Bd X-monitor

[EEngel]

Hey Guys,



Well, I decides to get the gauges. I called a local shop and he is in love with the BD X-MONITOR.



He wants $525 installed and painted. This is for the boost/egt. I don't think I need the trans or fuel pressure right now.



They can be added later, correct?



Does $525 sound fair?



Anybody have any negative feedback on the unit, besides that it's a bit hard to read if the sun glares it.



Thanx

 

[TCDiesel]

EEngle, you will have to check out my gages before you buy.

 

[EEngel]

Gauges

TWest,



I will give ya a call and set something up.

 

[Mopar_Mudder]

If I remeber correct when I got mine if you want the Fuel Pressure you need to get it right away, cant add is later.



It has to do with the fact that the programing of the unit is different. If you don't get the Fuel PSI version it has the temp reading in it for transmission.



I love mine, was a little sceptical at first. But now having it and just having installed a 3 pillar set in a friends 99, my X-Monitor is much easier to read then his 3 guages, he even thinks so.





P. S. I went for the Fuel PSI, you are already speding alot so what is a little more

 

[EEngel]

More... More...

Mopar_Mudder,



That seems to be the problem... . Just a little more, then a little more... Seems to be an ongoing chain of events.



Oh-well, once the wife leaves me for buying all this stuff, I will no longer need to worry.

 

[Mopar_Mudder]

Re: More... More...

Originally posted by EEngel

Mopar_Mudder,



That seems to be the problem... . Just a little more, then a little more... Seems to be an ongoing chain of events.



Oh-well, once the wife leaves me for buying all this stuff, I will no longer need to worry.

Ya then you will have all kinds of money to spend on toys, or atleast that is how it seems to have happened to me. Surprising how "cheap" a guy can live on his own... ... . LOL



But seriously, I wouldn't wish that on any one.



Have you concidered buy the one with Fuel PSI and install it yourself to save the install cost. I don't recal how much is was when I bought mine from BD directly, want to say about $600. Then I put it in myself.

 

[EEngel]

Install

Mopar Mudder,



I thought about installing it, but when he offered to install it for $95, I just thought "F-it".



Have it done and over with. Seems like the wife gets more ****** about me being in the garage for hours than about spending the $.

 

[Mopar_Mudder]

Re: Install

Originally posted by EEngel

Seems like the wife gets more ****** about me being in the garage for hours than about spending the $.

The lesser of two evils, I understand that

 

[BRayls]

wow. I figure 2 hours to do the job. so I have told many I would do the job for $425,I figure gauges from geno's shipped to me were $368 and change the rest labor.

 

[dozzer]

make sure you tell them its a 04. 5. I got mine from genos a week ago and turns out bd has just figured out how to tap trans temp wire for 04. 5. BD and genos has been very helpfull working on this problem, i just today shipped it back to bd and they are shipping me a reflashed unit compatible for a 04. 5.

 

[EEngel]

Warning

Dozzer,



Thanks for the warning. I will make sure I tell hime a few days before the install.

 

[DLeno]

Was pondering this whole guage thing myself with an eye towards the install asthetics. had leaned toward the dual westach EGT/boost and the SRT-10 pillar. But then I thought: if you TRY to match the gauge face to the stock dash and you dont' do very well at it, then the eye will immediately detect that you have something DIFFERENT in there.



The dodge stock gauges are very nice -- white by day and black illuminated by night. only the di-procols will match that.



and I don't want to loose the grab handle. so separate diprocols are out. only a dual westach or the Xmonitor will work.



So, while the Westach dual unit is very good, it is a white face illuminated by green light at night. And that will make it look different from the stock dash.



And that got me to thinking: if you don't TRY to make something look factory, then the eye will not say "boy you didn't do very well at matching".



Then EEngle teases me with this Xmonitor stuff. thinking now that Xmonitor might be better. yea, the expensive one with boost EGT and fuel pressure. either that or boost, EGT and remote temp. can't decide. I like that it stores peak values. I just don't like the price :-(



where can you get these things for a good price?

 

[PHX ATC]

DLeno - I too, suffer the same dilemma as you on our (oops, her) 2004. The Xmonitor is waaaay too much I believe. Although, I might have to pony up the extra $$$ eventually.

 

[EEngel]

Cheap X-monitor

DLeno,



Maybe if we found a few people we could get a better deal. I will do a little calling tomorrow.

