Oil gauge install - 2003 SP20

Orion · 02-12-2007, 06:16 PM

Hey everyone,

I have recently completed a little project of mine that I have been doing on & off for the last 6 months or so. I wanted to get a better idea of what my engine was doing as the car is continually undergoing modifications and is being taken further away from factory operating specs. Therefore, I decided that I wanted to put oil pressure and temperature gauges into the car, just to get a bit of additional feedback on how things are performing.

Just so you don’t lose interest, I will show you the finished product:
http://www.shutter7.com/coppermine/d...age-762-0.html
http://www.shutter7.com/coppermine/d...age-762-1.html
http://www.shutter7.com/coppermine/d...age-762-2.html

So, as you can see, I didn’t want to use a single din gauge holder in the radio space or have gauges on the A-pillar or on the steering column. After a few careful calculations, I worked out that I could fit two gauges in one of the central airvents – although I would have to relocate the hazard light switch in order to accommodate it.

After chasing around a few places locally I eventually found Alan Mears in Perth that was willing to have a go at making modding a radio surround to suit my needs. The end product was very good. Care and attention was paid during this part as he even took the whole thing apart halfway through because he could see a crack in the paint where the gauges holders met the console. A big thank-you goes to Alan for helping me out with this as I could not have completed the project without his custom piece.

The gauges that I ended up getting were Autometer Ultra-lite II full-sweep electric gauges. The sensors for these gauges are connected to a remote oil filter relocation kit that I did at the same time as I installed the gauges. I have wired up the gauges to turn on when the full headlights are being used. For some reason, when I turn on the high beams, the gauges don’t stay lit – I will try to sort this out soon.

Enjoy guys. Please post comments and/or questions. Cheers.

02-12-2007, 06:16 PM	#1
Orion SP20 Member! Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Brisbane Car: Mazda SP20 sedan Posts: 1,769 View Photos By: Orion	Oil gauge install - 2003 SP20 Hey everyone, I have recently completed a little project of mine that I have been doing on & off for the last 6 months or so. I wanted to get a better idea of what my engine was doing as the car is continually undergoing modifications and is being taken further away from factory operating specs. Therefore, I decided that I wanted to put oil pressure and temperature gauges into the car, just to get a bit of additional feedback on how things are performing. Just so you don’t lose interest, I will show you the finished product: http://www.shutter7.com/coppermine/d...age-762-0.html http://www.shutter7.com/coppermine/d...age-762-1.html http://www.shutter7.com/coppermine/d...age-762-2.html So, as you can see, I didn’t want to use a single din gauge holder in the radio space or have gauges on the A-pillar or on the steering column. After a few careful calculations, I worked out that I could fit two gauges in one of the central airvents – although I would have to relocate the hazard light switch in order to accommodate it. After chasing around a few places locally I eventually found Alan Mears in Perth that was willing to have a go at making modding a radio surround to suit my needs. The end product was very good. Care and attention was paid during this part as he even took the whole thing apart halfway through because he could see a crack in the paint where the gauges holders met the console. A big thank-you goes to Alan for helping me out with this as I could not have completed the project without his custom piece. The gauges that I ended up getting were Autometer Ultra-lite II full-sweep electric gauges. The sensors for these gauges are connected to a remote oil filter relocation kit that I did at the same time as I installed the gauges. I have wired up the gauges to turn on when the full headlights are being used. For some reason, when I turn on the high beams, the gauges don’t stay lit – I will try to sort this out soon. Enjoy guys. Please post comments and/or questions. Cheers. Last edited by Orion; 02-12-2007 at 06:22 PM.