Most Important Gauges Off-Road

Most Important Gauges Off-Road
Thanks for watching and Please Subscribe: / ronbacardi666
Support the creation of videos at Patreon.com/RonnyDahl
Find us at the links below:
Website: www.4-wheeling-in-western-aus...
Facebook: pages/4-Whee...
For more details, Off Road information & Videos visit www.4-wheeling-in-western-australia.com/

[@krump7429]

This is probably one of the best tech videos you have ever done. The combination of a "real world 4wder" and your experiences combined with the "professionals" opinion is a fantastic concept. I will rate this video a 10/10 lol. Great to see travis make an appearance again on the channel. More of these videos for sure.

[@adamcameron1859]

Travis did a good job. Good to hear from him. He got more comfortable towards the end being on camera.

[@EFFICIENTSELF]

Great video Ronny very well explained. A detailed video on the scan gauge would be great and would be as good benefit as this video has been . Cheers 👍🍻

[@GrumpyAustralian]

Scan Gauge, Yes please.

[@adovr1610]

Scan video, I vote yes!

[@mark2073]

And how to get alarms

[@Kad0n]

Yes please

[@StatusImages]

Yeah for sure

[@SPARTAN-107]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[@canyonoverland5003]

Canadian here. I had a 1978 Mack dump truck (the body style Mad Max drove) with an EGT, except it was called a pyrometer. It was a large analog gauge. It was especially adept at measuring air cleaner restriction. The more the air cleaner was clogged, the easier the pyro would shoot up - especially on long hill climbs.

[@Phil_McAvity]

Travis is a natural, he looks comfortable on camera lol.

[@TheSchumacher07]

Definitely want to see a vid on the scan gauge mate 👍

[@neilocoop]

Great video. The Scan gauge is awesome, fitted one for towing full time with caravan, just gives you the piece of mind knowing temps in real time.

[@me47584]

I have a scan guage , I use this so I have 4 digital gauges, without having to fit pod gauges etc, I have it set for volt, get, cwt, boost, and with all the other features the gauge has in my opinion best bang for buck invented . Great video guys keep up the great work 👍😁

[@gregtoth7534]

Absolute gold fellas, thanks! Run a Scan Gage myself and feel it's a far more accurate way of monitoring what's going on in the engine. I would love a dedicate video to this device. Thanks again for such an informative video. There's a lot of BS out there and this cuts through the myths. Well done.

[@kadmow]

It also lets you see the values the ECU is getting - rather than a separate system which may read different values.

[@johannvanschalkwyk2141]

This I enjoyed and it adds a log of value, thank you.

[@andrewmcwilliam8353]

Great video. Thanks. One of the best indicators I added was an indicator light wired to the glowplugs. I found I can travel about 4km in a ZD30 Nissan Patrol before the glowplugs turn off! Having cracked the head at 180k and discovered the crack was between the glowplug tube and the exhaust valve. Suspect it was localized heat from too much right boot when the engine was cold. Now I have 380k on clock with no problems. Glowplug light ON = no right boot.

[@FishandHunt]

Best 4x4 channel in Australia mate, keep up the good work 👍🏻

[@rd4660]

Love my ScanGauge on my Fuso!! It gives me so much information.

[@chiefus3536]

Great Video Guys. Definitely want a full video on the scan gauge.

[@freex4803]

Nice to watch. For those of us with older engines without EGT I suggest an oil temperature gage. It reflects the actual load on the engine. I have it on my Disco I and it really shows well the effort on the engine. I never go over 120 degrees (taken after oil cooler). It also teaches how to moderate the right foot in sand. In your scale I would give a 6/10. One note on oil pressure gage. 9/10 to me. Saved my engine after a leak developed in the oil cooler return pipe! Sheers

[@Dorko85]

Thought this video was going to be a let down... surprisingly it was very informative. Really enjoyed it Ronny and Travis. 👌🏽

[@jamescockroft8454]

Great vid Ronnie. That’s another yes for the scan gauges

[@Matt-yv8ye]

This helped allot. I haven't added any aftermarket gauges just yet and this gave me a decent guideline. Especially the reminder on tire size vs odo and speedo

[@krump7429]

Scanguage mate. Does so much more than just a stand alone egt guage ect can do. Best investment ive made on my dmax for piece of mind to know whats going on.

