Gauges

[V28VX37]

Slow progress is slow. I finally got the gauges in, still need to do sensors and wiring. My car originally came with the pop-up screen so thanks to Charles89 for the gauge pod, it came up well!!

[V28VX37]

Slow progress is slow. I finally got the gauges in, still need to do sensors and wiring. My car originally came with the pop-up screen so thanks to Charles89 for the gauge pod, it came up well!!

...

Ok it's all wired up now!

Couple of questions/niggles:

1. The illumination is always on, irrespective of headlights/parkers. Which wire from the ignition should I connect it to instead?
2. When shutting the car down the Defis lose power immediately when turning the key back, leaving the dials pointing to wherever they were at that time. Is this normal, or are they meant go back down to 0 when off?
3. One of the gauges is darker than the other two, is there a brightness setting somewhere?
4. The oil and water temps are around 80 in normal driving, what's a decent max/alert setting for these?

Thanks heaps guys, and sorry about the noob q's.

[Ben C34]

1.

Not to the ignition. To the illuminate wire for the radio is easiest.

2.doesn't sound normal but I'm not sure. Did you have to wire up to a constant 12v and ignition?

3.don't know.

4.over 100, how high is really up to you. Perhaps go for a thrash and figure out the usual max, then ad 5 to that.

[GTSBoy]

I wouldn't alarm the oil until over 120°C. I've seen >115°C just sitting in heavy traffic in stinking weather, but it normally sits about 90-95 (it's a Neo, so that's normal). Water is good to over 105°C but you definitely want to know about it around about then.

[Kinkstaah]

I am hijacking this because, well, I have a oil temp related gauge query.

I have to replace the stock oil pressure sender which screws into the block.

I have an oil temp gauge not connected to anything.

I want to use a brass t piece between the block and the factory oil pressure sensor, and put a oil TEMPERATURE sender into this T piece, and wire the gauge to that.

Is this a terrible plan, or is a simple 'fix' by means of a small adapter while I am down there going to literally ruin everything?

[GTSBoy]

It's not a good plan. There is no oil flow in such an arrangement, so you will be waiting for the oil to conduct heat through itself for the temperature to change. It will read cold for ages after startup and then later when using the car, if the rest of the oil suddenly gets hot, the gauge won't show it for ages.

[Kinkstaah]

Looks like here -> http://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/438407-fitting-an-oil-temp-sensor-without-sandwich-plate/

Which I've read many times, but only now actually seem to understand it that its been done a couple ways. One was the way I mentioned before which supposedly is 2-3 seconds lag which aint so bad.

Also in that thread is a link to an adaptor for the factory oil temp sensor plug, which seems like as good/better idea, for the same cost of a T piece anyway. At least it's in the location a Nissan Engineer decided was the best place to get oil temp from.

Just incase googlers end up here ;-)

[GTSBoy]

If you read what Mik said more carefully, you will see that he assumed 2-3 seconds. I would estimate much longer delay than that. The temp sensor ends up mounted on the end of a dead leg, so you rely on oil conducting the heat back and forth for the sensor to change temperature.

[Kinkstaah]

What about the original suggestion in the thread? By using the factory position my means of a small adaptor, seemed simple and easy as well. Easier, even.

Or is it much the same as using a T piece? I opted to simply get that small adaptor and re-use a factory sensor location that's currently doing nothing. Just to make use of a gauge that was pre-installed when I picked up the car. (in my case I don't suspect oil temp to be the first 'point of failure' in terms of things getting too hot).

[GTSBoy]

The stock location would have to be the best choice.

I put a sandwich plate on my RB20. So when I dropped the 25Neo into the car, I just left the gauge sensor on the sandwich plate and ignored the Neo's factory sensor location. But if you want to avoid a sandwich plate, then where the factory put their sensor would have to be the smartest choice.

[V28VX37]

1.

Not to the ignition. To the illuminate wire for the radio is easiest.

2.doesn't sound normal but I'm not sure. Did you have to wire up to a constant 12v and ignition?

3.don't know.

4.over 100, how high is really up to you. Perhaps go for a thrash and figure out the usual max, then ad 5 to that.

Thanks heaps for this Ben. I had all positives connected directly to ignition so a bit of a mess.

I've run a new 12V line off the fuse box with a 5A fuse and illumination from the cigarette lighter so it's all up to scratch now. The dials now rest at 6 o'clock as expected when the car is not running, and illumination is in sync with the rest of the dash.

