A-pillar pod gauge choices(trans temp, oil press, voltage, etc)

[bensblueburban]

Hey Guys!
I am looking into getting an A-pillar triple guage pod for my suburban. I was wondering if anyone has done this and what gauges you put in. I am going to put a trans temp gauge in for sure. I was thinking about an A/F ratio gauge and maybe an exhaust temp gauge?

Do you run the wiring for these gauges into the engine compartment or do you keep them in the cab? Also what do I have to tap into to get the readings(PCM,wiring, sensors)?

Thanks Everyone!

[1989K1500]

IMO Id get a 2 guage pod, the top guage is hard to read and get in the way of the visor on a 3 guage pod.

Id do trans temp for sure and w/e else you decide, egt is useless on a stock gas motor IMO. A/F looks cool because it moves if its narrowband.:dunno:

[neevnav]

A/F and fuel pressure if you can get an electric one. Or trans temp.

[Hellafast91]

the wiring in the cab. and then a trans temp gauge, trans temp is almost as important as coolant temp and oil pressure

[Chevy1500z71]

my truck came with oil pressure that came on truck (useles), a trans temp, and fo course, the boost guage. i replaced all 3 guages with autometer sport omps, and i cant remember why exacly i replaced the oil pressure guage but it dosent work anyways, i want to slap a air fuel in its place, or maybe and electric fuel pressure guage but thats all too expensive. if i were you id get a trans temp, maybe a rear diff temp? iv seen them before and with a 10bolt on 35s maybe a good idea. and then maybe an air fuel(not wideband) that you dont realy need but it looks good and fills the 3rd hole.

[chevytaHOE5674]

I will agree the third gauge interferes with the visor. I have trans temp, oil temp and then a vac gauge (because i had it laying around and needed a filler). If i did it again i would just do 2 and then be able to use my visor.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/548708/fullsize/dscn0271.jpg

[Chevy1500z71]

i dont have stock visors so it dosent get in the way. a 2 pod pillar looks cheep, a 3 pod piller looks practicly factory. i dont use my visor much anyways becuase it has a tv in it and it isnt that big.

[chevytaHOE5674]

how does a 2 pod mount look any "cheaper" than a 3 pod? They end at the same place on the truck....

[Chevy1500z71]

a triple pilar completely replaces the pillar not goes ontop and looks cheep

[95_C1500]

they make full pillar two gauge pods you could use the trans gauge for both the trans and the rear end hook one sender up to a switch

[Chevy1500z71]

o i thought that the full 2 pillars were only for nbs trucks. if so than yea, go for 2. my brother has a full 2 pod pillar in his nbs and it looks good.

[rt4x4]

look at this gauge
http://www.aeroforcetech.com/

[enine]

i had a transmission temp gauge in my s10 and a voltmeter on my second battery. I put the voltmeter at the top since it didn't matter much when driving so it being hard to see didn't matter. It was for checking the battery status when parked.

[bensblueburban]

Well, I already looked at the aeroforcetech website about getting their gauge. For a 1997 GMC, their gauge doesn't track enough parameters to justify the purchase. With NBS trucks that gauge would be worth it, but its not for OBS trucks.

I am going to get the trans temp gauge for sure.

I never use the visor in my car anyway, so should I go with a 3 gauge pillar? I am most concerned with how it would look. Both the 2 and 3 full pillars are the same price, so which one would look better?

Can anyone go into more detail about hooking the gauges up? Do you just tap into the wiring inside the truck? What do I have to do in terms of hooking up the trans temp gauge?

Thanks for all of the input and ideas!

[Chevy1500z71]

for a trans temp i just have a t fiting inline on the line that goes to my transcoolers and the temp senor just sits in there and you run the one wire off of that and then you just find your wire for the dash lightes and splice that for the lights in the guage and get a ignition power off of the fuse block for the main power to the guage.

[TanTahoe]

Does anyone have a picture of how the triple pod gets in the way of the visor? Ive been think of getting one too, but now I might get get the dual pod if that the case. Pic?