[@fatteraj]

Great video, really informative. One thing I'd like to mention about volt meters, the red battery light will only come on if your alternator completely fails. I've had cars where the alternator is outputting just enough voltage to keep the lights off but not enough to put any charge back in the battery. Also your warning light won't tell you if your alternator is over charging, driving around with it pumping out 18 to 20 volts can really mess up modern engine management systems. So while I agree that it's not as important as egt, coolant temp or fuel level, I think a decent digital voltage gauge is still a must.

[@CraigPettigrewPhotos]

Awesome video. Would love to see a scangauge video, programming and fault codes.

[@P38Upgrades]

Nice video. Very important. I would rate the oil pressure much higher because: a) can give you a hint about viscosity when engine is cold - if oil looses viscosity pressure it will be approx the same when engine is cold or hot. in normal conditions, pressure will be higher when engine is cold; b) can give you a hint about any obstruction in the system that can make pressure rise. I also would consider an AMP meter also important: a) to get information about the status of the alternator (charging/not charging) and, b) have a hint if I'm charging or not the batteries, mainly when there's more than one.

[@customcraftnadventure]

Great Ronny, I learnt something. I never really know which parameter is most important to display

[@dirtydaddy21]

good to see Travis back

[@johngrant7979]

I own a scangauge and have to agree with coolant temp and auto transmission temp as prime choices .. mine being a DPF equiped vehicle the other two gauges I find are a must is the EGT ( exhaust gas temp) BUT also my DPF soot level gauge . The EGT and DPF gauge go hand in hand and you can monitor how often a DPF burn is carried out 👍 Good presentation 👍

[@graemecooper4100]

Good video guys. As a mechanic myself with a patrol td42t my aftermarket gauges are egt,water temp, boost and twin volt.

[@kristiangronberg3150]

Engine oil temp! Yeah, you can use the oil pressure gage to see when the oil is running hot and the pressure goes lower. But if you don't have a reference point, you don't know what you looking for. Personally I have one Guage for temp and two sensors, one in engine oil and one for engine water, then a switch to choose between what I want to see. If I were driving an auto I probably put in a 3 pole switch and a sensor for the gear box. It's one of those things, specially if you have tuned your engine, if you run engine hard, (water tenps might be fine) the engine oil might be cooked, and run down the life of the engine.

[@dubrovink66]

Absolutely agree. In my opinion at least as interesting (if not more) as the coolant water temp. It gives a way better impression of the real engine temp than the CWT. Your engine is not ready to perfrom when the watertemp is high enough, but when the oil temp is high enough! (And this takes much longer than to heat up some coolant.)

[@lag_profil]

I actually really enjoy my oil pressure gauge. This might not be a problem in Australia, but here in the bitter cold Swedish subarctic it's quite useful. When I start driving , I read 4+bars of oil pressure at 2000rpm even after the cooling water temperature is at working temperature. After a few minutes of driving the oil pressure will go down to 2 bars at 2000rpm. Now it should have the proper viscosity to sufficiently lubricate a fast spinning turbo for example. After this oil pressure drop, or oil pressure normalization, I'm confident to floor it when accelerating on to the motorway or overtaking. I daily drive a 1993 Isuzu Trooper 3,1TD on 31" tires.

[@paulandhelenakathenats4320]

👍🏼 from us for the OBD gauge video, thanks guys.

[@brandonstaton9667]

Thanks for the great videos. I’d like to see more on the scan gauge. I’ve been wanting to get one.

[@BorisEkner]

If you loose you’re coolant, remember that the water temperature probe does not measure air temperature. Meaning, without an exhaust temperature gage you won’t know your coolant is gone until you’ve fried the engine.

