gauges
Thread Starter
Drunken Master-7thgen Ninja
iTrader: (21)
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,976
Likes: 0
From: georgia
Rep Power: 335 
gauges is it better to have analog gauges or digital? and why? are there advantages/disadvantages of each? i have no freakin clue. but i want to know before i make a decision. thanx!
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 13,151
Likes: 3
From: Washington DC
Rep Power: 423 A lot of people prefer the analog dial because its easier to see at a glance, you don't need to focus on it, you just need to know where the needle is and where it should be.
You have to actually be able to read the number on the digital readout, which a lot of people find to be a pain since you have to shift concentration and your eyes off the road. Digital + warning alarm is a different story though. All you have to do is **** your pants when the warning alarm goes off.
Unless you're actually referring to the analog or digital processing of the signal in the gauge electronics.... thats a whole different animal.
You have to actually be able to read the number on the digital readout, which a lot of people find to be a pain since you have to shift concentration and your eyes off the road. Digital + warning alarm is a different story though. All you have to do is **** your pants when the warning alarm goes off.
Unless you're actually referring to the analog or digital processing of the signal in the gauge electronics.... thats a whole different animal.
Thread Starter
Drunken Master-7thgen Ninja
iTrader: (21)
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,976
Likes: 0
From: georgia
Rep Power: 335
Originally Posted by Boilermaker1
All you have to do is **** your pants when the warning alarm goes off.
Unless you're actually referring to the analog or digital processing of the signal in the gauge electronics.... thats a whole different animal.
Unless you're actually referring to the analog or digital processing of the signal in the gauge electronics.... thats a whole different animal.
Last time I had this much fun some furniture got broken!
Hey! Look At Me!! I'm a Supporting Member!!
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 8,839
Likes: 2
From: PA
Rep Power: 359 Analog-style Digital gauges are probably the best. They are the most accurate and last pretty much the life of the car.
Think of the S2000 rpm gauge. Thats what I mean.
From the knowledge I have with electronics as of now, I think they might actually be cheaper to make then good analog gauges. If nothing else they are alot more durable and easy to make than analog gauges.
I think the idea setup would be 2 analog-style digital gauges for RPM and MPH/KMPH with a digital gauge for temp and fuel. A hud with analog-style rpm and digital mph/kmph would compliment this perfectly.
Think of the S2000 rpm gauge. Thats what I mean.
From the knowledge I have with electronics as of now, I think they might actually be cheaper to make then good analog gauges. If nothing else they are alot more durable and easy to make than analog gauges.
I think the idea setup would be 2 analog-style digital gauges for RPM and MPH/KMPH with a digital gauge for temp and fuel. A hud with analog-style rpm and digital mph/kmph would compliment this perfectly.
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 13,151
Likes: 3
From: Washington DC
Rep Power: 423 well just have toilet paper handy incase the alarm goes off. Once you figure out what the insanely loud beeping noise is, you're going to need it, especially if the alarms are set to meaningful numbers.
The processing of the signal is internal to the gauges. It has no effect on the car other than the type of sensor you need. The digital ones tend to need a computer to process the info and put it into something visible (the gauge face). Defi-Link, HKS, Stack, the higher end ones run digital signal. Its just less likey to distort in transit, the sensors are a bit more sensitive.
Stuff like autometer, etc.... are analog. The pressure sensor is just a diaphragm with a variable resistance gizmo. You feed it voltage, the sensor throws in a resistance and it shows up on the gauge face by moving the needle. The gauge itself is just a calibrated multimeter. The temp ones are just thermocouples. Work the same way... its a variable resistor.
One step dumber than that is true mechanical, which is ultra reliable, but not terribly practical for a full interiored street car (a hot oil line is not something you want under your dash).
The easiest way to deal with it is this....
You shouldn't really be using mechanical fluid gauges in a street car. Mechanical boost/vac, whatever, that doesn't cause problems other than vacuum leaks.
Analog gauges do fine just to have gauges. I didn't find autometers to be terribly accurate, but they were in the ballpark. The sensors just aren't sensitive enough to do more than hit the right neighborhood.
