Two Pod Autometer Boost and EGT

FarmDiesel · **Joined:** Thu Sep 15, 2005 8:49 am **Posts:** 132

Ripster wrote:

One of them is a bit brighter than the other, have to check the bulbs.

Check your ground on the dimmer one...I'd be willing to guess it's a ground problem!

Also, your EGTs seem to match mine. If we're 2-300 degrees off pre-turbo, that means the EGT at the turbo has to be pushing 1000-1100 in normal driving, no?

oldnavy · **Posted:** Tue May 23, 2006 9:56 am

RFCRD wrote:

AndySRT wrote:

I didnt realize the CRD was a VNT. I havent seen a VNT turbo on a car since dodge had the daytona VNT.

Don't recall those turbo'd dodge 4-bangers being VGT's, they were relatively old tech. The two I pulled apart (Caravan & New Yorker) had waste gates.

Never saw a Caravan with turbo.

RTStabler51 · **Posted:** Tue May 23, 2006 10:00 am

oldnavy wrote:

RFCRD wrote:

AndySRT wrote:

I didnt realize the CRD was a VNT. I havent seen a VNT turbo on a car since dodge had the daytona VNT.

Don't recall those turbo'd dodge 4-bangers being VGT's, they were relatively old tech. The two I pulled apart (Caravan & New Yorker) had waste gates.

Never saw a Caravan with turbo.

Yup, there is even a 12 second one.
http://www.turbovan.net/van.html

RFCRD · **Posted:** Tue May 23, 2006 11:22 am

oldnavy wrote:

RFCRD wrote:

AndySRT wrote:

I didnt realize the CRD was a VNT. I havent seen a VNT turbo on a car since dodge had the daytona VNT.

Don't recall those turbo'd dodge 4-bangers being VGT's, they were relatively old tech. The two I pulled apart (Caravan & New Yorker) had waste gates.

Never saw a Caravan with turbo.

Yep, late 80's vintage. My machanic bought one with a cracked head for almost nothing. Replacement turbo head was stupid expensive so we swapped the motor with a non-turbo 2.5L out of a wreck. It was a piece of work by the time we got done with it. Reused the ECU & multipoint FI from the turbo motor on the replacement motor. Ran well when done.

Ripster · **Posted:** Tue May 23, 2006 12:25 pm

I did check the ground and they are replacing the guage, very strange acting.

Ripster · **Posted:** Wed May 24, 2006 10:04 pm

Well new boost gauge also flickers, ran a ground direct from battery still flickers, both gauges
when on the same light source, EGT is fine, Boost 1/2 the brightness and flickers, take
the gauge and direct to the battery, 1/2 the brightness, but no flicker, never had this
much trouble with a gauge before. Will see what egauges thinks is the issue. Pretty
strange, and what a pain a ground is this unit. Even on separate power source, still
flickers, with the vehicle running or not, does not matter.

Ranger1 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 pm **Posts:** 1137

If you can try a 12v transistor battery source for the boost gauge and it still flickers and is dim, my guess would be defective batch of lumina series gauges. The separate transistor battery would eliminate the possibility of electrical noise riding over your CRD wiring into the gauge.

bagger · **Posted:** Wed May 24, 2006 10:58 pm

Don't feel bad. I have a EGT and a boost gauge from the colbalt series. They did the same thing. Autometer is in my back yard so I took both meters back to them and they said "no problem - we'll take care of it". That was May 9th. So far I have a brand new EGT gauge and I'm still waiting on the boost gauge. I have a feeling its going to be the same. I wonder if they're connected to DC? :shock:

Ripster · **Posted:** Thu May 25, 2006 6:36 am

I don't know, but the EGT is steady as a rock, these are minimal draw hardly worth mentioning, and in two prior applications I have
set them up to use the same light source. Vehicle running or not, does not change the issue. Will keep you posted.

Ranger1 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 pm **Posts:** 1137

I just checked out my Cobalt series pyrometer and boost gauge on the bench PS. They are equal in illumination, beautiful blue graduations and will dim down correctly when the voltage is adjusted all the way down to 3.5 vdc. No flicker of any kind, from 3.5 vdc to 13.8 vdc. I just ordered these in the last couple of weeks - looks like they fixed their problem. Will update on how they do in the vehicle. I noticed that the current draw for the lighting load is less than 50 milliamps, the lowest setting my ammeter has on it.

On the wiring diagram, I notice they use a separate power lead for the lighting, in addition to the power lead to operate the gauges. At least that's how they did it on the Cobalts. I'm guessing they figured out that some diy's would hook up to a variable voltage dashlight source. That would be interesting if they hadn't - dim the dash lights and your egt/boost gauge stops working!