[@andrewconlon3825]

Love the video. Very informative. I would love to see a video on scan gauge and other systems

[@scoobalimalima]

Another great vid Ronny, it has definitely solidified my decision to get an EGT gauge especially as I've just had my turbo upgraded and engine retuned, plus I hit the sand quite a bit so I definitely want to keep a close eye on how hard I'm working my engine. A video on OBD scanners would be great. I just recently put an UltraGauge in my Hilux mainly to get my car out of limp mode as I was having issues with my old turbo but now I'm starting to look at all the sensors it has available to read, I'm particularly interested in setting up the fuel usage/amount etc and how accurate this is, especially as I'm considering a long range tank in the future, it would be good to see what Trav and yourself have to say about them. Cheers

[@itlldoo6128]

way more guages than i have on my 1991 80 series lol... got fuel and speed thats about it and a little red light for oil, works ok !

[@d2kwazza57]

KISS=keep it simple stupid I reckon

[@frankingrati7847]

Yes to the Scanguage video. Please do both models (2 and 3).

[@PistonShack]

Thanks Ronny! Greetings from Canada.

[@Birdsville2014]

Hi Guys, Great video! I would essentially agree with your ratings, possibly giving the auto trans temp gauge a slightly higher rating. With the 200 Series it is very easy to tell when the standard transmission locks up by monitoring temperature via the ScanGauge. When towing driving in 4th enables the lockup to occur at any speed above 80. When towing up hill you are able to pick the best throttle position to keep the transmission temp lower. With respect to a ScanGauge video, yes very worthwhile. Once again thanks for the video.

[@harrywest6624]

Good shit! Yeah a scan gauge video would actually be amazing. I’m currently debating upgrading to a scan gauge from my super centre copy

[@greg9000]

thanks for the video and yes to a scan gauge video

[@stevec1835]

Very informative, thank you.....

[@moorabinda]

Great video. Would love a scan gauge vid also please. Different camera angles though are driving me a bit crazy. Feel like I have strabismus 🤪 Keep up the great work. 🤘🏾

[@ThePepperford]

Timing is perfect. Just getting some gauges for my 80 series.

[@032254855]

think the oil pressure gauge should be up the list a bit if your oil light doesn't come on and you have a major oil leek like my old man when he started his truck one morning and a hose came off and dumped most of the oil on the ground in less than a minute you could bugger your motor pretty quick he only new about the leek from the guy that followed him out the car park. We also had an old tractor that would pop the seal on the oil filter on cold mornings

[@chrisrippon6176]

Yes please full video on the scan gauge would be great

[@JosephVE3GKT]

Having Travis on was great! Keep him around!

[@el-drachoontour3071]

Great video! Thank you for this well explanation. I would like to add my experience from overlanding and full-time travelling. (1) I use the Scan Gauge since years, very versatile and many functionalities. I use especially the water temp gauge quite often and I agree with you regarding this. The little console you showed for the Scan Gauge is nice. (2) I really like the oil pressure gauge. Ok like you explained if you always use your rig in the same climate, same area and under same conditions it is not so important, agree, but for me travelling the many differnt places in the world this gauge totally makes sense; for example: Knowing my rig very well, I clearly see when I get oil of lower quality at some places and I clearly see when it is worn out much quicker than high quality oil. I also realised differences in pressure when using oil filters form different manufacturers (3) Did I got it right, that you recommend to mount the EGT sensor after the turbo? Why? I think too high EGTs might lead to damages of the turbo, so I would like to know what temperature the turbo gets (after it you will have completely different readings)?! Could you please explain, thx! (4) I recently fitted a pressure gauge monitoring the onboard system, ok, not really necessary and nice to have only. But for a "gear junkie" like me a must have ;-)

[@brandonerlacher4365]

Great video, everything was explained very well, a scan gauge video would be awesome.

[@Adhdroamer]

I definitely agree with the list and yes the top 6 all thats really needed. And yes please a video on scan gauge

[@neillendrum5745]

Great video. Results did not surprise and were based on solid logic. Well done. I am looking to purchase an aftermarket gauge and would love to see a comparison between the major gauges on the market (eg scan gauge v ultragauge).

