Boost Gauge opinions

[04QuattroTurbo]

Hi guys, I'm thinking of getting a boost gauge. There are three places to mount these things and is sort of tossed on where, A pillar, driver's side vent, or the steering column.

My question, if I place it at the vent, would the vent still be functional? Post pics if necessary to see the difference. Thanks.

[b6onboost]

The vent will still work, you just cannot direct the airflow.

I recommend one of these:

http://podi.ca/Packages.aspx?CarID=1

[OneBadAudi]

The vent will still work, you just cannot direct the airflow.

I recommend one of these:

http://podi.ca/Packages.aspx?CarID=1

X2...Great service, got my pod in like 3 days after i ordered it

[onceover]

I like my VMR vent gauge. it doesnt mother me at all that i cant adjust the vent anymore.
We'll see when winter comes

[widgget]

i almost just bought the one with the red digital gauge....... but they don't appear to have the base in beige........ damnit!!!!!!

still don't know about that German company that has a little box that will display boost (amonge other things) on the dash LCD screen, that looks like it's for the S4 only....... not to mention your shit out of luck when the pixels deside to die like in allthe B5s i have ever seen.

my fav idea is still the custom LEDs installed into the dash around the tach, that is a clean looking setup.

back to square one i guess, maybe a black steering column wouldn't be the end of the world............

[jojoampt]

just paint it to match.. thats what i did.

[JMRQuattro]

The vent will still work, you just cannot direct the airflow.

haha i would have thought that would be a no brainer. "HMMMMM, i wonder if i can still get air out of my vent when i cover it with an object" lol . You'll only be getting air out of the sides of the vent basically. Anything the gauge doesn't cover.

[04QuattroTurbo]

I have a black steering column so I found one that will match. Any disadvantages to mounting it there?

[VMRWheels]

A-pillar placement *may* interfere with the airbag deployment
Steering column placement blocks parts of the cluster
vent placement prevents you from directing airflow

However, on the vent placement, the driver and passenger vents are the same, so you can move it to the passenger side if you really want vent functionality on the driver side.

[04QuattroTurbo]

A-pillar placement *may* interfere with the airbag deployment
Steering column placement blocks parts of the cluster
vent placement prevents you from directing airflow

However, on the vent placement, the driver and passenger vents are the same, so you can move it to the passenger side if you really want vent functionality on the driver side.

Wouldn't that defeat the dual zone climate control? Why didn't Audi just include a boost gauge on a turbo boosted car? Sheez, my friend's 1988 Dodge Colt Turbo had one!

[misterjj2u]

Wasn't there a write up about someone who was able to get a LED boost gauge to show up in his rearview mirror?

Using this boost gauge: http://www.dynotunenitrous.com/store...?idproduct=131

Seemed like a cool idea...if you're OK with taking apart your dash a little bit...

[rxrep]

My opinion, for what it's worth:

If a gauge was supposed to be in an air vent, then there would be gauges there from the factory. I don't think a gauge should be in a vent. It just doesn't look right.
With that said, my favorite is winston's podi. The other "podis" are knockoffs of his and we should always steer AZ people towards one of our own before the people who steal his design.
And with that said, I fabricated an a-pillar from a honda a-pillar single gauge mount. At that time, podi's weren't out yet.
I've seen blown bags on a B6. The pillar splits up high and remains intact and connected down low. If you keep the pillar pod tucked down towards the corner right at where the windshield, a-pillar, and dash meet, you shouldn't have airbag problems. If you want to rice-out and put it halfway up your pillar so's everyones on the road can see yer gauge, yo, then you will have airbag problems, as well as douchebag problems.

[phsingl]

I'm also mulling this question over at the moment. I'd rather not impact the stock interior too much and I really only want to use the gauge for diagnostics versus "show". I like the look of the rear view mirror stealth mount that I've seen elsewhere on the forum but I'm not sure I've got the patience to do that (although props to Doug) - I may hunt around the interior for alternative positions - the ashtray looks like one candidate, but I'm not sure that its reasonable to put there and look at whilst driving...

[eclimax13]

the podi looks awesome, lots of people have asked if its stock..i never notice that it blocks 0 to 10 mph..

[widgget]

My opinion, for what it's worth:

If a gauge was supposed to be in an air vent, then there would be gauges there from the factory. I don't think a gauge should be in a vent. It just doesn't look right.
With that said, my favorite is winston's podi. The other "podis" are knockoffs of his and we should always steer AZ people towards one of our own before the people who steal his design.
And with that said, I fabricated an a-pillar from a honda a-pillar single gauge mount. At that time, podi's weren't out yet.
I've seen blown bags on a B6. The pillar splits up high and remains intact and connected down low. If you keep the pillar pod tucked down towards the corner right at where the windshield, a-pillar, and dash meet, you shouldn't have airbag problems. If you want to rice-out and put it halfway up your pillar so's everyones on the road can see yer gauge, yo, then you will have airbag problems, as well as douchebag problems.

are you saying that you feel the pod from podi.ca will interfere with the airbag? i like the one on the right ride of the column, i don't' want the gauge on the left of the column.......

