Instruments and lighting overload?

[Jeffds1360]

I got the car running well during first lockdown and was bored during second so I went a bit daft with instruments. Oil pressure,(5k>1.5k) water temp, (60-70)oil temp, (60) revs (750 tick over) and vac. (18 at idle) Also front and rear fogs and reversing lights! (Which talk!)

I would welcome your opinions and will not be offended  🙂

Apologies for the AA & V. Badges

I'm bored and mainly bed bound due to problems this week. Bear with me xx BARE y'ijut

[dougbgt6]

Jeff,

LOVE it! I've the standard GT6 revs, water and temp plus I've added oil, vacuum and battery, they sit where the radio used to go. I used to have an ammeter, but the wiring got VERY hot so sadly had to take it out. However I have a German thing with a coil, the main battery lead goes through it and you get an LCD read out, not sure I like it with the analogue gauges. But an ammeter tells more than a volt meter, ammeter is instantaneous, by the time you've noticed the volts have dropped, it's too late!. Not fitted it yet. 

You can set the timing with the vacuum, turn the dizzy for maximum, then back one bar. Exactly the same as doing it by ear, turn the dizzy for maximum revs then back a gnats, I'm always tickled to see and hear it converge when I do the timing.

Doug

[Colin Lindsay]

21 hours ago, Jeffds1360 said:

I would welcome your opinions and will not be offended  🙂

I'm bored and mainly bed bound due to problems this week. Bear with me xx BARE y'ijut

Worry gauges!! I have more than enough of them but never seem to fit any. Even the little electronic rev counter that has its' own pod went back in the drawer. I have a Vitesse dashboard so might fit the two Herald 13/60 gauges (temp / fuel in place of rev counter) and that would give me two smaller holes for volts and revs... I guess I'm just minimalist.

[Peter Truman]

5 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

.. I guess I'm just minimalist.

Or layback Irish! I have a Vac gauge never fitted it because its too active and I'd get bored quickly trying to work out what it should be doing, & I'd never change my driving technique anyway!

A Co I did some consulting to had a fleet of Prius Hybrids the centre LCD screen pictorially showed the mode of drive ie electric, ICE driving the gen to electric motor and power train activity all very dangerous as you looked at it all the time and bluntly too much info! 

[Clive]

12 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

Worry gauges!! I have more than enough of them but never seem to fit any. Even the little electronic rev counter that has its' own pod went back in the drawer. I have a Vitesse dashboard so might fit the two Herald 13/60 gauges (temp / fuel in place of rev counter) and that would give me two smaller holes for volts and revs... I guess I'm just minimalist.

I am with you on this. I have no extra gauges. Except the AFR display for keeping an eye on the tuning, which is REALLY distracting as I know what numbers i want it to display. So now it sits tucked away behind my portable blutooth speaker when driving. If I have a go at tweaking the fuelling, I just leave  the speaker at home. 

There are enough things to keep your eyes on when driving, and especially as I get older I am finding it more importatnt to avoid distracrations. But YMMV and if you want a vacuum gauge to see how little throttle you are using then fine. Voltmeters/ammeters, again, haow will they help unless teh dynamo/alternator isn't working? in which case the ignition light comes on. Oil pressure? Oil light comes on, and if there is a real issue (eg when a faulty oil filter lost its threads and blew off my toledo engine) by the time you have noticed the sudden drop, it is game over.  Oil temp, likewise. All these things are useful maybe as a diagnostic tool, but then get rid in my opinion. Oil overheats? fit a thermostatic cooler, fixed. Low oil pressure, find the issue, fix, dump the gauge (or even fit a 20psi BRIGHT warning light, so you get a genuine alert if there is a problem). There is also a reason modern cars fudge the temp gauges so they lways read middle unless just started, or genuinely overheating. I am happy with the over temp warning lights. Too many people obsess over engine temps. The engine will be fine at 100 degrees....

The one to worry about is the fuel gauge.

 

[Colin Lindsay]

2 hours ago, clive said:

The one to worry about is the fuel gauge.

I'll agree with that!! It's a must-do with any Triumph, learn at what point the fuel actually runs out - it might not be right down to the red (if indeed you have a red marking, my Estate doesn't) and you'll come to know what exactly you can get away with.

[dougbgt6]

Peter, Clive, Colin,

You miss the point! I do, infrequently, use it to set the timing, but mostly the purpose of the vacuum gauge is to impress my passengers. 

"What's on Earth is that?!!"

