I am getting my gauges today and would like any help you can provide on installing them. I am getting a boost gauge, oil pressure gauge, and pyrometer. Any and all help on where/how to run them, what wires to use for power and such. Thank you.

 

Where are the gauges gonna go... the Boost gauge is EASY... I just put mine in on friday.... And I'm don't even know what a pyrometer is... SOrry

 

ooooS4 - Apyrometer is another name for an EGT (Exhaust Gas Temperature) gauge.

2000S4 - You'll need to get a bung welded into one of your headers at the collector for the most accurate readings (likely a very exspensive job). Past the pre-cats and you'll get false readings (due to the nature of how cat's work - read: heat soak). The only problem with that is you will not know for certain what the other bank is doing EGT wise. This isn't a terrible thing if all your injectors are working correctly, and you're not having one particular cylinder be lean constantly. If you have "piggy pipes" (gutted stock downpipes) then you could weld a bung into the 2:1 collector before the main cat for a better "average" reading, though the exhaust will have lost some heat from passing through the turbos and through a couple feet of exhaust.I'm honestly not sure of your engine setup/components to know if you really even need a EGT gauge. If you're playing with an EBC/MBC thenI can understand the necessity of an EGT/Pyrometer, but otherwise, it's really not worth the money for one, especially when you factor installation costs.

For the Oil Pressure gauge. I'm not sure if S4's have a factory oil cooler or not (I don't own an Audi...yet), but if they do, one of the best/easiest placesI have foundto tap intofor the gauge is before the inlet side of anoil cooler. If you're using an Autometer electrical gauge, just splice the line and insert the pressure sender into the lines and secure them to the sender with small worm clamps. Then follow the wiring diagram supplied with the gauge. I'm not sure on a mechanical one andI would honestly reccomend against them. Engine fluids need to stay in the engine bay

Boost gauge is pretty simple. I'm pretty sure you can tap intojust about any vaccuum line as a source.

As for power wires, 12-20ga wires should be fine for the wiring. Gauges typically pull very little amperage, so a small 12-20ga wire should be more than adequate. Most gauges, atleast Autometer ones from my experience, only supply you with about a 1-2ft length of connection wire (~20ga). Miscellaneous senesors (such as your EGT Thermometer) typically have about a 6ft connection cable. My best advice is to color coordinate the wires as best as you can so there's no question what each wire is for. Also, try to mimic the wire colors on the gauges for even more ease of installation. I would also reccomend using a removable type connector rather than a straight solder connection. Since you'll be installing more than one gauge,I would recommend running a single power line to all of them; connect all 3 power wires together, crimp a connector (or solder) over them, then connect that to the power wire. The same can be said for the grounds and the "night" mode signal wires.

Anyway, hope that helps.
George

 

Well tonight we got all the wires run to the engine bay and into the center vent. It was a tough little project, but once you know what you are doing and where to go and what to do, it's simple. I'll do a write-up when I am all done and anyone else who wants to put those gauges in will know how to with ease. Thursday is when we will actually be hooking everything up and getting the finished product. Also the oil pressure is a mechanical and I have no worries about it. I have heard people say no because they don't want any oil anywhere near the cabin, but if a mechanical oil pressure gauge can handle the pressure from a 900+ RWHP drag car my buddies dad has, I have no worries and neither does he. My buddy has been running the same gauge in his STi for about a year now and not even a hint of a problem.

As far as the location of the pyrometer (EGT) I am going to put it in the downpipe. That also has worked without problems for my friend.

Thank you for that help though, by far the most help I hahve received yet!

 

Yeah,I assume the technology for those gauges has gotten alot better in recent years. I just remember my dad's "old school" mechanical oil gauge's fittingcracking in his Nova and start spewing hot oil in behind the dash and then dripping down on his leg [:-]

 

Yeah, I am guessing the technology has improved quiet a bit. I really don't want hot oil dripping down my leg, not my idea of a good time lol. I will get photo's of everything (partly for the write up as well) and of the install, know of a few who have done the three gauges in the vent, but I have never seen any after shots. I also recently covered my wood grain plate around the shifter with some carbon fiber that I promise you you have never seen this done before, and chances are you never will again. It's a custom one off. I am also looking into getting some piano black trim. I saw some silver CF for sale, complete kit with seat backs, but $1,000 is just to much to spend on something like that.