Matching factory gauges

[mistro]

so to avoid looking at 18 pages, are these gauges available for sale?

[SRTech]

I'll try to keep this on the current page of this thread. Group Buy still on through the end of October.

Group Buy Prices:

Vac/Boost, 30" Hg - 30 PSI (mechanical) $47.50

Oil pressure, 0-100 PSI (electric) $59.50

Oil pressure, 0-100 PSI (stepper) $83.50

Water temperature, 100-260°F (electric) $53.50

Water temperature, 100-260°F (stepper) $77.50

Dimmer for stepper gauges $25.00

Oil pressure and water temperature gauges include the sending unit with 1/8" NPT connection.

Stepper motor gauges have peak recall and warning functions.

Shipping is $10 in the lower 48 states. Hawaii, Alaska and non-USA destinations will be determined individually.

The CravenSpeed mounting and adapters are going to be 10% off list price for this group buy. If you have any other CravenSpeed requests, I will offer 10% off those items during this group buy. Anyone with existing CravenSpeed mounts should be aware that the new mounts are powder coated instead of anodized so they won't match perfectly. I still have a few anodized pieces in stock so let me know.

Gauge Cup (52mm) gen1 and gen2 $49.00
Gauge Cup (dual 52mm) gen1 and gen2 $71.00
Bracket X (gen1) tach mount for cups $30.00
Bracket ZL (gen1) cup mount for chrono/nav $40.00
Bracket ZR (gen1) cup mount for chrono/nav $40.00
Bracket A (gen2) cup mount $45.00
Bracket R (gen2) single cup mount $40.00
Cup Caps (52mm) caps for back of cups $26.00
Tapless Adapter (gen1) oil pressure adapter $44.00
Tapless Adapter (gen2) oil pressure adapter $67.00
Hot Link (gen2) water temp adapter $54.00
PSIClone (gen2) vac/boost adapter $35.00

Please e-mail your billing and shipping addresses to gaugegb@blackoaks.com. Be sure to include your phone number and the gauges and mountings you want to buy. I will e-mail you an invoice for you to OK and then you can call me or vice-versa for the CC info. Some have e-mailed me the CC info which is OK if you are comfortable with that. I do not bill until I ship. I have not received the gauges yet so I expect to start shipping next week. You can call me if you have questions at 559.320.0004 Thanks.

Steve

[SRTech]

I'll try to keep this on the current page of this thread. Group Buy still on through the end of December. New items in RED.

Group Buy Prices:

Vac/Boost, 30" Hg - 30 PSI (mechanical) $47.50

Oil pressure, 0-100 PSI (electric) $59.50

Oil pressure, 0-100 PSI (stepper) $83.50

Water temperature, 100-260°F (electric) $53.50

Water temperature, 100-260°F (stepper) $77.50

Dimmer for stepper gauges $25.00

Oil temperature, 140-310°F (electric) $60.50 (only a few in stock)

Oil temperature, 140-310°F (stepper) $84.50

Voltmeter, 0-18V (electric) $48.50 (only a few in stock)

Voltmeter, 0-18V (stepper) $63.50



Oil pressure, oil temperature and water temperature gauges include the sending unit with 1/8" NPT connection.

Stepper motor gauges have peak recall and warning functions.

Shipping is $10 in the lower 48 states. Hawaii, Alaska and non-USA destinations will be determined individually.

The CravenSpeed mounting and adapters are going to be 10% off list price for this group buy. If you have any other CravenSpeed requests, I will offer 10% off those items during this group buy. Anyone with existing CravenSpeed mounts should be aware that the new mounts are powder coated instead of anodized so they won't match perfectly. I still have a few anodized pieces in stock so let me know.

