Whats the most important gauges in YOUR truck?

[falco80]

-Oil pressure
-EGT
-Water temp
-Boost

All quality aftermarket electric gauges. I use to think boost was important, but i find now i rarely look at it. You can feel it on boost through the seat of your pants and the factory overboost light still works. Since fitting a 0-100 psi oil pressure gauge i've learnt all the different pressure readings you get between cold/hot oil, new/old oil and how the pressure changes with engine speed.
I think an EGT reading on any TD is worthwhile if your wanting reliability/longevity of your engine, and also if you've tweaked the fuel settings etc.
Warning lights are probably ok for most people out there, but i prefer to look at a good analogue gauge. I reckon you have more chance of catching something going pear-shaped with good gauges.

[Landcruiser Tom]

Since fitting a 0-100 psi oil pressure gauge i've learnt all the different pressure readings you get between cold/hot oil, new/old oil and how the pressure changes with engine speed.

Dan,

Just out of interest, what sort of oil pressures do you get?

Cheers,

Tom.

[falco80]

Since fitting a 0-100 psi oil pressure gauge i've learnt all the different pressure readings you get between cold/hot oil, new/old oil and how the pressure changes with engine speed.

Dan,

Just out of interest, what sort of oil pressures do you get?

Cheers,

Tom.

Hi Tom,
I see a max of 80psi with cold oil and a minimum of around 15psi with hot oil sitting at idle speed of 600rpm. It sits between 45-55psi sitting on the highway in 5th between 2700-3000rpm.

[Team80]

beer temp

[Patroler]

Main things i keep an eye on are things that could cause the most damage, so - temperature and oil pressure, for road driving a speedo is mandatory, and for a td a pyro readout is good.

Now, personally ive only got an oil light and charge light, ideally i'd choose to have a warning buzzer for low oil pressure, high temp coolant, low water level and maybe high egt.
Sounds a bit extreme having buzzers, but working in a process environment, we have computer screens with displays of various outputs (citect SCADA) and usually we catch temperatures and levels before they get out of spec, but important stuff usually has an alarm, strobe light, auto shutdown or a combination of the above - handy if you're not looking at the screen when it goes pear shaped. - in a car possibly driving something technical you don't need to be looking at the dash.

Well set up the alarms should not ever go off unless something is genuinely wrong - i choose an alarm over a light as lights can sometimes be obscured by sunlight, hands, dust etc.
Pretty easy to setup temp alarms using a k type thermocouple and something like an omron e5cs temp controller, 4 of these will fit side by side in a radio spot (din) and give you a red led readout - so you still effectively get gauges for setup etc.
Oil pressure could use a hobbs switch and water level one of those watch dogs that screws in near the thermostat hosing.

[claud]

definetly accurate temp.id love to get an oil temp in the motor so u get quiker warning, then oil pressure , accurate fuel, a must in petrol power, and yes charge light.also run vaccuum for carby acceleration smoothness and any nice lookin glowing dash extra i can find make it look like a control room ina spaceship i rekon!

[PacMan]

i connected always a back fog light, mounted on top of the padels.
you see if a 21 watt light in red gets started.
i had it connected to the oil pressure light.

anyway for my petrol engines:
-water temp
-oil temp
-oil pressure
-rev

[-Scott-]

I don't have a gauge which I would happily "lose", but the most important one?

I've only ever incurred unexpected expense by NOT watching one gauge - that's my speedo.

[chimpboy]

I guess you could live with just an idiot light for virtually everything (even speedo in a way) but I prefer gauges. Possibly this is partly just because of the "cool I am in a spaceship" feel.

Speedo, temp, fuel, volts, oil pressure, probably in that order but you need at least a light for all of those things if you don't have a gauge.

Tacho is for fun but not honestly needed in a familiar vehicle (at least none of the loud things I drive regularly), however I would hate not having one.

Gauges I do not have in any vehicle but wouldn't mind:

A/F ratio, for my RR I would like to add tank air pressure and even air pressure for each air spring.

Vacuum gauge used to be popular but not any more..?

I do have a fuel pressure gauge in one car but it is not in the cabin.

[sudso]

Battery level and fridge temp