Just mounted my gauges... Pretty please if I'm honest!

VAG-Slag · May 10, 2015

Was umming an arring for ages about where to put my gauges, didn't want them on the pillar or the dash in pods as it can look like a bit of an eye sore... Also I spent absolutely ages looking for gauges that looked as much like the OE A3 dials as possible and wanted them to look like an OE fit.

Anyway, here's what I went for in the end:

As I said, pretty chuffed with the result! . . In case anyone hasn't noticed this is the bit of trim on the mini glove box thing at the bottom of the centre console.

Know they're a bit out the way there but I'm gonna see how I get on. If they start getting on my nerves down there I'm gonna put a double din HVAC at the bottom, move the radio down and put the gauges where the radio is now.

Hope you guys like it...

CRAZY LEG5 · May 10, 2015

Very good that's exactly where I was thinking of putting mine do you mind telling me what gauges you used ?

kanecullen89 · May 10, 2015

That looks fantastic. Very simple, almost has an 80's sort of feel to me.
Simple, functional and that great 80's style.

VAG-Slag · May 10, 2015

Thanks guys!

CRAZY LEG5 said:
Very good that's exactly where I was thinking of putting mine do you mind telling me what gauges you used ?

As I said, spent ages finding the right gauges! . . I first spent £50 on a race-tech gauge and when it turned up the quality of the printing on the face was shocking!

I then found these online and got both for 50 quid, quality looks great as well! . . Check em out:
http://rspec.co.uk/b-gauges-b/clear-black-face-series

Do loads of other styles as well, all cheap as chips!

superkarl · May 10, 2015

Awesome work, I fancy having oil temp and oil pressure somewhere like that.but fear of the gauges aren't angled up, it would be difficult to read.
How did you make that anyway?

Sam_ · May 10, 2015

Is this panel below the stereo if you have single din?

I want a panel to mount 3 gauges in the middle vents but can't find anything.Might end up mounting them on top of the dash

VAG-Slag · May 10, 2015

superkarl said:
Awesome work, I fancy having oil temp and oil pressure somewhere like that.but fear of the gauges aren't angled up, it would be difficult to read.
How did you make that anyway?

I just got the digital calliper out and measured/marked everything up... Did the two gauges with a circular cutter a tad smaller than the gauges them selves then filed the holes until the gauges were a nice snug fit. For the EGT gauge I measured and marked with the calliper again and then heated a stanley blade up to cut it out.

Worked out better than I could have imagined really, even that slot in the middle where the chrome insert usually is, I wasn't even thinking about that but it's perfect either side to with in fractions of a millimetre.

I've also wondered about angling the gauges up... It's gonna be pretty tight for space in there but I'm hoping I'll be able to put a bit of an angle on it in the same way that flap usually flips up

VAG-Slag · May 10, 2015

Sam_ said:
Is this panel below the stereo if you have single din?

I want a panel to mount 3 gauges in the middle vents but can't find anything.Might end up mounting them on top of the dash

Yea, the below the heating controls on single din...

I saw someone who had just cut out a piece of sheet carbon fibre to fit in the middle vents and mounted 3 guages there, looked orite!

A3-Lee · May 10, 2015

Sam_ said:
Is this panel below the stereo if you have single din?

I want a panel to mount 3 gauges in the middle vents but can't find anything.Might end up mounting them on top of the dash

Read Miggz thread

Prawn · May 10, 2015

I like them Lewis!

Could you get a pic of them illuminated if they're wired up yet?

VAG-Slag · May 10, 2015

Prawn said:
I like them Lewis!

Could you get a pic of them illuminated if they're wired up yet?

Not wired up yet mate, that's one of the jobs for this week! . . Will get some pics up when it's all finished

Jenno007 · May 11, 2015

Sam_ said:
Is this panel below the stereo if you have single din?