Had a look through the manual and looks like there's no brightness setting for these, must be a just tired bulb in the boost gauge.

Thanks GTSBoy too for the temp alert recommendations.

[Kinkstaah]

The stock location would have to be the best choice.

I put a sandwich plate on my RB20. So when I dropped the 25Neo into the car, I just left the gauge sensor on the sandwich plate and ignored the Neo's factory sensor location. But if you want to avoid a sandwich plate, then where the factory put their sensor would have to be the smartest choice.

The idea was just to get the gauge going in a simple fashion.

Then see if a cooler is needed, I have a feeling oil temp won't be the first thing to get into the "danger will robinson" category on the track. My water temp didn't see above 70 doing a drift day, so who knows what oil temp is, or not.

I went to check, and found my standard oil/water/heat/exchanger is a N/A one, which has a welch plug instead of a bung for a sensor.

fffffuuu

So now I can choose T piece (inaccurate, cheap), sandwich plate (expensive, accurate), or replace the heat exchanger with the correct unit. (cheap, messy, accurate) Waaah.

[Ben C34]

,^^Damn. Another reason why na conversions suck.....

V28VX37 , glad it helped.

[GTSBoy]

sandwich plate (expensive, accurate),

Um....sandwich plates aren't expensive. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Oil-FILTER-sandwich-plate-adaptor-NISSAN-SKYLINE-R32-R33-R34-RB20-RB25-black-/131396956282?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item1e97de707a

[iruvyouskyrine]

Did a drift day and water temp didn't get over 70? Something is wrong (either your guage or your thermostat) unless the event was in Antartica.

[75coupe]

Yeah def not right there... Water temp will idle over 70...

[Kinkstaah]

Re: Water temp, it really is 65. ECU and gauge which are independent of one another, both say the same thing. I suspect I got given the Nismo thermostat, which is 65C (despite asking for the 82C neo thermostat) ... twice... and replacing it twice.

In any case I've asked Tuners and engine builders whether tuning it/running it at 65C is going to cause issues and I've been told its fine as long as the engine is tuned with that in mind, in other words, not running enrichment at that point, which it isn't. Concerned about engine life by running it too cold, was told this isn't a problem.

...dunno if right

In any case this is why I was after oil temp. 100% certain it's not sitting at 70C after ample use of the loud pedal.

Going back to sandwich plates, is there a downside to using the $30 china special sandwich plate over the $300 Greddy/HPI/Other Brand name item? Are they prone to leaking and such?

I see it as adding an additional item which could break, or more accurately mysteriously do something unknown which is pretty standard fare for anything I touch, ever.

[GTSBoy]

My cheap sandwich plate has been fine. The only time I had a problem with it was when (re?)fitted it, I did it all up from above without checking it from below. Managed to displace the rubber gasket, possibly from just doing it up too much or twisting it around during the doing up process. Filled engine with oil and ran it and managed to squirt a few litres onto the floor under the hoist before realising. Wasn't happy, but no damage done except to the oil budget, the schedule (had to soak up lovely fresh oil from the dirty floor) and having a small panic about what had happened to the gasket. Was not damaged.

Could not tell you if the $300 ones are immune to this. I'd guess that they're not.

[D_Stirls]

The idea was just to get the gauge going in a simple fashion.

Then see if a cooler is needed, I have a feeling oil temp won't be the first thing to get into the "danger will robinson" category on the track. My water temp didn't see above 70 doing a drift day, so who knows what oil temp is, or not.

I went to check, and found my standard oil/water/heat/exchanger is a N/A one, which has a welch plug instead of a bung for a sensor.

fffffuuu

So now I can choose T piece (inaccurate, cheap), sandwich plate (expensive, accurate), or replace the heat exchanger with the correct unit. (cheap, messy, accurate) Waaah.

Why don't you pull the welsh plug out and tap a thread in there. The casting would be the same it's just the N/A housings wouldn't have been tapped.

Edited April 13, 2015 by D_Stirls

[V28VX37]

Slow progress is slow. I finally got the gauges in, still need to do sensors and wiring. My car originally came with the pop-up screen so thanks to Charles89 for the gauge pod, it came up well!!

Ok I got distracted and bought two more Defi gauges, oops.

Any suggestions on where to mount them?

A Greddy (style) A-Pillar dual gauge pod might be an option but I'm not sure if it's a bit too much circus for my taste...