SPA gauges?

[BTighe]

just wondering how accurate they are compared to an anolog(sp?) gauge. i like the setup but i want to make sure there good enough.

 

[MCrossley]

to be completly honest I was one of the biggest supporters of them when they first came out when Nowel (HVAC) was selling them that was until they changed them and the reliability went to you know where in a handbasket and if you want them fixed it is expensive I am going to go with the TST on my 05 this time with the built in gauges nice and simple.

 

[JR2]

I have them, I love them and I hate them. I have two units in my truck. One has been flawless since the day it was installed 5 years ago and the other has been nothing but trouble. SPA has been really good and replaced the head unit (the actual gauge in the truck) 4 times now. As a matter of fact I should be getting #4 in the mail tomorrow.



So if you don't mind tinkering with them once in a while and can stand the $$$, get them.



As for accuracy, I belive the SPA was the hands down winner in the EGT gauge test back when it was in the TDR mag. There thermocouple reacted faster and was the most accurate.

 

[BTighe]

thanks for the replies. for the kind of cash they cost i will not be working on them. that just aint right IMO. does anyone else make dual digital gauges?

i dont like the westech ones. danin optix might will be the way im gonna go if i cant find an acurate digital gauge setup. i dont like the BD monitor and dont plan on a tst for a while(warrenty). thanks again

 

[BRobertson]

I've had great service from my Dakota Digital gauges(2 fuel pressure, 2 EGT, boost, air pressure, oil temp,etc. ) They just started making dual gauges.

Bob

 

[BTighe]

gotta link anywhere? thanks

 

[DHayden]

I have 3 SPA gauges and I like them alot. The only problem I have is that the backlight on 2 of them only work when they want to, lately that hasnt been very often but the other one has been great.

 

[MCrossley]

That is the problem with 95% of them the backlights are very poorly designed circuits that cannot take the vibration of the diesel, it would not bother me expect they do not stand behind their products even though they know full well they are a flawed design.

 

[prestonmck]

just wondering how accurate they are compared to an anolog(sp?) gauge. i like the setup but i want to make sure there good enough.

I like my egt/ boost spa gauge. My boost will sometimes read a negative number and i'll have to re-calibrate it to show 0 psi at idle. Other than that it works flawlessly. There expensive but IMO it's the best out there.

 

[pwerwagn]

I have a question about the digital boost gauge.

When you are on it hard, how can you read the boost? does it change so fast when accelerating that it jumps 10psi at a time or something? I guess the same goes with EGT, Does it climb so fast that sometimes you cant tell what you are at?



--Jeff

 

[Matt400]

My son has 3 of them in his 03. Been in there for a couple years and one had a back light failure that SPA stood behind.

#ad

• Boost / EGT
  
• Rail Pressure / Oil Pressure
  
• Lift Pressure / Trans Oil Temp
  

 

[prestonmck]

I have a question about the digital boost gauge.

When you are on it hard, how can you read the boost? does it change so fast when accelerating that it jumps 10psi at a time or something? I guess the same goes with EGT, Does it climb so fast that sometimes you cant tell what you are at?



--Jeff

The boost reading has a user selectable averaging time that is ajustable from . 1-25. 0. I have mine at about . 4 and can clearly see the boost change from 0 psi all the way up. The egt display has nor requires ajustment and is clearly readable throughout it's range. These are cool gauges and have many additonal functions. SPA doesn't call them gauges, they call them microprocessors.

 

[Matt400]

One thing nice about the EGT gauge is it can double as a a cool-down devise with a selectable temperature. MCrossley figured out that circuit.

Here is a thread with a diagram-



https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124981

 

[prestonmck]

One thing nice about the EGT gauge is it can double as a a cool-down devise with a selectable temperature. MCrossley figured out that circuit.

Here is a thread with a diagram-



https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124981

Hey Matt. I would like to use my spa for cool down timer on my '05 but was curious if the lift pump would still be in operation when the key is pulled out. Sounds like the wiring would most likely be different in the '05 as well. Anybody try this on an '05 truck yet?

 

[Matt400]

I think the run and run/start wires are different color on the 05. The lift should run in cool-down same as the 03. I did one on an 02 and it works real nice. I was going to do my 03 but never got around to it before selling it.



edit I just took a look at the 05 colors and see that the diagram I drew should work the same except the #3 cavity has a pink wire with light green tracer and the #14 cavity has a pink wire with yellow tracer.



3 is Run/Start and 14 is Run on the 05, same as the 03.

 

[DHayden]

My boost will sometimes read a negative number and i'll have to re-calibrate it to show 0 psi at idle.

Mine also show's -1 to -2, I always thought it was normal because in a gas engine at idle their is actually a vacum. Diesel's may not be the same but I can't see why they wouldnt be, correct me if I'm wrong so I know.

 

[prestonmck]

Mine also show's -1 to -2, I always thought it was normal because in a gas engine at idle their is actually a vacum. Diesel's may not be the same but I can't see why they wouldnt be, correct me if I'm wrong so I know.

I know what your saying but mine would show -12 or more at idle and wouldn't show a positive boost reading until I was well under acceleration. Even at full boost it would only read about 20psi. And I assure you there were no engine performance problems. After re-zeroing the gauge,if that's a word, boost readings were normal including 0 psi at idle.

 

[prestonmck]

Mine also show's -1 to -2, I always thought it was normal because in a gas engine at idle their is actually a vacum. Diesel's may not be the same but I can't see why they wouldnt be, correct me if I'm wrong so I know.

Another thing about the spa boost gauge or any other boost gauge for that matter is they are designed to measure boost pressure not manifold vaccum or venturi vaccum etc. So at idle there is zero tubo boost.

 

[JR2]

SPA's will read neg press (vaccum).



The SPA's also have a memory that holds the peak values in them. So you can see the max numbers at the push of a button.



I rezero my SPA's on a regular basis. Seems to be temp dependen. I see -1 or -2 all the time. Its real easy to zero them out. The newer units seem to hold zero better than the old ones.

 

[prestonmck]

SPA's will read neg press (vaccum).



The SPA's also have a memory that holds the peak values in them. So you can see the max numbers at the push of a button.



I rezero my SPA's on a regular basis. Seems to be temp dependen. I see -1 or -2 all the time. Its real easy to zero them out. The newer units seem to hold zero better than the old ones.

It seems the pressure sensor on SPA's boost gauge is affected by changes in atmospheric pressure. If I zero the gauge before I go to work at 1,300 ft. above sea level and drive up to about 5,000 ft. , it will eventually show around -20 boost at idle and under accleration maybe get to -5 to 0 psi. I noticed this today. When I returned to 1,300 ft. elevation at the end of the day it will read o psi. at idle and normal reading all the way up. The next time I go up in elevation, I'll zero the gauge up on the mountain after it acts up and see if it will register accurately . If I'm correct, as I decent the mountain and loose elevation ,the gauge should start showing incorrect numbers again. The gauge has needed to be re-calibrated only a few times when driven at a consistent elevation since I've installed it. It seems large elevation change of 4,00 + ft. will affect it regularly.