[@markp4668]

Scan Gauge Vid please, maybe even different models of scan gauge. On you Ronny love ya channel.

[@untrainedprofessionals2374]

Grab yourself a bluetooth scan tool plug it in and use with your phone. Plenty of ODB apps out there.

[@alastairc.5219]

Excellent video, cheers guys. A video on the scan gauge in addition to including OBDII Bluetooth senders (to phone apps like torque) would be really helpful. Thanks for the great content - much appreciated. Cheers!

[@MsandMrspinact]

Alastair C. Yeah I second that. I gather scan gauges are a great bit of gear but do any of the apps compare?

[@ThePyleDriver]

I've used Torque Pro and other OBD2 solutions but have found the Banks SuperGauge / DataMonster (and associated analog sensors) to blow them all out of the water. Couldn't recommend more highly. Their support is exception too including a dedicated Facebook support group. I've got a Gen 4 LS (L94) swapped 2009 JKU and the data logging and multiple pages of custom gauges with alarms have been invaluable in getting running perfectly. www.bankspower.com/i-2696-banks-idash-1-8-datamonster-aftermarket-can-ecu-primary-gauge-for-aftermarket-ecus-can-bus.html

[@trunksviper6583]

is a good starter list to keep in check

[@louiskudlak2256]

Interesting video 👍👍👍 lov Travis, he’s a natural on video, scan gauge video please 👍👍👍

[@adamwagz]

Great video mate was just thinking g of what gauges to get, would be keen to see the scan gauge vid

[@bg9575]

Good stuff Donny 😝

[@michaelwilcox9559]

One of the best ones yet so much information please do one on the scan gauge and if possible the scan gauge 2 please

[@hotflashfoto]

In North America, CWT is called ECT = engine coolant temp. For my rig, I'm planning what gauges to put on it, and the top 6 are on my list. EGT, ECT/CWT, Trans, Volts. The vehicle already has working Fuel and Speedo gauges, it doesn't have boost, it has a tach, and an oil light (idiot light). I think you rated them fairly well, and with good sound reasoning behind your ratings. Thanks!

[@bigmike20101993]

Would love a detailed scan gauge video, on the lc 79 vs and the pdp 200, so you can compare both

[@gr8pies]

Yes a detailed comparison video on the scan gauge and other gauges that do the same would be great. I drive a 2014 200 series and mounting ideas would be appreciated. Would also love more info on towing with a six speed auto box and wether in auto or set to 6th gear is best. This would be appreciated. Gerry

[@MVous86]

Funny, I just installed gauges in my truck about a month ago and I added Oil Pressure (truck doesn't have one OEM), Voltage (no OEM, again), and Vacuum since I'm not boosted. Vac gauge gives a lot of good information (when you know how to read it) and is used as a diagnostic tool. OEM cluster has a ton of good info other than the aforementioned OP and V.

[@TimsBitsnPieces]

EGT is more common and used primarily for Turbo vehicles. A great video with lots of info for those that are not mechanically minded.

[@jemty9564]

Mate Big yes on the OBD reader and there functions . Diagnostic fault finding and codes to compliment please cheers

[@LarrieEasterly]

Great video, very informative. Am a bit surprised that you did not include an oil temperature gauge in it. Travis mentioned that the transmission fluid operating temperature was critical to the health of the trans.To me that knowing the oil temp would fall into the same category. Engine oil looses viscosity as it gets hotter. The engine can still have oil pressure at the same time the oil is at or above its maximum operating temp. Looking forward to both you thoughts on this.

[@claymcculloch2729]

love to see a video on the scan gauge!

[@blinkybill2563]

Yes please would love a video on the digital gauge as I am thinking of buying one.

[@jailbreakoverlander]

I NEED TO GET A TEMP GAUGE ON MY WHOLESALE TRANSMISSION TY RONNIE.

[@brandonstaton9667]

I was curious if a scan gauge would read trans temp on my 97 80 series. Do you know?