Goglio704 · **Posted:** Thu May 25, 2006 8:06 pm

Ripster,

Nice work! Are you happy with the pod? Do you have to remove the grab handle, or does the pod fit over it? I'm assuming the gauges are 2 inch?

Ripster · **Posted:** Thu May 25, 2006 8:36 pm

I beleive they are the 2 1/16 if I remember right, and the handle is gone, will not fit, but you will need the
ends of each handle (hacksaw) to keep the original cover on, for the pod to attach to, works out ok, not
for the faint hearted. Everything works great, chasing down an issue with the boost gauge and flickering
but will get that sooner or later.

Ranger1 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 pm **Posts:** 1137

Quote:

handle is gone, will not fit, but you will need the ends of each handle (hacksaw) to keep the original cover on, for the pod to attach to

The pillar gague pod has 2 screws inserted into it. Doesn't that work without hardware from the handles? My Autometers are 2 1/16" and didn't fit into the 2" gaugepod openings - it took some filing. Was yours like this?

Ripster · **Posted:** Thu May 25, 2006 9:32 pm

Mine did fit, pretty snug at the end of the gauge, the handles hold the current pillar cover on, without them the cover
is held by nothing. When you remove the handle you will see, I just kept the end of each to keep the current cover on.
Otherwise you have nothing but metal underneath, and the pillar pod needs to screw into the other cover, and you will
need a longer screw on the bottom, use the flat drywall screws, they fit better and closer and the caps then will be flush
right on the cover. You can't tell what is under neath. I also drilled very large holes to bring the wires under the current
cover and out for the pod cover.

Ranger1 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 pm **Posts:** 1137

All set to start the gauge pod, boost and egr installation tomorrow. But then, from out of nowhere, today returning from lunch, a MIL appears, limp-in mode ensues, accelerator pedal floored yields a sluggish 35 mph. So, after limping back to work, I check the codes - P0234, P0102. TurboCharger oveboost, Mass Airflow low codes.

Check the engine bay. All hoses tight, nothing obviously loose, air filter is 4 weeks old, still clean. Then I check the oil level - its down nearly a quart. That's not good when 3 days ago it was right at the max fill line. No leaks underneath - no oil leaks anywhere I can see. Heavy, heavy blue smoke coming out of the exhaust even at idle. Heavy smoke means blue gray, 30 foot high smoke clouds at idle. Clears up when driving at higher speed, but lots of blue smoke on acceleration or idle.

So I pulled the turbocharger hose to the intercooler on the passenger side of the vehicle - the same hose I cleaned not too long ago, which was clean and orange. It's loaded with heavy black oil, so much oil that its nearly a quarter inch thick all over, dripping out of the intercooler, ugly looking.

Oh yeah baby, this is fun. Provent has a little oil in it, very little. Hose from provent to turbo is clean and dry. Guess that leaves just one place for oil to come from - the turbo seals.

Will have to take it in again.

Ripster · **Posted:** Fri May 26, 2006 6:36 pm

I feel you pain, what a disappointment to say the least.

Ripster · **Posted:** Fri Jun 02, 2006 7:43 pm

Well I have finally solved the Boost Lighting issue with the 3rd gauge. I was not crazy or not connecting it up right, two
gauges were defective. The third Autometer Lunar Boost Gauge is perfect, correct amount of glow compared to the EGT
and no flickering. Amazing that it takes to much effort to get a good piece of equipment from a company that I have not
had any issues with before. I can not say enough about the Egauges.com located near Lansing. They have sent out
a replacement part every time, even where they are made in Ill offered to help in anyway possible. My luck. I ordered
a different model, they accidentally shipped me what I have been ordering and what I wanted and I got a good one. Hope
my CRD follows that pattern also, so far what a great vehicle, love the drive and the TransGo shift kit gets smoother every
day.

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Fri Jun 02, 2006 9:05 pm

AndySRT wrote:

I didnt realize the CRD was a VNT. I havent seen a VNT turbo on a car since dodge had the daytona VNT.

VW's tdi's from the 98 new beetle and 99.5 jetta and up use vnt turbo's.

Ripster · **Posted:** Sat Jun 03, 2006 12:03 am

You know you start a thread about pods and gauges and they just can not stay on topic, just got to
argue over the turbo. :roll:

bagger · **Posted:** Sat Jun 03, 2006 1:35 am

Well, I finally got my replacement boost gauge. Guess what? The brightness is still different from the EGT and the boost gauge makes noise as the needle goes up. I've been dealing with Auto Meter direct. Guess I'll start with the phone calls on Monday :cry:

Two Pod Autometer Boost and EGT

Who is online