[rxrep]

are you saying that you feel the pod from podi.ca will interfere with the airbag? i like the one on the right ride of the column, i don't' want the gauge on the left of the column.......

No, not at all. I was talking about a-pillar pods. Winston's podi on the steering column is the sweetnezz.

[04QuattroTurbo]

No, not at all. I was talking about a-pillar pods. Winston's podi on the steering column is the sweetnezz.

I'm leaning towards a steering wheel mount at the moment, since it seems to be the easiest/best place for me to have it. If it blocks the instrument cluster, what will it block? The date and time?

[Turbo1A4]

i just finished the wireing on my awe vent boost gauge and its been cake it looks so damn good like it was there from the factory the paint matched perfectly cant wait to hook up the boost line tomorrow

[AudiA4Turbo22]

i like my podi but i love the vent gauge setup i think it looks factory that way.

[LampyB]

the podi looks damn good for what it is, but i'm picky and even though it only blocks a small amount of the instrument gauge it will drive me crazy. it sticks out like a sore thumb. the vent mount looks the cleanest IMO, but out here in CO we have fairly extreme weather and i don't know if i can give up the positioning of the vent that keeps my fingers warm when it's -10 in the mountains!

right now i plan on going with the rear view mirror mount. only problem is that the digital gauge alone is pretty damn expensive. it's such a clean look i'm willing to be patient and wait until i'm able to do the mod. and BTW i really enjoy modding my car, so if it takes three hours to scrape away at my mirror i don't have a problem with this at all. if i complete it successfully, i'll gladly do it for others that aren't so daring!

[[email protected]]

My design blocks up to the 20mph depending on how you have your steering column height setup. That's it. It doesn't block the center DIS or block the tach like the 'other' pods sold.

If you really care to know how much you are boosting I don't really understand the need to know if you are doing 20mph.

Anyway... the primary reason I made my pod instead of buying an AWE vent unit is quite simple... I did not want to have to look at a vent, then look at a small dial 2 feet away, refocus and then try to figure out what the boost reading is.

With the gauge in your field of vision right in front of you it is easy to read and it is positioned on the right hand side so your right eye can focus on the boost gauge and your left eye on the tach. Put both gauges in the same depth of field and you can only make out one or the other clearly.

There was some thought put into my design other than aesthetics.

[AudiA4Turbo22]

^^agreed

[rxrep]

To each his own, but the words "factory" and "vent gauge" should never be in the same sentence. No factory would ever put a gauge in an airvent, sorry. Especially, as Winston mentions, that far away from the other gauges. It's out of place no matter how much the color matches.

[pondside36]

This is a pic of my Podi with the VEI gauge while I was sitting in the drivers seat from chest height. I'm 5'6" and I sit close to the wheel, it blocks almost nothing. I can see the odometer and entire MPH gauge while driving which is slightly blocked in this picture. I hope that helps.

[kwimberly]

I would say my Podi blocks up to 25 mph. I have my steering wheel pretty high and the seat all the way down and slightly back. I'm 6'0 170 lb. You can tell in the picture above that the wheel is pulled way down - that would be too close to my legs.

I thought I would hate the podi blocking any portion of the speedo, but I honestly don't even care now. I watch the tach and gauge more anyway. The only time I look at the speedo is when I'm in a known speed trap or if I see a cop.

Crappy cellphone pic:



BTW - I like how the picture above and my picture show the exact same idle and vac - nice!

[04QuattroTurbo]

Thanks, guys, but the model I'm thinking of getting has the pod on the left side of the wheel, so reversing it in relation to your pics, it looks like it may be blocking the red area of the Tach and maybe the date. Which doesn't matter to me, I think. LOL

Can you use any vacuum hose (like the SeaFoam thing) to tap for a boost line?

[pondside36]

Kwimbery, wierd... we almost have the same amount of gas and time as well too.. lol. To the OP you're talking about the New South gauge for the left side I believe... any vacuum hose of the right diameter should work fine with some zip ties.

[[email protected]]

Be forewarned about how those other pods attach to your steering column.

[04QuattroTurbo]

Be forewarned about how those other pods attach to your steering column.

What's the warning/danger?

[[email protected]]

Those other pods are thin 'hat' units which attach to your OEM column cover with double sided tape, glue or velcro.

How you then plan to run the lines to the gauge afterward I have no idea. Well I do but it isn't a pretty thought.

My design and the vent gauges actually replace the section they fit in for a much cleaner end result. Except for the ECS vent unit which isn't even close to being paint and texture matched correctly.

[kwimberly]

^^^^^^

wow, I didn't know that, Winston. I had actually considered a "left-leaning" steering column mount, but I'm glad I got a Podi instead! They really don't replace that column piece - they sit on top of it? So, you can either run the lines through the pleather piece and sandwich them in between the pod and the OEM column piece or just duct tape them to the side? nuts.

[[email protected]]

I have a few of those pods sent back to me as part of my trade in program.

If you ever got to hold one of the other pods in your hands you will understand the difference in manufacturing.

If you look carefully at the pictures you can see they have no attachment points anywhere so they have to be stuck onto the OEM piece.