diesel owners

[campingdude]

[campingdude]

I want to poll how many people have installed extra Gauges on their Diesel trucks to monitor the turbo, Exhaust, etc...

[Jumbo Jet]

http://www.turbodieselregister.com/u...=16203&width=2

[WWFan]

CD:

Got the Banks PowerPack system about 1 1/2 years ago on my 2000 7.3L...spent the extra, eh...150 bucks (?) to get the gauges...best thing I ever did. They just tell the story.

[NYMoose "Lenny"]

Wouldn't leave home without them! They show you really what is going on.

[FatDog]

campingdude

i'm sure you could drive a diesel without gauges, but i think some people might be surprised at the story these gauges can tell that even the warning lights ('idiot-guages') don't

my driving habits while towing have changed because of what these guages say, and i feel this is a testimony to the prox $100 it costs to guage our trucks

it came as a little surprise to me just how quickly the tranny temps can reach a volatile point while backing a trailer up. ever put your tranny into REVERSE and backed up a few times to try and get just the perfect location for your trailer, maybe backing up an inclined spot? maybe back and forth a few times on a reasonably warm day to get the trailer situated just right? a lot of people these days bypass rebuilding the 4R100 tranny when it goes south and go right to an aftermarket, neither is real cheap. i became more aware of my tranny's capabilities after getting an oil temp guage to the tranny

the exhaust temps from the turbo can also tell an interesting story. it is surprising what the engine is capable of pulling uphill, yet how much good downshifting or backing off the throttle a bit can do in keeping temps at a level i feel more comforatable with.


this question will probably attract as many 'i don't need guage' votes as it does 'i need them' and both viewpoints are probably true. in my opinion, the guage cost is an insurance policy on a tranny and turbo. but i am currently putting it to a real world test. i live on a hill and my neighbor and i both have steep driveways and we each have F350 diesels. I have the three guages, he has none. I am able to let my turbo cool to 300 before shutting down, he apparently doesn't know how quickly temps can rise when driving up a hill, even at a measely 25mph. so in 100,000 miles i will maybe have a better idea at whether my 'improved' awareness of my engine actually pays off. I will add up both of our repair bills (if any ) and see whether or not $100 can save $4000.

[JimmyDee]

I drove with out gauges for the first 2 years and worried about exhaust temps all the time and drove very conservative because of it. I now tow with added power due to electronic enhancement and wouldn't dream of towing without gauges.
With this said, I have to drive very aggressively to get into a problem temperature. The piece of mind is worth having the gauges. I am using the Edge Juice with Attitude and love it for the added power and temp/boost monitoring.
Jim

[Doug & Jo]

Like Jim said.

"The piece of mind is worth having the guages."

Doug

[Venture/Starcraft? Now a Terry]

Gauges are worth every penny!! Wouldn't tow without em! And besides in a pillar pod they look really cool!!

[FatDog]

i'm going to sneak a little WELCOME !
to Eric .
Welcome Venture/Starcraft/Terry Eric !
you have some experience at RVs it sounds like, hope to see you around here ...
Mike

[Paul Clancy]

I don't believe I need a guage package at this point. First the truck has a standard tranny temp guage with the allison. Second my current trailer is small for the truck,,5500 wet. 3rd I am not modded. If any of these changed I would feel egt was needed.

[Tsturbo]

I had gauges on my 12V CTD as it was heavily modded, they were necessary on that truck. I always found that while they provided needed information back to me for towing, they did distract me from keeping my full concentration on towing/driving.

On my '05, I do not plan to put any gauges in, I do plan to keep this truck 100% stock. I do not overload it and IF I should have a problem, I'm covered under the DC 7/70 and the Cummins 7/100 warranty. At the end of my warranty period(s) I will either sell the truck or if I keep it, I will consider gauges at that point.

[FatDog]

Welcome tschwab !
You brought up a point that i have thought about often as well ...
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> ..they did distract me from keeping my full concentration on towing/driving. ... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I have a pillar mount with three guages in it, and although guages are reasonably small, this can require me to look around them while making some left turns in traffic. Even if something is only 2 or 3 inches wide, it is still wider then the original pillar, and being 18" from your face, you have to look around it sometimes.
But having the guages at eye level has been a lot better for me then when i had them previously down on the dash. For me it has been less distracting then lookng up and down while towing. So if you are going to guage, i think the biggest consideration is not where to put the guages, but the ease of reading the face AND the lighting that the guage has. Make sure you get a 270 degree read; and get a guage that has a night lighting that agrees with you. Having three bright little lights shining in your eyes all night, or having them too dim to read at night isn't the answer.


<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">....At the end of my warranty period(s) I will either sell the truck or if I keep it, I will consider gauges at that point. ... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
But if guages are of value, i wouldn't let warranty type issues prevent you from guaging. I still feel they are of great value whether you have modded or not.

[campingdude]

The thing is - its going to cost me around $250 - $300 just for parts (3 gauges and pillar mount)! More if I get someone to install it. Is there any cheaper alternative that still looks good?