A while back I started a thread about trying to find alternatives and options for gauge/engine monitoring. The system from Madman was up there on the list but the part I hated was the fact that it only displays one thing at a time. I found an aviation one from MGL, the E-3 unit, which was slick but in essence tiny and not what I needed (well priced though).
In the end I went with Auber Instruments, their brand new SYL-2813, now I am not finished everything yet but I figured I'd post some stuff up. First off, the company service is awesome! I've been harassing them with questions and they have been beyond helpful, to the point of sending me links that fully explain certain sensors in detail and the facts behind the technology. Very quick and helpful, restores faith in customer service.
I certainly learned a bit more since I started this so for anyone thinking of going in that direction I wanted to share it here.
I went with 2 units, one reads EGT and Boost, the other Water temp and Oil pressure. I also went for the light/buzzer warning lights and wanted it all to look pretty so I went with a nice little enclosure (that needed to be modified and get a new face plate) from AutoMeter, their 5287 pod
Now this went through several versions before I got to this point and I still have a couple small kinks to work out.
First off I wanted 4 gauges that would give me a reading all at once and didn't want to have the space taken up by large analog ones. I wanted relay outs for alarms in case something went wrong. These guys did that, but there are some issues and it required a bit more work.
Since space is always an issue I wanted only 2 light/buzzers (one per gauge) and not 4 (which is what the system would normally have, one per channel). So I needed to add a relay and some diodes (this I am still working out). It seems to function now, but I need to check if it will work with the alternator running. I went with a small Single Pull Double Throw 10A relay (small) and a 10A 1000V rated diode per channel (I might have to upgrade to bigger amperage rating). 2 relays and 4 diodes in total. I also threw in a couple switches as a manual override to shut off the buzzer. Now with this setup it still allows to use the alarm terminal outputs independently because the diodes separate and stop the voltage from feeding back on the other leg. All this was done so that I can do this:
If the water temp alarm goes off the gauge will trigger the electric fan to kick up into higher gear (running a Hayden dial speed fan with a Hayden dual speed controller). If the oil pressure drops too low the gauge will trigger the engine kill relay (fuel cut off). The only problem I learned about is that the Auber gauge does not have a time delay on their alarms (they are looking into doing that after I talked to them). This is an issue when the engine is first fired up and the pressure hasn't built up yet. I'm trying to figure out a way around that still (which might involve an extra switch).
The rest of the wiring is pretty much as per the manual (I'll post up pics tomorrow), except for the EGT. As I found out (only after making a nice wire harness) the EGT thermocouple requires special wire if you are going to extend the leads. This is because of how thermocouples work (I just learned this thanks to Auber), for those interested, here you go:
http://www.pyromation.com/Downloads/Doc/Training_TC_Theory.pdf
http://www.control.com/thread/1341643289
Auber of course sells the wire by the foot if you want. Since I did not know this I used regular wire and the reading appears to be off by 30-50*F at low temps and not sure how much at higher temps. I will be replacing that soon.
This system is not a plug and play system, but it is very nice. When everything was said and done, not including some minor screw ups it cost me :
2 x Flashing Buzzer, 12 V DC/AC. 16 mm (FLBuz-12) = $16.44
1 x 3 Bar, 48 PSI, Boost Sensor for Diesel Engine (AUBER-303) = $42.76
1 x Oil/Water Temperature Sensor, High Precision (PT100A-NPT) = $27.50
1 x EGT Probe, Exposed Tip (TC-KEGT) = $36.50
Mounting Type Option Weld-in carbon
2 x Automobile Multimeter, Dual Channel (SYL-2813) = $159.90
1 x 7 Bar (100 PSI) Fuel/oil Pressure Sender, 1/8 NPT. (AUBER-P207) =
$55.63
------------------------------------------------------
Sub-Total: $338.73
Sales Tax: $0.00
FedEx (Ground Home Delivery): $16.38
Total: $355.11
Plus $12.50 for Thermocouple wire
Plus $5.00 for relays and
plus $3.50 for diodes (bought some extras)
Wire, loom and ferrules (for connectors) I already had.