 

[DLeno]

Think about this: if you get the one with remote temp then you can sprinkle temp sensors all over your truck and switch between them. Xmonitor only reads one at a time, but think about it: oil, rear diff, transmission, front diff, where ever you want to put a sensor and how ever many you want to switch. Actually you can do the same with the pyro -- put a thermocouple both pre and post and use one for pulling and the other for shutdown.



I've come to terms with the fact that even with a box like the TST or the never-appearing Edge box mirrage (these boxes have built in gauges) that you still need a separate boost gauge. The reason is that the factory boost sensor poops out near 40 psi (and the boxes use the factory sensor) , so readings in that region wil not be accurate. besides, boost should be measured separate from what the factory sensor sees anyway -- its just good diagnostics. so you need a boost gauge anyway outside of any fueling box you might have. So I'm not so keen on gauges integrated into fueling boxes anymore...



I dont think fuel pressure needs to be continuously monitored. In the 2nd gens, it was critical to nonitor fuel pressure (low side) to prevent VP44 failure. Not so in the 3rd gens. We DO have to worry about the low pressure fuel system, and maybe measure it to see if upgrades are necessary. But I don't think the Xmonitor is the way to measure it. The option is too expensive and it is not necessary. I'm thinking that fuel pressure can be easily and inexpensively measured in other ways.



boost, pyro, remote temp. thats the ticket I think. How does that molded plastic thing attach to the pillar?

 

[EEngel]

DLeno - Mounting

DLeno,



Not sure how it mounts. Just saw that you have to drill a hole in the piller for the wires to come through. Take a look at this link.



BD X-MONITOR INSTALL MANUAL (DODGE)

 

[KO_RAM]

DLeno,



I've been having the same thoughts on guages. I like the Diprocol guages, but I was also thinking about the X-monitor. I think the analog style guages look a little "neater". My dilema is I don't want to mount 3 guages on the pillar. I'm afraid it will obstruct the view too much, and I don't want to lose the grab handle.



I've been thinking a pod on the dash, or the X-monitor on the pillar . I've got a little longer to think about it, I ordered my truck a little over 4 weeks ago, and still waiting for D1.

 

[Gypsyman]

Doug,



Regarding the factory look, the face matches the radio very nicely. I've had ALOT of people get in my truck and ask if the X-monitor was a factory option. As far as fuel pressure goes I believe that the pump uses the fuel for lubrication and cooling. Please correct me if I'm wrong as I'm still learning about these CR's. I've been able to pull my pressure down to 4lbs on heavy uphill pulls and a friend with a pressure box pulls his down to zero all the time.



As far as pricing and service I can't speak highly enough of Geno's Garage. When I had problems BD was worthless! Couldn't even tell me where to install the fuel pressure sensor as I have a Jake with the vacuum pump blocking the recommended location. Thanks to Geno's and his people we solved the install problem.



Now, regarding reliability, this thing is a computer and will hiccup on occasion.



Bottom line, I feel that I couldn't have purchased a better addition to my truck, although with the problems the price is still too steep.

 

[DLeno]

good to know it looks like the radio. not sure about drilling holes into my pillar though...



re: fuel pressure. yes, we need to know where fuel pressure is; many mods will pull the low side down to near zero, thats true. But that fact does not require that we monitor it continuously. Its fun, and I'm a gauge fanatic too, and still tempted, but just trying to figure out what's really important. fuel pressure is something that you need to undersand -- but you don't need to continuously monitor something that you won't take immediate action against. if you find that you drop fuel pressure to near zero, then upgrade something. then you dont' have to worry about it again.



continously monitoring fuel pressure was REQUIRED of the 2nd gens because quick reaction was manditory to save the high pressure fuel pump. that is not a requriement here. dont' get me wrong - I'd love to monitor fuel pressure too, and still may. I just think that the other temperatures might be more important. still wrestling with that.

 

[Mopar_Mudder]

Originally posted by DLeno





re: fuel pressure. yes, we need to know where fuel pressure is; many mods will pull the low side down to near zero, thats true. But that fact does not require that we monitor it continuously.

I totaly disagree, if your truck is bone stock fine. But if it is modified you have no way of knowing when your pump may be getting weak or having problems. Personaly I would like to know before it craps out so I can fix it, rather then when it quits on the road. Most of the time you will start to see a drop in pressures if a pump is going bad. Whats cheaper, an extra $100 for a pressure guage or $3000 for a new injector pump, you tell me.....



Also you don't need to drill a hole for the wire in the pillar, I didn't. You do have to drill holes for screws to hold the mount on, but you have to do that with a full pillar set also, not to mension 4 little holes is way better then cutting your handle off.