jefff929
Pacific wonderland, wet side
Senior Member
Joined: 05/23/2004
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
 Offline
|
I know that Ford now includes boost gauges in their new diesel trucks, that is a start. I’m always kind of irritated when, somebody thinks they don’t need gauges until they start bombing their pickup. Bombing; Better of Modified Baby. So many times you hear “Well I just want a ______ (insert chip, injectors…) and vendor says I don’t need any gauges.” I maintain that all diesel powered vehicles need gauges. Yesterday I experienced first hand why regardless of if the truck is stock or not everyone should have a full set. Knowing how much is too much and what is safe saved me expensive tow and repair bills.
What happened yesterday? I was on my way home from my stepsons house, about halfway home I heard a pop. Boost dropped from about 5psi to 0, EGTs went from 600F to 1200+ in a hurry, and I blocked out the highway with a smoke screen that would make those that enter truck & tractor pulls jealous. Meanwhile, none of my stock gauges or check engine lights came on or indicated any sign of trouble. The truck was gutless and sending clouds out that were blocking out the sun. There was a pronounced high pitched squeal, it changed with engine rpm. Things that went through my mind were all bad. If I had been traveling out of town I would have been really POed.
I had a recently installed intercooler boot with a clamp not tightened that slipped off. I could tell if it were ok to drive or not, and drive by the EGT gauge to a safe spot to get the problem fixed. Without the EGT gauge and boost gauge I would never have known that possible damage was imminent as no other gauges were indicating anything wrong.
If you have a Diesel powered vehicle they need EGT & boost gauges in addition to the normal gas, oil, alternator, and dummy lights. You should also learn what safe and normal is for your vehicle, as well as high and too high.
2001 Dodge 2500 QC, Diesel, Auto, 4x4 Shortbox, Stull running boards, 26.5' Sundance 5er
My Baby
Another NWBomber
|
c.traveler2
Moreno Valley,Ca.
Senior Member
Joined: 09/04/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
I'm looking at installing a EGT guage for the reason you just went thru. Already have a turbo boost guage on my 2007 F-250 4x4.
2007 F-250 4x4 /6.0 PSD/ext cab/LB/camper pkg..Lance 815/ 85 watts solar panel
Travelingman2 Photo Website
Truck Camper Trip Reports
|
ScottG
Bothell Wa.
Senior Member
Joined: 02/25/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
Another good reason for gages is so you know how hard the eng is working. My truck has an electronic throttle that returns to the idle position when using cruise control. With a pyro I can see if I need to down shift going up a mountain pass rather than just running the EGT's through the roof.
Scott, Grace and Wesly
2003 Dodge 3500 4x4, 6 speed Cummins (lightly bombed),
2004 Forest River 25RKS many, many mods.
H0NDA eu2000i
|
Wayne Dohnal
Bend, OR.
Senior Member
Joined: 03/09/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
This will quite possibly be a rare thread where nobody disagrees.
2009 Fleetwood Icon 24A
Honda Fit dinghy with US Gear brake system
LinkPro battery monitor - EU2000i generator
|
joelabq
Rio Rancho, NM
Senior Member
Joined: 08/16/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
I tow by EGT gauge more than my tach/speedometer most of the time. If I'm cruising flats at 1100F, I back down a gear and run slower because it must be windy/rainy. If I'm hitting a hill and 65mph I can't keep it under 1200F or so, I drop a gear and run 60 or less.
Joel
2007 Chevy Duramax LBZ/Allison 4x4 CCLB
1996 Dodge Ram CTD 4x4 ECLB (SOLD)
2005 Wildcat 27BHWB Fifth wheel
|
|
|
balvert
Windsor, Ontario
Senior Member
Joined: 07/04/2003
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
I agree one hundred percent. I run bone stock. Gauges (at least good ones) give you constant information regarding the health of your engine (and other components as well) and how hard it is working. I also had a turbo charger clamp failure while towing. My gauges gave me all the information I needed to immediately diagnose the problem. Unfortunately the guages that the car companies install are not much better than idiot lights. They put little pictures on them because they think the customers can't read, and they are woefully inaccurate, often indicating only what the car companies think the customers want to see.
Casey & Karen, Border Collies, Polly & Babe
04 Newmar Mountain Aire 34RDCK with tandem duals & XPS Ribs, Pullrite 25.5K Super 5th, MorRyde, Solar, RotoChoks
03 Dodge DRW Sport, Cummins, 4.10, 6 spd, MBRP SS Exhaust, Jacobs E-Brake, Tire Sentry, BrakeSmart
|
Dieselgem
Northeast
Senior Member
Joined: 04/07/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
Well put...
08-KZ Escalade 41'CKS Escalade
2008 F450 Super Duty Truck
2003 FLSTS
2003 FLSTC (Wife's)
|
wa8yxm
Wherever I happen to park
Senior Member
Joined: 07/04/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
There are a couple of issues here.. I'm an old farm boy.. To me Gages are good, I like gages, they speak to me, they say SLOW DOWN you are pushing it, or I'm too hot" or I need service. Or I'm feeling fine, keep up the good work.
But far too many folks don't know how to read gages now days. They would not know what that gage means if they had it. Heck. I Some of them think the "CHECK ENGINE" light means "When you get around to it" (Mechanics love those folks)
If you want gages.. Well, I have a suggestion for you
Visit: http://www.simply-smarter.com/
And get a Glass Dash, All the gages you could want and more and enough extra features to keep a computer geek happy for months!
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business
Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
|
Deen
Vancouver, WA
Senior Member
Joined: 12/07/2000
View Profile
|
The Banks kit included boost and EGT gauges, but I used a VMSpc anyway and it does the same thing except on a computer screen rather than a gauge.
The VMSpc is also produced by SilverLeaf and includes a lot of what the glass dash does but only costs $300 or so, not $5,000
* This post was
edited 06/18/07 07:59pm by Deen *
|
JIMNLIN
out here
Senior Member
Joined: 09/14/2003
View Profile
|
hmmm, I am surprised we haven't had the nay sayers already. Th boost gage is probably one of the best diagnostic aids other than a dealers scan tool.
JIM
"good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" ............ Will Rogers
'03 2500 QC Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs Westach
'97 Park Avanue 28' 5er 11200 gvwr two slides
|
|
|