Digitals, I've found to be quite nice. They're very accurate and they can pick up little changes and display them. A lot of that goes into the quality of the gauge too... you get a lot more precision in a $200 gauge than you do in a $40 one, but thats not to say everyone needs the $200 one either. Think Rolex vs. Timex...
The processing of the signal is internal to the gauges. It has no effect on the car other than the type of sensor you need. The digital ones tend to need a computer to process the info and put it into something visible (the gauge face). Defi-Link, HKS, Stack, the higher end ones run digital signal. Its just less likey to distort in transit, the sensors are a bit more sensitive.
Stuff like autometer, etc.... are analog. The pressure sensor is just a diaphragm with a variable resistance gizmo. You feed it voltage, the sensor throws in a resistance and it shows up on the gauge face by moving the needle. The gauge itself is just a calibrated multimeter. The temp ones are just thermocouples. Work the same way... its a variable resistor.
One step dumber than that is true mechanical, which is ultra reliable, but not terribly practical for a full interiored street car (a hot oil line is not something you want under your dash).
The easiest way to deal with it is this....
You shouldn't really be using mechanical fluid gauges in a street car. Mechanical boost/vac, whatever, that doesn't cause problems other than vacuum leaks.
Analog gauges do fine just to have gauges. I didn't find autometers to be terribly accurate, but they were in the ballpark. The sensors just aren't sensitive enough to do more than hit the right neighborhood.
Digitals, I've found to be quite nice. They're very accurate and they can pick up little changes and display them. A lot of that goes into the quality of the gauge too... you get a lot more precision in a $200 gauge than you do in a $40 one, but thats not to say everyone needs the $200 one either. Think Rolex vs. Timex...
Last edited by Boilermaker1; Mar 12, 2006 at 09:41 PM.
Thread Starter
Drunken Master-7thgen Ninja
iTrader: (21)
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,976
Likes: 0
From: georgia
Rep Power: 335
Originally Posted by gearbox
ANALOG LOOKS BETTER, DIGITAL LOOKS LIKE A CLOCK RADIo
what about our honda hating vendor here? he says that A/F gauge screws up the car for us by messing with the voltage when you hook it up in series? so if i run it on a parallel circuit will it make a difference or what?
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 13,151
Likes: 3
From: Washington DC
Rep Power: 423 Just don't hook an AF gauge to the O2 sensor, in any fashion. It doesn't do anything, it does ruin the sensor and reading narrowband does nothing, that sensor is basically a Yes/No switch.
Get a Wideband, use its own sensor and read it if you want something meaningful.
Get a Wideband, use its own sensor and read it if you want something meaningful.
Thread Starter
Drunken Master-7thgen Ninja
iTrader: (21)
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,976
Likes: 0
From: georgia
Rep Power: 335 yea ok. im saving for a turbo now. ill need a wideband. i want water temp, a/f and oil. btw, WTF does a voltmeter do?
we should have a FAQ about this lol
we should have a FAQ about this lol
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 51,241
Likes: 20
From: NV
Rep Power: 811 listen to the master if you don't believe me. as for voltage, it measures the amount of volts running through the car. so when the car is on it reads around 11-12v or whatever the battery is, then when the engine is started it reads around 14.4v which is the alternator charge. and when you do stuff like turn on accessories the voltage drops and goes back up. yay
Originally Posted by Boilermaker1
Just don't hook an AF gauge to the O2 sensor, in any fashion. It doesn't do anything, it does ruin the sensor and reading narrowband does nothing, that sensor is basically a Yes/No switch.
Get a Wideband, use its own sensor and read it if you want something meaningful.
Get a Wideband, use its own sensor and read it if you want something meaningful.
Thread
Thread Starter
Honda Civic Forum
Replies
Last Post
bolt-on-bandito
Electrical
32
Jan 15, 2020 03:25 PM
raymondxcho
Mechanical Problems/Vehicle Issues and Fix-it Forum
2
Sep 29, 2015 09:00 PM
260000milesgoal
I.C.E. (Audio) & Electrical Upgrades
2
Sep 25, 2015 07:41 PM
srtlat
Mechanical Problems/Vehicle Issues and Fix-it Forum
6
Sep 17, 2015 11:02 PM