It's very complicated my dear, but let me explain" (Twirls moustache)

Doug

 

[Clive]

2 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said:

Peter, Clive, Colin,

You miss the point! I do, infrequently, use it to set the timing, but mostly the purpose of the vacuum gauge is to impress your passenger. 

"What's on Earth is that?!!"

It's very complicated my dear, but let me explain" (Twirls moustache)

Doug

 

I think we have very different types of passenger. 

[Chris A]

2 hours ago, clive said:

 

The one to worry about is the fuel gauge.

 

 

13 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

I'll agree with that!! It's a must-do with any Triumph, learn at what point the fuel actually runs out - it might not be right down to the red (if indeed you have a red marking, my Estate doesn't) and you'll come to know what exactly you can get away with.

Same here, if I'm going to be distracted then I want it to be by what is happening outside the car. i have enough worries without adding more.

I have thought about getting an oil pressure sensor that has a higher rating, managed to find a supplier here in France to avoid the hassle/cost of importing from UK.

My petrol gauge only goes up to 3/4 with a full tank (it is on my list of things to look at, but . . .) but by the time the petrol is down to about 1/2 the gauge is accurate enough from there, plus i tend to fill up at 150 mile intervals anyway.

[Pete Lewis]

since 1963 i have only run out of fuel once and that was a test drive to buy a car 

worry gauges    best avoided    apart from entertaining dougs friends  \Ha , agree with Clive 

you hear the bang,knock, steam  before you look at the gauge or warning lights 

Pete

[cliff.b]

12 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

since 1963 i have only run out of fuel once and that was a test drive to buy a car 

worry gauges    best avoided    apart from entertaining dougs friends  \Ha , agree with Clive 

you hear the bang,knock, steam  before you look at the gauge or warning lights 

Pete

Do you feel the same about their use in aircraft lol

[dougbgt6]

Damn! Cliff, you beat me to it!

Doug

 

[Jeffds1360]

Ha! My honda crz has an aircraft style dashboard my daughter loves it! Different colours, red green blue and orange, many options through a flick switch 

[Pete Lewis]

28 minutes ago, cliff.b said:

Do you feel the same about their use in aircraft lol

did they have a bandits  behind you gauges   !!!!!!!  

Pete

[cliff.b]

1 minute ago, Pete Lewis said:

did they have a bandits  behind you gauges   !!!!!!!  

Pete

That would be a real "worry gauge" 😄

[dougbgt6]

band-aids possibly. (ran out of electrical tape )

db

[Colin Lindsay]

33 minutes ago, cliff.b said:

Do you feel the same about their use in aircraft lol

Always wondered about an altimeter... tells you how high up you are.

Look out the window.... if things are tiny you're high up, if they're big you're low down. 

[dougbgt6]

I have one on my Iphone, currently I'm 40 metres above sea level.

Doug 

[cliff.b]

I have an additional GPS Speedo that fits exactly in my Spit ashtray. Bought if for my electric bike for £4 and put it in the car as proper Speedo reads low. 

I was driving down the A14, just overtaking someone and suddenly there was a horrible high pitched noise. Slowed down and it went away but a bit concerned. Eventually realised there was a default "going too fast" warning on the GPS thing which I had triggered 🙄. It was probably right 🤔 🙄

[Pete Lewis]

32 minutes ago, cliff.b said:

That would be a real "worry gauge

if they only had a gun sight  there would be less to worry about 

my last Cactus   1200cc  only 3 cylinders   130 bhp  and just a speedo and fuel gauge   you get used to minimal 

as it went like a scalded cat you had to keep eyes on the road 

Pete

[Chris A]

1 hour ago, dougbgt6 said:

Damn! Cliff, you beat me to it!

Doug

 

What worries me about the photo is there seems to be 1 gauge missing - probably the most important one at that 🤔

[Peter Truman]

It’s the one that the needle goes spinning around as you descend far too quickly anticipating a crash well that’s what happens in the films.

[dougbgt6]

Nah, it's a post it note that says

            DO NOT

under any circumstances

    touch this switc 

                                \

                                  \

                                    \

db

 

[Pete Lewis]

1 hour ago, Chris A said:

1 gauge missing

i suggest you have a look in Dougs GT6  he loves lots of dials  

Pete

[Badwolf]

6 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

Look out the window.... if things are tiny you're high up, if they're big you're low down. 

"Ethel, look at those people down there, they look just like ants".  "They are ants you fool, we haven't taken off yet"!!!

As for all the cockpit gauges....wonder how many pilots flew into mountains while trying to read them?