I have a 1995 Maxima SE.

I am not boosted, but I thought that this would be the best forum to post my question. I wanted to get gauges to monitor my system, at least with an oil pressure gauge. But regardless if I just get that one gague, or more than that one, should I get an electrical gauge or mechanical gauge? I heard that mechanical gauges are more accurate since it does not depend on the existing electronic sensors, etc. It would act as a fail-safe. However one shop told me today that electrical gauges are the way to go all the way. Now which gauges are better?

Secondly, as far as picking a brandname, I wanted to get gauges that would match my stock SE instrument cluster, with the white face gauges by day, and reverse lighting at night. What gauge manufacturers make this type of oil pressure, etc gauges? I do not want indiglo, but I want exactly the same type of reverse lighting that the stock gen 4 SE gauges have.

Thanks!

P.S. CP Universal gauges - anyone heard of them?

 

Lots of companies make gauges that come close to the stock SE. Autometer ultralight, Greddy, HKS, Defi, etc.
Never heard of the CP gauges.

 

never use mechanical gauge in the car, except boost gauge. You dont want your oil line to pop inside you car.

some member use mechanical nitrous pressure line inside the car and the line popped (it's a metal braided line too) and N2O spilled everywhere. glad he didnt get hurt.

 

yeah, i hate it when i spill my cup of nitrous.

 

I've heard the opposite... nothing beats the accuracy of a mechanical gauge for oil pressure... just gotta make sure that it is hooked up properly.

 

Mechanical gauges need to stay on the outside of the car. You're right in that they're typically more accurate, but do you really want to risk having hot 210 degree oil spray you while you're driving?


Dave

 

while having a cigarette?

 

I don't smoke...

But I know what you mean about boiling hot oil... I know a lot of domestics at least that have mechanical gauges inside the car... I haven't decided yet though. Is it really that likely for the oil line to leak and spew all over the interior of the car? Anything is a matter of chance... tire blowing up, brakes failing, axle snapping... you know what I mean?

I know that it is not compulsory to have them mounted outside the car.

 

but you have a chance to avoid this accident....why not just stick with something safe? have you read Iron Lung's thread about what happened to his arm after his mechanica nitrous pressure gauge line got ripped open?

or....this is what I have seen last week. A WRX owner has a mechanical fuel pressure gauge. Instead of routing it to the inside of the car, he cut the hood open a little bit and have the gauge sits in the opening. I dunno if the rain of snow will get in and mess up the gauge.

 

is a EGT(exhaust gas temp) =~ water temp gauge?

 

Nope water temp = coolant temp. EGT is different.

 

Now I have a nitrous pressure gauge, mechanical, now how in the heack would you get a electrical nitrous pressure gauge its not like there is sensor built in the car that measures nitrous pressure. Besides its like max ac when yer nitrous line blows. I know my line didnt fit right fer some reason cause the teflon paste wasnt any good that was used so when I was driving one day all of a sudden I hear a little air leak noise. Kinda scary. But hey id go with elctrical for EGT and oil pressure just make sure your sensors are new and in place good.

 

Yes when installing electrical oil pressure gauge, you can make sure that the sensors are new and in place, but down the road that still is not immune to snesor failure. A mechanical gauge will always be accurate! I just found out that the Defi-Link gauges are electrical gauges themselves, but they plug into a control module and the control module gets a mechanical feed for oil pressure... sounds like best of both worlds to me! What do you guys think? http://www.defi-shop.com/product/dl/meter/meter_top.htm

 

that would be nice....so you can leave the control module under the hood and route the wire inside. I believe mechanical gauges are more accurate because they take reading and without translate it into electrical signals, it go straight to the gauge. More simple, more accurate.....However, with a gauge like D-link, you take the reading mechanically....but now you have to covert it into electrical signals for the guage itself to understand. Isnt that the same as an electrical gauge?

IMO, those are quite expensive.....If I have the money, I would get the Blitz DC series. Otherwise, isntead of D-link, I would save the money and go for Defi D-gauges. I just installed a fuel pressure D-gauge. Works great.

Mechanical gauges can have problems too....I have heard the oil leak into the gauge, etc. How accurate do you need? Even though every company claims that they calibrate their gauges before they sell them. But I believe there is still slight deviation between one and another. IMO, the purpose of oil pressure gauge is just too see if the oil level is sufficient to generate enough pressure.(I think that's why nissan uses a warning light for low oil pressure) It does not have to be extremely accurate to the decimals.




btw, EGT only comes in electrical