With most modern cars, there is a lack of real instruments. Would like to add instruments such as a real water temp, oil pressure and oil temp gauge? I am sure some folks have added instruments and curious to know how hard it would be to do so. For an oil temp, I would imagine that the oil pan would have to be drilled and a sensor put in but then the oil pressure may be able to use the same fitting. Any thoughts?

 

Cravenspeed makes a gauge kit with all the adapters for the senders.

http://www.cravenspeed.com/products/...Gauge-Kit.html

Dave

 

Dave, thanks for the post on Cravenspeed. That seem just the ticket. I figure that I can get their two gauges in oil pressure and oil temp and replace the openometer on the cabrio with a boost gauge. That will give me what I want to start off. New to the mini scene, I had not heard of Cravenspeed. Again, thanks for posting.

 

You will not be able to do both oil temp and oil pressure. I looked into this last year. The area that you tap in to for both oil temp/pressure is too small an area to allow for both sender adapters. You will need to pick one or the other.

Or see this page for a solution for both: http://www.cravenspeed.com/products/...-Adapters.html

Oil temp/pressure are two common things that an OBD tool like a Scangauge can not read.

 

Thanks for the info. This starts to go down that slippery slope. Looks like I will either have to go from a Cabrio tach to a coupe tach. Then go with a water temp and an oil temp or oil pressure if I can't do both. Or, maybe a Scan gauge and either a pressure or temp then I could keep the Cabrio tach. The Scan gauge should give me engine intake or exhaust temps and water temp so maybe with that and the pressure gauge I could get what I need. I would still have to look at that Openometer but then again it is my wife's car and she for some reason thinks it is ok. Thanks for the tech info as it is better to know now and not wait till I get the car and find out what I can not do. This has been a great site to glean information and knowledge.

 

I'm an new Mini owner like you and have been doing a bunch of reading on this site and a couple others. Not sure if this would work for you but as soon as finances allow, I plan on getting one of the Garmin Nuvis and the ecoroute adapter for it. Check out this thread here https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-ecoroute.html

GPS and gauges all in one.

 

This is cool. Thanks for turning me on to this possibility. With this, I would only need to get an oil pressure gauge and I can get most of what I want. My wife wants a factory navigation system however, this would offer everything but the convenience of a factory system. Not sure if the factory system is voice activated or not but if not, then this would solve all of our needs. Will do more research but this look very cool. Thanks for passing it on...

 

Cravenspeed has a oil temperature adapter that replaces the engine oil drain plug.

There's another thread here (I can't find it) in which someone moved the Cravenspeed oil pressure sending unit adapter away from the engine using a short hydraulic hose with the MINI's metric (M16x1.5) fittings on each end.
He was able to fit both the oil temperature sender and the oil pressure sender on the adapter. He said that though the temperature sender is on a dead end leg, that eddy currents in the oil transfer heat to the temperature probe, especially when the rpm is varying.

Having a short length of hydraulic hose made is pretty cheap, so it wouldn't cost much to see if he is right, if not, just get the Cravenspeed drain plug.

Dave

 

Thanks for the suggestion. It seems that there are far more options then I had thought. I guess if you seek then you shall find. Will book mark this and looks like I have options. Thanks for all the input. This forum has been great.

 

Very informative. Thanks...

Larry

 

Don't forget the Scangauge is one the the best and cheapest gauge options
http://www.waymotorworks.com/scangauge-ii.html