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What gauges are a must for a turbo vehicle

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Old 10-10-2009, 02:35 AM
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Default What gauges are a must for a turbo vehicle

So i got a autometer designer black boost gauge

I got a LC-1 kit with a DB wideband gauge

What else should i get to keep me on the safe side?

I got room for 1 more before i have to think creatively.
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Old 10-10-2009, 03:03 AM
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Real Oil pressure gauge (stock one is just kinda on-off)

and oil temp is fairly important to have too when youre racing, but I wouldnt say its necessary for a street turbo setup
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Old 10-10-2009, 03:05 AM
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How about Exhaust temp?

I guess after seing what people do to their motors i shouldnt be scared but i'm still terrified that i will install my turbo and toss a piston through the head due to detonation :(

i guess the main reason why i'm worried is because of the lack of reading material on the xede i will be using. Timing is confusing as hell to me since when adding fuel using the xede the stock ecu changes the timing in a certain way to compensate or something like that. I've read the manual but i'm still having hard times understanding.
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Old 10-10-2009, 08:45 AM
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I have an EGT gauge on my current car, and I won't be bothering with one on the next car. Even now that I changed my sensor to an open-element type, it's still far too slow to be of any use in indicating real-time conditions.

As a tuning aid, they used to be a poor-mans substitute for wideband EGO. Nowadays, they're pretty much useless.


Originally Posted by triple88a
Timing is confusing as hell to me since when adding fuel using the xede the stock ecu changes the timing in a certain way to compensate or something like that.
The Xede adjusts fuel by altering the airflow signal. Most of the time, it will be decreasing the airflow signal, to compensate for the larger injectors.

At the stock ECU, less airflow = lower load = more timing advance. Thus, you don't have to worry about high EGT as a result of Xede's fuel manipulation. The system will come with a base tune that's perfectly safe to drive on, if not 100% optimized from a torque standpoint. Once you're at the dyno, you'll be tuning fuel for wideband targets, and then tuning spark for either peak torque or detonation. None of these things require EGT.


You don't say what year your car is. If you've got a '90-'94, your stock OPG is fine. If not, it's utter crap. There's no middle ground.

You don't need a hell of a lot of gauges. I installed oil temp just because I was curious. Found that no street-based driving condition yet encountered (including desert mountain runs) has exceeded the capacity of the stock '94+ oil cooler.



EDIT: I want this gauge, just to be cool: http://www.turbobygarrett.com/turbob...ed_sensor.html
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Old 10-10-2009, 11:10 AM
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yeah i'll get that on my sig so its up there. Its a 99 1.8 10th edition.

I will be using the stock injectors for now since i'll be boosting at 5psi, if its no good then i will have to look for injectors.

The map i have now (base map) is adjusted to add fuel since my injectors are stock but wouldnt adding fuel retard the timing automatically? Do you have any idea what my final timing will be? i've got +10 on the fuel map and -10 on the timing with another -10 offset on the O2

I have the feeling thats like -15 on the timing which is a lot.. it should be around -4 correct?
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Old 10-15-2009, 03:00 PM
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boost and AFR are a must, add oil temp if you track the car.
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Old 10-15-2009, 04:37 PM
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Originally Posted by hustler
boost and AFR are a must, add oil temp if you track the car.
AFR is a must while tuning, but I _NEVER_ have time to look at it on track where it matters (in boost). Water and oil is actually more usefull on track.
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Old 10-15-2009, 05:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Spookyfish
AFR is a must while tuning, but I _NEVER_ have time to look at it on track where it matters (in boost). Water and oil is actually more usefull on track.
The first time I tracked the car I noticed that I was running at 12.3:1 after some heat issues...I think it paid for itself on that one session.
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