[JimRoss]

Take a look here:
www.3n1autocomputer.com

Then if interested, send me a PM.

[chevytaHOE5674]

Tantahoe i will take a pic tomorrow in the lay night with the visor down for you. If i had to do it again i would go 2 pillar and mount any other gauges someplace else.

[Hellafast91]

The aeroforce gauge probably doesnt have enough parameters to see for your truck because your truck probably doesnt have a few sensors that the new ones do therefore the pcm doesnt have a way to present data that it doesnt have. I would still get the trans temp, and an a/f gauge but it really wont do you any good unless you have a wideband o2. I would also get a fuel pressure gauge especially if you are running boosted or sprayed. You really dont need much more than the factory gauges other than a trans temp gauge if your truck is more of a daily driver. If you could get what you wanted from the aeroforce that would be the best choice being that you can monitor all the sensor readings in real time that your pcm is recieving and retrieve codes and clear codes. Which is worth the cost in itself if you look at the price of most obd2 scanners if you like to diagnose your trucks problems yourself and not pay a mechanic. I like the two gauge pod if you can get a pull pillar instead of just a stick on one. To bad they dont make a dash cover with a gague pod built in like on the new body styles, thats probably what I will be getting for my truck just so the gauges dont show through my windows as well and scare off a would be race. thats just my two cents though.

[TanTahoe]

Tantahoe i will take a pic tomorrow in the lay night with the visor down for you. If i had to do it again i would go 2 pillar and mount any other gauges someplace else.
That would help, Thanks. Im starting to lean to the 2 gauge pillar if I have these problems. Im thinking of a trans temp and volt gauge.

[chevy6490]

Take a look here:
www.3n1autocomputer.com

Then if interested, send me a PM.
I want one of those really bad, but cant see spending 160 bucks on something that doesn't help performance. I would probably be willing to spend 100, but that is really cool. :10:

[chevytaHOE5674]

Here is the visor down and camera where your head would be. You can see the entire top gauge is obstructed.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/598760/fullsize/dscn1518.jpg

[enine]

I had the same problem in my s10. I took the visor out then peeled the seam apart for the covering and took the cover off past the little angled section on that side. Inside was a heavy cardboard so I cut it at that line then used shipping tape to make a flexible hinge then glued the cover back on. I was able to flip the visor down then and the little flap would bend around the gauge and spring back in front of it.

[chevytaHOE5674]

Yeah i can push the visor in front of it, and the end will spring in front of the pillar, but depending where the sun is at pushing it that far forward makes the visor useless also.

I just live with it, its not like i have to monitor my trans temp all the time. Just cruising it never really changes at all.

[bensblueburban]

I was wondering what the difference is between a wide and narrow band A/F ratio guage? Which one is compatible with a stock O2 sensor?

For the oil temp guage, how is that set up? Is there a sensor in the bottom of the oil pan or is there a t-fitting on the oil cooler lines or something?

Would the 3 gauge pillar look better than the 2 gauge pillar? If the 3 gauge looks better, I will get it. I don't ever use my visor, so I'm not concerned with that aspect.

How much has this setup cost overall for those who have done it? Do the gauges come with the sensors and fittings?

Can anyone recommend some reasonably priced gauges with blue backlighting and white faces?

Thanks for all of this!

[chevytaHOE5674]

Gauges come with sensors but not really any fittings. My oil temp sensor is in a hole in the block behind the dist. You can get the "full" pillar in 2 and 3 gauge so they will look the same just have the 3rd gauge. Figure 50 bucks per gauge, plus the pillar, plus some paint. It adds up fast thats for sure.

[KL7]

Can someone find a link for a dual gauge full pillar? I have been searching, but I can't find one. The only items I found are the "over-the-top" pods.

[oneloudgmc]

If you do go with an A/F ratio gauge do not get an Equis(sp?) gauge from oreily's. It is a total piece of **** and does not work at all. I had one in my old truck and some of the wires touched and burned up alot of electrical sh*t and none of my electrical stuff worked anymore.