[@NAGoodness]

80 Series isn't OBD2, so no it won't.

[@cdbeen123]

def scan gauge vid , cheers

[@benhoward9837]

Yes please on the multi scan tool. I've got one and I have very limited knowledge on how to get the most out of it.

[@AlexandarHullRichter]

I had an 81 Toyota where the voltmeter read 0-16 volts, with index markings at 11 and 14 volts. It was a road car, so there wasn't a huge electrical demand, but I got to the point where I could tell what accessories were switched on at idle by only by checking the volts and RPMs. I could also gauge the battery condition by what the car sounded like when starting, but if I wanted to use the gauge for that, I could switch the ignition on without starting. Telling the difference between 12.4 (good battery) and 11.9 (battery on the way out) wasn't difficult after I get used to reading that gauge. Gauges like that become useful with experience, not just from pre-recorded values.

[@xbeast6772]

Yes please, do a segment on the scanner.

[@philsymons9614]

Cheers Ronny, These 'tech vids' are awesome. I reckon an interesting vid for yourself and your regular crew would be 'Why did you select the 4wbie that you have'.

[@daveanderson8097]

Yes please a vid on the scan gauge would be awesome

[@victormccullough6008]

Ronny/Trav. Great video. Would love a seperate video on the Scan Gauge including how you run 2 of them. I have one but can’t see how you would be able to connect two of them. Thanks.

[@steventummon6594]

To me the most important one is oil pressure and water temperature . On Modern cars by time the oil pressure light comes on you've probably got no engine oil and you've seize the engine. With electrical water temperature they don't work if you get a hole in the radiator and you've got no water they don't work on Steam

[@WesternAustraliaNowAndThen]

I suppose extra information is a good thing but we drove the old diesel 60 series for years pulling a huge brick of a caravan with the 60 fully loaded inside and a boat on top. We went all over the state without any issues and without all the new-fangled gauges. I guess the more complex engines become the more info you need to have about what is going on. There are two new things I would add to any vehicle, a TPMS and a coolant drop alarm.

[@holgermuller2987]

G’day Ronny. Good idea to make a intro video for the scan gauge and ultra gauge. I run both with an adapter and find it great to have the major information on 2 screens in a blink of an eye. Switching levels in the gauges on the drive is not recommendable to fiddle around while driving. On the 200 series there are some information available to show as many people will have different preferences. And it is all learning by doing your selves. So please start simple on it for most of the readers with an introduction, everyone needs to learn how to set up and what is important for them to experience. Torque converter lockup switched on or off will be the best sample to see on the scan or ultra gauges. RPM goes up, torque converter and pan temp shoots instantly up and moreover the diesel consumption goes up as well. In the new world of warning lights “on off” this little gauges are the ripper ! Showing in front of your noose the most necessary readings for your engine health and economy for the little money the gauges cost nowadays is in my book a must have. Keep going and looking forward some more team up vidoes from you both. Cheers

[@kevinhavers2188]

Excellent video. I would have liked info about coolant gauge and sudden loss of coolant possibly not registering and possible solutions. Also I think it's important to have an alarm on the gauge because I'm not always going to be watching it even though I might have intentions of doing so. I've got an ultragauge and am going out to check my selection now. Again excellent video

[@ojbarberena7090]

Yes please do a video on the scanner.

[@jymonfernandez8087]

I would love a video on the Scan Gauge! The reason I clicked on this video was to learn about it but oh well.

[@renedeboer7348]

thnx Travis for explaining and Ronny off cours :-) very good video and Ronny wel done guys Ronny will be lost with about you travis lolllllllll :-) ;-)

[@auladepiano]

I use Defi Link display. With EGT. CWT and Boost gauges. Electronics. They are just perfect

[@whoneedsachefanyway1320]

I’ve watched this one a few times Ronny… love how you put these vids together mate. I do have a question 2 yes down the track.. Have you seen the EC offroad screens upgrade for the 200 series? They attach to the OBD somehow, and I was thinking instead of getting the scanguage or Ultraguage etc… just using the screen display… it should be much the muchness right?

[@Malc664]

Yes for Scan Gauge vid.

