I'm on the fence about getting a digital display vs gauges. I was told to get gauges before i chip my truck. Any suggestions? Advice? I was thinking the Bully Dog WatchDog...

 

Get an Edge Juice w/ the attitude monitor and you get a chip, and a display.... I would get a lift pump before that, though.

 

The stock lift pump was replaced recently... are you suggesting i upgrade it?

 

i bought a Quadzilla for my 01 for the digital display. i have the pillar post gauges on the 99 and i don't like the loss of vision when turning left, the pillar post is already big, now with the gauges it take up just a little more room.

on the post they are real easy to see for sure, i do like them there, just might like the digital better a little out of the way. if i remember right, the Quadzilla has an alarm if anything goes out of range.

 

Gauges.

The 2 people I convinced to go gauges over Monitor have no complaints. The one I couldn't wishes he would have bought gauges.

Gauges are a much more efficient way to monitor "things" without reading and distracting yourself from the road. It's really a form of anomaly detection, you only need to see when the needle is outside of it's normal range - very easy to do at a subconscious level.

 

Have you thought about digital gauge?, flashes when above or below parameters you set.

http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.cfm

 

my personal experience has been this, while some say mech gauges are more accurate, I dissagree. I ran both at the same time and found no variance worth mentioning.
Gauges are NOT more effective. When you have mechanical gauges you have to watch the gauges NOT the road, and why should you need to stare at gauges anyway? what if the pressure drops during the minuite your not watching a gauge? there are times you MIGHT catch an anolomy, but that would only occur if you happen to be staring at the gauge when it happens, take an EGT gauge, you would have to stare at it when at WOT towing or passing or dealing with any adverse driving conditions just to make sure you dont exceed any dangerous temps, with a monitored system it will beep, and automatically defuel your truck so that you stay in the "safe" zone all without having to watch a gauge or adjust your foot on the throttle

benifit of monitored systems is you set a perdetermined value, and drive, no need to watch the display, it will beep to alert you there is an issue. you can concetrate on what needs to be done on the road, NOT whats sitting on your dash, The only time the monitored set up is a distraction to the driver is if he is trying to mess with the monitor when driving, of which there is no reason to be adjusting parameters when driving.


only my opinion, but after having both systems, there is no way a set of gauges can ever be more effective at monitoring engine performance.

of the guys that have run both, I highly doubt the reason they switch either way is because the gauges are the best means of keeping tabs on your engine, its usually cause they like the looks of gauges better.

 

I have an edge cts insight for egt`s, tranny temp., and coolant temp. I have autometer gauges for fuel pressure and boost. Pressure on the steering column and boost on the pillar. I really like the edge cts, you can set it to perameters and if it goes over it will alert you as well, can even set it up to remind you of oil changes and other things. But I do love my autometer guages too.

 

Actually, your brain registers the position of a gauge needle faster than it does a series of numbers.

 

I agree with this. While passing someone on a steep hill, it's much easier for me to glance quickly at a gauge and see if the needle is in the red, than it is to try to quickly interpret a four digit number on a digital screen. As far as relying on the digital gauge to defuel the truck, we can do that too but then there's not much point to having a gauge at all. We might as well mount it under the seat, or just use the truck's factory software.

 

I gotta agree with you guys on that. While I have alerts set on my Edge for certain parameters, i have thought of getting a few gauges for the real important stuff. You can use your peripheral vision to see the angle of a needle, while still lookin at the road. You gotta focus a little more to read a number, especially on a bright day, you really gotta look to read an LCD in the sunlight. Not taking away from a monitor, having 4 sets of readouts taking up very little dash space is nice, and being able to set alerts is good, too. As long as it isnt chiming at ya, keep on the go pedal!

 

The OP was asking about digital vs. analog. Analog wins hands down. nickg is comparing audible alerts vs. analog/digital gauges, which is apples to oranges, so blanket statements like .......

"there is no way a set of gauges can ever be more effective at monitoring engine performance"

..... really have no meaning.

If you took a monitor with digital readout and audible alerts and compared it to analog gauges accompanied by warning lights/buzzers, again, I'll take the analog setup.

 

i personally like my autometers on the pillar. they are right there were you need them at. you can catch any irregular movement of them with your periphials or however you spell that. compared to havin to glance and read the numbers. if you know your rig you know were the needles are at normally.... im just a farmer and a trucker though so this is just my opinion

 

I've never driven anything with the small a-pillar needle style gauges. I choose the digital because the numbers were easier read...... well bigger in comparison to the #'s on the needle gauge.

My perception is that you first look at the needle then look at the number position where the needle is therefore you are looking away from the road longer. It may only be a millisec though.

IDK, all I can say is that I have been very happy with my choice.

 

It's more about typical needle position than reading numbers.