Gauge Cup (52mm) gen1 and gen2 $49.00
Gauge Cup (dual 52mm) gen1 and gen2 $71.00
Bracket X (gen1) tach mount for cups $30.00
Bracket ZL (gen1) cup mount for chrono/nav $40.00
Bracket ZR (gen1) cup mount for chrono/nav $40.00
Bracket A (gen2) cup mount $45.00
Bracket R (gen2) single cup mount $40.00
Cup Caps (52mm) caps for back of cups $26.00
Tapless Adapter (gen1) oil pressure adapter $44.00
Tapless Adapter (gen2) oil pressure adapter $67.00
Hot Link (gen2) water temp adapter $54.00
PSIClone (gen2) vac/boost adapter $35.00

Please e-mail your billing and shipping addresses to gaugegb@blackoaks.com. Be sure to include your phone number and the gauges and mountings you want to buy. I will e-mail you an invoice for you to OK and then you can call me or vice-versa for the CC info. Some have e-mailed me the CC info which is OK if you are comfortable with that. I do not bill until I ship. I have not received the gauges yet so I expect to start shipping next week. You can call me if you have questions at 559.320.0004 Thanks.

Steve[/quote]

[Gil-galad]

So with all of the good gouge in this thread, I'm now at a loss as to where I should tap for the amber lighting wire on my stepper motor gauges. I was going to tap the wire to the side marker light but I fear I'll run into the flickering that rjb experienced when he tapped the parking light (though mine is 1st Gen; may not act the same; also wondering if some sort of capacitor on this circuit would prevent the drop outs). I keep my instrument lighting pretty low so I suspect if I tapped the OEM dimmer line the voltage would be insufficient to trigger the LEDs in the gauges.

Any suggestions? I'm using Marshall's stepper dimmer, but it is wired in line with the 12v switched input, not the amber lighting wire. I'm hoping I don't have to resort to just going into a 12v switched wire, which would mean I'd have to use the Marshall dimmer to turn the lights on and off, in addition to dimming them.

[Tron Chief]

Originally Posted by mistro

so to avoid looking at 18 pages, are these gauges available for sale?

Contact SRTech he had a few gauges left the other day. His information is on this page.

[Mike S]

I'm interested in a boost gauge and oil temp gauge (is this out on the market yet?) - do you ship internationally?

[SRTech]

Originally Posted by Mike S

I'm interested in a boost gauge and oil temp gauge (is this out on the market yet?) - do you ship internationally?

The oil temp gauge should be here in the next couple of weeks. Yes, I ship internationally via the Post Office. The UK people have opted not to buy because of all the extra import, VAT and P.O. fees that have added up to more than the gauges. Hopefully, SA is better.

Steve

[Mike S]

Originally Posted by SRTech

The oil temp gauge should be here in the next couple of weeks. Yes, I ship internationally via the Post Office. The UK people have opted not to buy because of all the extra import, VAT and P.O. fees that have added up to more than the gauges. Hopefully, SA is better.

Steve

I got used to paying more for shipping and duties than what most my items are worth Just one of those things your get used to when living here

Is the oil temperature gauge electric or mechanical?

Will out miss out on the group buy due to the delay in the oil temperature gauge?

[SRTech]

Originally Posted by Mike S

I got used to paying more for shipping and duties than what most my items are worth Just one of those things your get used to when living here

Is the oil temperature gauge electric or mechanical?

Will out miss out on the group buy due to the delay in the oil temperature gauge?

Oil temp will be electric or stepper. Anybody who contacts me about wanting to wait for the voltmeter or oil temp will get the group buy prices. I may extend another month anyway since there is still a lot of interest.

Steve

[Tron Chief]

Originally Posted by SRTech

Oil temp will be electric or stepper. Anybody who contacts me about wanting to wait for the voltmeter or oil temp will get the group buy prices. I may extend another month anyway since there is still a lot of interest.

Steve

It's so nice to see someone that believes in customer service. Thanks Steve for making this gauge deal work for all of us.

[Mr. Bill]

I'm definitely interested in purchasing the Volt (when available) and the (mechanical) Boost gauges as well as the mounting hardware for my R52. Let us know when the Volt gauge becomes available.

