in those will fit perfectly.

Butchering the clock isn't an option because you need a whole bunch of drive circuitry for VFD units - this is all buiilt into a specific chip in the clock to do exactly what it does - be a clock, nothing more.

Dakotadigital are the only company I know of that do VFD gauges, they are a nice bit of kit but pricey!

[supradupra.com]

Did this for Charlie but thiought it could possibly be of use to others as reference.

Measurments in MM.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/supradupra/GaugeDimensions.jpg

[Calorus]

Many thanks, for the redirection, if the gauges are too long, can I ask what happens, do they folu the chassis, or the gizzards of the rest of the dash, or something else?

[john89t]

Many thanks, for the redirection, if the gauges are too long, can I ask what happens, do they folu the chassis, or the gizzards of the rest of the dash, or something else?

The gizzards of the rest of the dash....there's a circut board runs the length of the dash, a longer gauge would foul this, i'm going to replace the standard boost gauge with a volt gauge from an N/A, then use a gauge pod for an aftermarket boost gauge

[Calorus]

The gizzards of the rest of the dash....there's a circut board runs the length of the dash, a longer gauge would foul this, i'm going to replace the standard boost gauge with a volt gauge from an N/A, then use a gauge pod for an aftermarket boost gauge

Wise. Many thanks.