I was going to see this car but noticed the gauge design is different than anything I've seen before.

Can someone tell me if these are stock gauge? Has anyone seen this in person?

 

It is stock. I can't remember the name of the package, something like sport or track gauge package. Almost ordered it when I was configuring the MINI back in 05, but was trying to keep the MSRP below $25k so it came off the list.

 

It's the chrono package.

 

Chrono pack..was an option for 2005+ year cars (pretty sure that is the range)...
And yes, those guages are REAL, not dummy ones...
I have it...still glad I got it...useful, and nice to have.

 

Not exactly real. The oil pressure and temp are faked by the ecu, the temp is kinda real but it's not linear and the gas gauge is definitely real.

 

I have to disagree with that. I have the Chrono gauges on my car. The only gauge whose output is stabalised by the ecu is the water temperature. The Oil temp and pressure are completely accurate.

 

I'll have to disagree. If the oil temp is real, where's the sensor on the motor?

The oil pressure switch is the exact same part number on all cars regardless of chrono pack or not. Its also a single wire switch, set to turn on/off at about 5psi. it's not a sensor that would require two wires.

 

An automotive sensor only needs 1 wire...it is DC...
The ohm's AKA RESISTANCE CHANGES....the ground is the car...
The light on the dummy light is set to turn on at a threshold... But that does not mean the data is not there...
Believe me...its been compared to a real mechanical guage...it WORKS. Been debated since 2005....
Oil temp (is inferred VERY closely to real due to the factory oil cooler design that uses engine coolant) ...I'll give you that as a generated item...but 2 out of 3 ain't bad from the factory!!

 

I have the chrono package as well. Held out for it and am glad I did.

 

Truthfully I dont know. What I do know is, that it takes a good 10 miles with the needle slowly inching up before it reaches 95c where it sits for the remainder of the journey.

From my experiences fitting oil temperature gauges to other cars, I'm not really convinced that an oil temperature gauge is of any real value. Different sensor locations on the same engine give different results. The real question is, what oil are we trying to measure. ie at the main bearings, under the piston crown, the rings, the sump, the oil filter head, the main oil gallery, the pump. Who knows.

From my own observations, all the gauge is measuring is the ambient block temperature, whether oil is present or not. I suspect that the location on the mini is not optimum, hence the long time to register running temperature.

Where is it located for the Chrono pack? Any one know?

 

Yes, the chrono pack. Very cool.

On the Aux Gauge Kit / temp sensor kit that is NLA , it pulled the temp from the drain plug sensor.



http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/82940004581/



This replaces the drain plug. Don't know where it pulls it on the chrono pack, maybe from a dual sensor.

 

The chrono pack doesn't add any sensors beyond what is already standard. The readings come from existing sensors, or estimated from available information.

Here's an account of a retrofit: http://www.minitorque.com/forum/f845...install-19844/

 

Note...it has only one wire...as stated before, DC sensors on a car only NEED ONE wire, since it is mounted to GROUND....

 

Yea, just has one wire terminal for the old center gauge cluster kit sensor. Stinks they NLA them. I really liked them.

Auxiliary Gauge Kit Set 82940415253

http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/82940415253/

 

I fear that I have maligned you AudioNToxication. Further study of the ETK only shows an oil pressure switch, on the filter head, and no proper transducer, nor any oil temperature sensor. All I can say is that the simulation sure looks good.

 

Exactly, it's a good simulation. And for many it's more than good enough. Once you get into modding you start to wish those gauges were real. I want to put a real oil temp gauge in but I absolutely hate the shotgunning of gauges in cars. I may do an led that goes out when I hit temp. I only care about beating on it with cold oil.

 

Zippy, you were right, one wire, yay.... Constructive info benefits the community, yelling HA I'M RIGHT doesn't.

NAM has become a joke over the years from things like this. That's why I left years ago. Thought it had gotten a little better. I was wrong.

I've seen you around, and you seem to know some stuff. Why don't we try and help the community.

 

Naw...
Not interesting in "I'm right" type of bs...

The info on the chrono packs, like many things have been debated at length....
The info displayed on them, psi vs temp would appear to be real....heck, have even noted different psi when using different FILTERS, AND DIFFERENT OILS, etc...so there is more going on than just faking it.....sure, computers can do some great calculations, but the ecu does not know when the oil is changed or the filter is swapped out,..but both still affect the psi as much as oil temp and rpm (which COULD be programmed based on a known value assumption).
Sure, they might not be as good on some level as aftermarket analog guages, but they give good info that matches changes done to the motor a dummy guage cannot know....
So is the signal processed? Perhaps...but is it a dummy needle that moves as entertainment, heck no!!
Reality is, somebody either has the chrono pack, or they don't, and in my experience, they provide useful data. Hard to beat that.

 

I think the chrono pack when it came out 2005+ would be a hit , but seem like it is rare to see now days as many did not order this . It was I believe a $250 option at the time. I really liked the black English leather seats that came in the R50 R53 in 2006 options. Those are hard to find.

 

The highlighted portion above.... I share this opinion. As long as you have oil pressure, oil temp gauge isn't really necessary unless you're constantly bouncing off the redline. The Chrono package could've been better if it had a DC gauge and a boost gauge for the SC.

 

In retrospect I think you are right. I really only bought the Chrono pack so that I could have the speedo and OBC output in front, and didn't want a satnav. I find the large centre dial is an excellent place to suction clamp my tomtom to, at easy fingertip reach, so all is not lost!