Running a stand alone gauge?

[PapaBear229]

Ok guys, for some reason my temp gauge doesn't work at all anymore. I've replaced the stepper motor about 3 times. I believe i may have fried it somehow. I've dabbled in getting a single pillar pod and a gauge for the temp. Would it be as simple as figuring out which wires control that gauge and tapping into them?

 

[IllogicTC]

Ok guys, for some reason my temp gauge doesn't work at all anymore. I've replaced the stepper motor about 3 times. I believe i may have fried it somehow. I've dabbled in getting a single pillar pod and a gauge for the temp. Would it be as simple as figuring out which wires control that gauge and tapping into them?

If you're talking about tapping post-ECT circuit, there's no wires. Just one, that is the serial wire. I don't see a real way to tap into that. I would think tapping the gauge leads would be a non-starter also, as the cluster control would assume it's the gauge as installed from the factory, taking so much power to move to the next step, and assuming so many steps per revolution (a stepper motor pillar pod may have say 200 ticks per revolution, while the default gauge may have 120) which would make for inaccurate readings.

My best guess would be to try tapping the wires on the ECT, though I'm not sure how to calibrate for its specs (the x voltage at low temp, y voltage at another, z at another, etc.)

 

[Mooseman]

I'd be afraid of screwing up the signal to the PCM because it uses that signal to run the engine. There could be more problems with the gauge cluster other than the stepper motor. I think you should try to find another cluster, either from a pick-a-part or on eBay. Saw a few there.

 

[PapaBear229]

It'd be cheaper to just run an app that tell me the temps. I have engine link on my iPhone 4 but I just haven't pulled the trigger on a ELM yet because I don't know how well it'd work might just get torque on my tablet

 

[IllogicTC]

Rigging up a permanent or semi-permanent tablet install is an option. I wonder if those aftermarket head units where the face plate is actually a detachable tablet run a current version of Android? That'd be pretty neat if it were usable as gauges while installed.

The extreme mod could be to customize the pillar's plastic, or getting some sort of custom plastic to fit on it, get a phone with a current version of Android that you aren't using and don't plan to use, rig it up inside with some means of feeding it juice as appropriate, where the screen would be showing through the plastic.

I tend to over-think things.

 

[PapaBear229]

That would be pretty awesome, if IPhones would work properly I'd try to rig something up like that with my iPhone once I get my S5 but I've never heard if them working right. And if I didn't already have a double din touch screen pioneer the tablet radio might would be an option

 

[xhondastyle07x]

use a scangauge

 

[PapaBear229]

Eh, I'd rather chance the 20 dollar ELM than spend 100+ on a scangauge