[SRTech]

Originally Posted by Mr. Bill

I'm definitely interested in purchasing the Volt (when available) and the (mechanical) Boost gauges as well as the mounting hardware for my R52. Let us know when the Volt gauge becomes available.

I sure will. The voltmeter should be here in the next couple of weeks.

Steve

[SRTech]

For those of you with the mechanical vac/boost gauge with the needle flicker and buzzing, here is Paul at Marshall Instruments response:

This is a very common problem with mechanical boost gauges. Google “boost gauge buzzing” and you’ll get a plethora of information. At certain pressures the fast moving air is at the resonance frequency of the gauge which causes the gauge to buzz. All that is typically needed is a restrictor to dampen the air movement in the hose to the gauge. Our boost gauge includes a restrictor on the tee that helps prevent this. Other companies call it an “anti-buzz” or “no-buzz” fitting. Was the restrictor tee fitting used for install?

Please see the suggested solutions below. If the customer wants a new gauge I will be happy to accept the warranty replacement but implementing one of the suggestions below will most likely cure his buzzing issue.

People have used the following alternate/additional solutions to dampen the air movement:

1. put a wad of cotton from a q-tip or cotton ball where the hose goes into the gauge
2. install a small fuel filter (i.e. for a lawn mower) inline
3. install a plastic aquarium pressure regulator (see http://www.golfmk5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65061)

Some additional install tips:

1. use the restrictor fitting and/or additional vacuum restrictors in the tubing to the gauge
2. make sure your tubing is fastened at various points (so it is not loose)

[rjb]

Latest update on Dimmer, lighting problem. I had an issue with the stepper motor LEDs flashing on and off when I connected the "lighting" wire from the gauge to the parking light. Turns out to be something with the way MINI senses that a bulb is out, whatever signal they send down the wire cause the LEDS on the gauge to toggle on and off. Mine is a 2009 JCW, not sure if this is an issue with earlier cars or not, maybe someone can chime in. So I added another circuit to my dimmer module that uses the dimmer signal to turn on the LED lighting on the gauges. If nothing else it makes it a little more convenient to run the wires as you won't need to find a "hot" wire for the lighting on. I am currently working with Paul at Marshall to figure out the best way to build and market these dimmer switches as they will need PCB boards manufactured, and I will need to be able to do a minimum quantity to recoup the setup costs. I will keep everyone posted.

[Thomas S]

Originally Posted by rjb

I am currently working with Paul at Marshall to figure out the best way to build and market these dimmer switches as they will need PCB boards manufactured, and I will need to be able to do a minimum quantity to recoup the setup costs. I will keep everyone posted.

I've been doing a little research on my end with one of the gauges. The first thing I learned was that you must connect the +12V line. Just wiring to the orange wire and ground will not turn on the light in the instrument.

Having determined that, I wired the red wire to +12V and a variable voltage power supply to the orange wire. One would assume that cranking up the voltage slowly on the orange wire should gradually light up the gauge, right? Wrong! The light goes from off to full on at about 7.5 Volts and doesn't get any brighter as you crank the voltage higher.

Just for fun, I switched the red and orange wires so that the variable was on the red wire and the +12V on the orange wire. Then, as I cranked up the voltage on the red wire I could see the light flicker to life at about 7 Volts. As I cranked the voltage higher it gradually got brighter all the way to full on at 12 Volts. Not what I expected, but maybe good enough to work with the signal off the dimmer. I haven't gotten into that yet, so I don't yet know what the dimmer feeds to the OEM dash lights.

For you electronics geeks (like me), I suspect that some sort of interface circuit may be required to get the gauge lights to track with the dash lights. There are multiple ways to approach this problem, but maybe something as simple as an op-amp with gain and offset (to be determined) would do the trick. A brute force approach would be to digitize the output of the dimmer switch and use that to drive the address bus of a PROM lookup table driving a DAC followed by an op-amp to supply voltage for the gauge lights.

