I have a dilemma and HOPE someone might be able to solve it.
The Players: 2008 MC (justacooper) R-56
Auto Meter Ultra Lite II Water Temp Gauge (elec)
http://www.autometer.com/cat_gaugede...id=3581&sid=61

Having gauges installed and ran into a now major snag.
1. Gauge confirmed operational.
2. Sender confirmed operational.

Installed per AutoMeter instructions and will not operate. However when heat is applied to sender, gauge immediately responds and starts moving. The only other time it has moved is after approx 3hrs highway driving where it worked intermittently, but only for 1-2 min and then dormant again.
Talked to autometer techs and they are baffled too !! Their suggestion was to check power connection and ground.

Hoping that someone has autometer in their mini s/or mc..and might verify where their sender is located and power source. Any info will be greatly appreciated.

ps: autometer oil pressure gauge (elec) works just fine.

 

where did you install the sender ?

 

Where did you pick up the 12v power from.?

 

moved sender to different hose and it is now functional.
Thanks

 

Which hose !! OBEY

 

could you possibly send pics of where you attached the water temp gauge and oil pressure gauge? those are the two gauges i want to put in my mini i just dont no where to hook them up at.. thanks

 

From all available data:

I'm guessing he moved it FROM the air intake hose, TO a coolant hose.

 

I am having the same problem Pedro99 is describing. Everything checks out when it is tested but just does not seem to be working. Sensor is on the bottom radiator hose. I am sharing power connections with my boost gauge and am having no problems with the boost gauge. AutoMeter sent me an updated temp sensor, it is supposed to react faster. So now I have intermittent readings as opposed to no readings. Pedro99, where did you move the sensor to? Any other ideas?

 

I thought it was supposed to be on the TOP hose.

 

Any pictures of this install? where was the gauge mounted in the car?

 

I used the gauge mounting pod that Alta sells because it will hold a 60mm gauge as opposed to the 52mm size most other suppliers offer. The larger size is much easier to see, and I think looks better. Ever seen the the tiny JCW gauges offered by mini? Mounting the gauge is easy regardless of the system you use, it is all the other related stuff that takes time and effort.

And yes, the darn temp gauge sensor should be mounted in a different hose than the bottom one I used.

 

Absolutely mount sender in top hose.

 

Hi Everyone,

New to the board....appreciate all the great ideas and comments provided on this site.

I bought a 2010 MCS about a month ago..just added the JCW kit and have been really enjoying the car!

I've been recently looking at gauges....specifically these ones...http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004DEUOTQ. The only thing that is holding me back is this Torque Gauge (other one will be water temp)....I have yet to see one in the works, does it look cool? Is there any benefit of having it? I have read some information about it giving you a reading for the "available torque" or choosing the correct gear for optimum torque?? Is it similar to a boost gauge (god! wish they made one for MCS).

Any input would be greatly appreciated....

 

I can't help you with any info on the torque gauge, but there are many sources for boost gauges for your car. Alta sells a complete kit and Way Motor Works sells the tap (to connect a hose to the sensor) made by a couple of different manufacturers. There are likely other sources for the taps, and it would not surprise me if they were somewhat standardized in size.

If you get just the tap, then you should be able to use a boost gauge made by just about everybody and in any style you want. Marshall Instruments has a set of gauges out there that are better match to the factory tach and speedo than the factory JCW gauges.

If you want to go the electronic route, check out the ScanGauge II unit or one of the units from PLXdevices.com. This type also works as an OBD II reader and can display all sorts of info about what is going on with your car. The best thing is that they do not cost much more than one 'regular' gauge.

For even more money, there are devices that can wireless send the car data to a laptop or PDA in your car. Very cool, but not what most people would find useful.

There are lots of options/choices for gauges, so I would suggest doing some more research to see what will work best for you.

 

Appreciate the feeback, Turbo Traveller.

After weeks of researching, I decided to go with the kit from Craven Speed. They got shipped last Tuesday....hoping to have them installed (at the dealer) next week some time...

I went with a 3 pod set up, Oil Temp, Water Temp, & Boost.

Kellen at Craven was awesome!!! He arranged the whole order for me to ensure I didn't miss anything....they have great customer service!

I will put some pics up once the install is done