hey guys do you think i should get the osir pod with the defi guages or the awe vent boost guage. huge price difference but do you think its worthet? also does the defi guages need to be connected to a controller?

 

Could you be so kind as to post a link to the osir w/ defi gauges. I'm interested in a boost gauges that are alternatives to what'swhat most people seem to have ie, AWE.

Besides the Osir, there is also one that is mounted on the A-pillar. I forgot what it's called though.

 

http://www.zmaxautosport.com/osdecafiofor.html(DEFI W/ OSIR POD)

http://www.namotorsports.net/detail....t_cd/NPTPB.014(VDO W/ NEW SOUTH PEFORMANCE COLUMN POD)

those are the only two i know besides the AWE option.

 

New South would block my line of sight to the digital clock - but would actually be more useful information, and be in a place easier to see while driving - and would save space over the Osir, which would fill the storage (sans ashtray) below the center stack.

The Osir looks really cool in carbon - but it's in such bad spot. I think I'd be too nervous to look down while punching the throttle.

AWE is still looking good to me, price-wise as well as design. It's minimal. It's positioned OK sight-wise, but doesn't interrupt the cluster like NS.

New South looks slightly cadged-on fitment wise ...but I'd like to sit in front of one for real before I pass judgement on it. I could be swayed in favor of this.

Damn it would be nice to have that oil pressure gauge, too though!

Who's got what? What are others' actual experiences with what they chose?

[sm=smiley1.gif]

 

I have several Defi link gauges, connected to a Defi link controller, in my Nissan Twin Turbo. The Defi is quite nice - displays peak readings as well as, IIRC, plays back the last xx seconds of data. They also provide audible and visible warnings that can be set by the user. I also have fuel pressure and oil temperature and may add oil pressure for the warning feature. A good boost controller (Blitz SBC) does this as well but the A3's ECU should make one unnecessary.

I do not recommend pillar-mounted gauges. They attract unwanted attention - theives and police and the gauges' proximity to the driver can require refocusing your eyes while driving. Pillar gauges also look like rice. I tried one for a few weeks and hated it.

Just my opinion(s), yours may differ.

 

I personally think Defi makes the best gauges out there (and probably the most expensive to boot!)...very clean design and highly readable. I had the 60mm BF turbo gauge connected to the Link II in my previous WRX. With the steering column mount, it provided a very clean install with no visual obstructions. I couldn't have been any happier with its performance. However, Defi is a Japanese company tailored to the JDM market, so finding a clean integration kit for an Audi maybe a challenging task. Fabrication might be the your best bet.

To answer your question, the Defi BF gauges do need to be connected to their Link II control unit. The control unit saves data for you to examine at a later time, and you can connect additional gauges to it like oil temp, voltage, etc. It's a very nice unit and I'm kind of sad that I gave it up with the sale of my previous car.

The Osir pod looks kind of tacky, out of place, and won't prove to be useful since it forces the driver to stray from their line of sight. If they had a better designed kit, I'd consider picking up another Defi setup myself.
I'm not too much of a fan of obstructing the left vent, so I'm not much the fan of the AWE integration. The placement is a bit out of line as well, but it seems to be the stealthiest install on the market at this time and the gauge seems to perform well.

My taste maybe completely different from yours, so take from this what you will. The Defi units are top notch, and to me worth every penny, but if you want a cleaner install, the AWE could be your best bet at this time

 

thanks for the feedback guys.
I was going to get the awe gauge until it has been on back order for several months!

 

Having used my Defi-link setup for years on my Twin Turbo, I believe that visibility is overrated. IMHO, one needs a boost gauge primarily to know where you are, i.e. setup. One can then use that information when making changes. You can also use the peak hold and replay functions for tuning purposes. If you're not modifying the car, it's just, IMHO, eye candy. I've moded my Twin Turbo (a lot) and rarely look at the boost gauge other than when changing things.

BTW, a really cool feature of the Defi is coupling between their fuel pressure gauge and the boost gauge. Normal (not direct injected) turbocharged cars reference fuel pressure to manifold pressure; the fuel pressure rises with boost (typically from 35 to something like 65 PSI). The Defi fp guage subtracts manifold pressure from fuel pressure, thereby showing constant fuel pressure vs. boost pressure. Truth be told, I got the boost gauge to reference the fuel pressure gauge, which I felt I needed to diagnose fuel pressure issues. However, the fuel pressure on a direct injected engine like our A3s is so high that a few PSI of boost doesn't make any difference. That and Defi fuel pressure gauges don't go to 2000 PSI.