I want a panel to mount 3 gauges in the middle vents but can't find anything.Might end up mounting them on top of the dash

I'm going to be mounting mine on top of the dash but I'm worried someone will run off with my $500 worth of gauges!

Sam_ · May 11, 2015

Don't park it in a ghetto

mattyboy199 · May 13, 2015

Is there no pod available to sit in the center of the dash board in front of that large vent ?

Jenno007 · May 13, 2015

Matty do you mean on top of the dash? If not find a photo of the area you mean because I can't quite understand

Essexman · May 14, 2015

Jenno007 said:
I'm going to be mounting mine on top of the dash but I'm worried someone will run off with my $500 worth of gauges!

Sam_ said:
Don't park it in a ghetto

I just finished fitting mine monday night, i mounted mine on right side of dash as it was just easiest to route the hose that way & doesn't look too ott, but i do have to park in a ghetto most of the time :-/ so i got these parts-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391116421513?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201294432865?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190884940904?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=490175267834&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

And it worked out quite well, good hg presure & 11psi is the most i saw when briefly flooring it

Will get a better pic up

Jenno007 · May 14, 2015

Essexman said:
I just finished fitting mine monday night, i mounted mine on right side of dash as it was just easiest to route the hose that way & doesn't look too ott, but i do have to park in a ghetto most of the time :-/ so i got these parts-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391116421513?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201294432865?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190884940904?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=490175267834&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

And it worked out quite well, good hg presure & 11psi is the most i saw when briefly flooring it

Will get a better pic up

I had one of those gauges. Sad to say it didn't last very long, the needle started shaking and not working too well.

Hopefully you will have more luck than I did.

VAG-Slag · May 14, 2015

Jenno007 said:
I had one of those gauges. Sad to say it didn't last very long, the needle started shaking and not working too well.

Hopefully you will have more luck than I did.

Lets hope so mate, as I said they by far the most OE looking gauges I've found so i won't be happy if I have to find something else! . . Although for the money you really have to question what they're made out of on the inside :-/

On another not can anyone help here... My instructions for the oil pressure gauge say it has to be earthed back to the engine, but surely earth is earth, shouldn't matter where it's earthed to... No?

mattyboy199 · May 14, 2015

like these

http://s23.photobucket.com/user/LowFlyinRabbit/media/front2.jpg.html

http://images47.fotki.com/v1477/photos/5/7305/7382988/OL212282-vi.jpg

CRAZY LEG5 · May 14, 2015

VAG-Slag said:
Lets hope so mate, as I said they by far the most OE looking gauges I've found so i won't be happy if I have to find something else! . . Although for the money you really have to question what they're made out of on the inside :-/

On another not can anyone help here... My instructions for the oil pressure gauge say it has to be earthed back to the engine, but surely earth is earth, shouldn't matter where it's earthed to... No?

I did mine earlier and just took a earth wire from the sender to the bolt right next to the sender that holds the turbo oil feed pipe on

A3-Lee · May 14, 2015

Earth is earth mate

Prawn · May 14, 2015

Surely if the sensor is on the block, you'd just earth it to the nearest point on the block anyway dude?

VAG-Slag · May 14, 2015

Yep, I'm quite blatantly being a doughnut... I'm using a VDO sender that earths through the oil filter housing (unlike the diagram) and I just confused my self for a moment.

Anyway, all the wiring for these gauges sorted now, the swear box is about a grand better off though! . . Hopefully have them all in and working tomorrow :icon thumright:

JamieT_a3 · May 27, 2015

Did you manage to get any pictures of them lit up yet mate ? Interested in getting one.

VAG-Slag · May 27, 2015

JamieT_a3 said:
Did you manage to get any pictures of them lit up yet mate ? Interested in getting one.

No mate, installed.... But not lit:

To be honest the back lighting is fairly "warm" as they say, but it's just a bulb so was thinking of putting a LED in instead which will be a bit whiter so to speak... I'll get a pic up soon though

Just mounted my gauges... Pretty please if I'm honest!

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