[@madcratebuilder]

Scangauge II can be programed to show any sensor your OBDII system has. Screen shows 4 readings and you can program a dozen or more.

[@aidanlamont8150]

Hey Ronny, love the vid! On a non dpf model how would one go about connecting the egt to the scan gauge rather than having a mechanical gauge ? :)

[@steveberg2685]

Another video on how to set up a scan gauge or app and in particular how to get access to the PIDs you need would be great.

[@johnfitzgerald5158]

My Ram 2500 has a digital info screen in addition to analog guages. There is a single screen that I can display that has coolant, trans temp, oil temp and oil pressure displayed digitally in one place. I would rate the trans temp as one of the most important. You can really see a temp increase on loose sand on a scorching day, or under heavy load on inclines. It's a good reminded to give your truck a break. I'd say oil temp and pressure 2nd and coolent temp 3rd. A three can tell you when something is wrong. The other guages are a given. If I run out of gas, at least I didn't bomb my engine or tranny. If my battery takes a dump I can replace it.

[@bretthogno]

Awesome video. I agree with Travis in air flow rather than pressure. I want to get more efficient power with my cruiser without changing turbo and stuff Can you do a modified on the PDP cruiser? as I know the air intake system is all changed. Power outputs and efficiency would be good to know what's done and how efficient it is..

[@shaungleeson6904]

Great video mate. Scan gauge video would be great

[@shaungleeson6904]

A deal on the gauges from PDP would be good too lol

[@davidlinos2761]

Loved this ep. agree with the list with the exception of the boost. After the install of my 3” exhaust “GU Patrol” and boost gauge I was over boosting and getting check engine light. This was concerning until in installed the Dawes valve. Never looked back, but it was the gauge that helps me diagnose. “Backyard mechanic and all”. Maybe more diagnostic, but I found it extremely helpful. My GU IS 2003 and apparently can not communicate with scanguage. Are u guys aware of another option.

[@brunobruno5763]

Ronny would love a rundown on the use of scan gauge

[@Ibdrekly]

Great video here in the uk i drive a defender 300tdi tuned... I rely on my gauges in this order egt/water temp/oil light/volts/speedo between 30 & 65mph (under 30 is anyones guess 😜) fuel gauge less so as fuel stations here ar plentiful. I would like some advice on the best place to fit a transmission temp sender as it is an auto (yes auto lol) I plan to fit a second cooler for piece of mind but it would be interesting to know temps.

[@anthonyroberts5372]

Scan Guage video, yes please including how to deal with issues and clear problems

[@brunobruno5763]

video on the scan gauge would be great Ronny

[@LockyourHubs4WDing]

With a decent OBD2 interface and something like an Ultragauge (with programmable alarms) you really don't need any more aftermarket gauges, except to monitor accessories.

[@matthewlloyd6]

Scan gauge video would be great to see!

[@michaelgrunwald6253]

Hey Ronny, I use my odometer as a second fuel gauge. I have a good understanding how may k's I get out of a full tank, off road, on road, ect.

[@jeffreybagley2897]

Ronnie, I would love to get your take on traditional winch cable vs synthetic winch rope.

[@carlosdonestevez7068]

As a truck driver or as you call it lorry driver i can tell you its a good thing to get your exhaust temp up it help to throughly clean you dpf filter obviously you don't want to overheat your vehicle but short of that hot exhaust is a good thing.

[@Undies790]

After fitting frontier tank to my px ranger. I had the issue of gauge sitting on full till half tank. Then dropped a LS3 and 6l80e in it and fuel gauge would only tell me when it was full, half and just about empty. Got a Scintex digital fuel gauge now, I know how many millilitres I use. Know exactly how much fuel has been used. With torque app I can monitor 7 out of the 9 since I don't have any forced induction yet and fuel is Scintex gauge. Very useful app used with blue tooth sender out of obdi port.

[@Undies790]

Scintex digital fuel gauge will also monitor 2 separate tanks. Very handy if running off a main and second tank. But if your second tank drains into main tank you only need the main tank monitored.