That all sounds like a lot of trouble to simply get the gauge lights to track with the dash lights, so maybe it's just for the purist. The practical approach is to just wire the red and orange wires as directed in the instructions, adjust the dash lights until they match the gauges, and leave it at that.

Tom S

[AKIndiMini]

Are there any volt gauges available? I'm also interested in buying an oil pressure gauge (elec). I've decided against using the stepper motor gauge I bought as I don't want to use a separate dimmer for it. Will use it on my boat instead.

[SRTech]

Originally Posted by AKIndiMini

Are there any volt gauges available? I'm also interested in buying an oil pressure gauge (elec). I've decided against using the stepper motor gauge I bought as I don't want to use a separate dimmer for it. Will use it on my boat instead.

The volt gauge should be here soon. All the Marshall gauges have to be dimmed with a separate device according to Paul at Marshall. It has to do with the LED lighting so both the stepper and electric gauges need a dimmer of some sort.

Steve

[Gil-galad]

Originally Posted by SRTech

All the Marshall gauges have to be dimmed with a separate device according to Paul at Marshall. It has to do with the LED lighting so both the stepper and electric gauges need a dimmer of some sort.
Steve

My stepper dimmer arrived okay (thanks). Interesting that the instructions say to wire it to the 12v switched input, and not the amber or white lighting wire. Must be the way those funky LEDs work...

[Tron Chief]

Originally Posted by SRTech

The volt gauge should be here soon. All the Marshall gauges have to be dimmed with a separate device according to Paul at Marshall. It has to do with the LED lighting so both the stepper and electric gauges need a dimmer of some sort.

Steve

I must be lucky then as both my electric water and mechanical boost/vac dim perfectly with the factory dimmers by using the DSC switch light circuit. Mine are both non stepper motors.

[SRTech]

Originally Posted by Tron Chief

I must be lucky then as both my electric water and mechanical boost/vac dim perfectly with the factory dimmers by using the DSC switch light circuit. Mine are both non stepper motors.

Next time you are here we should try a stepper gauge on that wire.

Steve

[rjb]

Originally Posted by SRTech

Next time you are here we should try a stepper gauge on that wire.

Steve

I can tell you first hand (at least on a R56). The dimmer will not work with the stepper gauges (have both water temp and oil pressure). It does work fine with non stepper motor gauges (mechanical boost). When connecting the amber wire on the gauge up to the dimmer of the DSC the gauge lighting will be off unless you like your lighting at almost full bright (then it just switches on and does not dim). I've come up with a circuit that does allow you to use the factory dimmer to dim the stepper motor lighting (see post earlier in this thread). I sent one to Paul at Marshall to test on his bench setup. It works on my car although I have another lighting problem that I do not believe is related to the dimmer circuit I built, but am still trying to verify. I'll keep everyone posted.

[SRTech]

Originally Posted by rjb

I can tell you first hand (at least on a R56). The dimmer will not work with the stepper gauges (have both water temp and oil pressure). It does work fine with non stepper motor gauges (mechanical boost). When connecting the amber wire on the gauge up to the dimmer of the DSC the gauge lighting will be off unless you like your lighting at almost full bright (then it just switches on and does not dim). I've come up with a circuit that does allow you to use the factory dimmer to dim the stepper motor lighting (see post earlier in this thread). I sent one to Paul at Marshall to test on his bench setup. It works on my car although I have another lighting problem that I do not believe is related to the dimmer circuit I built, but am still trying to verify. I'll keep everyone posted.

The mechanical vac/boost may be different. Paul said he didn't think there should be a difference between the stepper and electric gauges and tried it out on the bench and confirmed it. They still may act differently in the MINI so I want to try it for myself.

Steve

[Tron Chief]

Sounds like a job for Saturday.

[JIMINNI]

Originally Posted by Tron Chief

Sounds like a job for Saturday.

Yes it does, but me first

[Tron Chief]

Originally Posted by JIMINNI

Yes it does, but me first

Are you on the board yet? I honestly thought you would be out checking out your new tune