The enclosure was under $100 on ebay
Some soldering, wire splicing and it's almost done.
I'll post up some more detailed shots soon.
In the end I went with Auber Instruments, their brand new SYL-2813, now I am not finished everything yet but I figured I'd post some stuff up. First off, the company service is awesome! I've been harassing them with questions and they have been beyond helpful, to the point of sending me links that fully explain certain sensors in detail and the facts behind the technology. Very quick and helpful, restores faith in customer service.
I certainly learned a bit more since I started this so for anyone thinking of going in that direction I wanted to share it here.
I went with 2 units, one reads EGT and Boost, the other Water temp and Oil pressure. I also went for the light/buzzer warning lights and wanted it all to look pretty so I went with a nice little enclosure (that needed to be modified and get a new face plate) from AutoMeter, their 5287 pod
Now this went through several versions before I got to this point and I still have a couple small kinks to work out.
First off I wanted 4 gauges that would give me a reading all at once and didn't want to have the space taken up by large analog ones. I wanted relay outs for alarms in case something went wrong. These guys did that, but there are some issues and it required a bit more work.
Since space is always an issue I wanted only 2 light/buzzers (one per gauge) and not 4 (which is what the system would normally have, one per channel). So I needed to add a relay and some diodes (this I am still working out). It seems to function now, but I need to check if it will work with the alternator running. I went with a small Single Pull Double Throw 10A relay (small) and a 10A 1000V rated diode per channel (I might have to upgrade to bigger amperage rating). 2 relays and 4 diodes in total. I also threw in a couple switches as a manual override to shut off the buzzer. Now with this setup it still allows to use the alarm terminal outputs independently because the diodes separate and stop the voltage from feeding back on the other leg. All this was done so that I can do this:
If the water temp alarm goes off the gauge will trigger the electric fan to kick up into higher gear (running a Hayden dial speed fan with a Hayden dual speed controller). If the oil pressure drops too low the gauge will trigger the engine kill relay (fuel cut off). The only problem I learned about is that the Auber gauge does not have a time delay on their alarms (they are looking into doing that after I talked to them). This is an issue when the engine is first fired up and the pressure hasn't built up yet. I'm trying to figure out a way around that still (which might involve an extra switch).
The rest of the wiring is pretty much as per the manual (I'll post up pics tomorrow), except for the EGT. As I found out (only after making a nice wire harness) the EGT thermocouple requires special wire if you are going to extend the leads. This is because of how thermocouples work (I just learned this thanks to Auber), for those interested, here you go:
http://www.pyromation.com/Downloads/Doc/Training_TC_Theory.pdf
http://www.control.com/thread/1341643289
Auber of course sells the wire by the foot if you want. Since I did not know this I used regular wire and the reading appears to be off by 30-50*F at low temps and not sure how much at higher temps. I will be replacing that soon.
This system is not a plug and play system, but it is very nice. When everything was said and done, not including some minor screw ups it cost me :
2 x Flashing Buzzer, 12 V DC/AC. 16 mm (FLBuz-12) = $16.44
1 x 3 Bar, 48 PSI, Boost Sensor for Diesel Engine (AUBER-303) = $42.76
1 x Oil/Water Temperature Sensor, High Precision (PT100A-NPT) = $27.50
1 x EGT Probe, Exposed Tip (TC-KEGT) = $36.50
Mounting Type Option Weld-in carbon
2 x Automobile Multimeter, Dual Channel (SYL-2813) = $159.90
1 x 7 Bar (100 PSI) Fuel/oil Pressure Sender, 1/8 NPT. (AUBER-P207) =
$55.63
------------------------------------------------------
Sub-Total: $338.73
Sales Tax: $0.00
FedEx (Ground Home Delivery): $16.38
Total: $355.11
Plus $12.50 for Thermocouple wire
Plus $5.00 for relays and
plus $3.50 for diodes (bought some extras)
Wire, loom and ferrules (for connectors) I already had.
The enclosure was under $100 on ebay
Some soldering, wire splicing and it's almost done.
I'll post up some more detailed shots soon.
Last edited: