It's just my opinion but I'd much rather have an Apex-i AVC-R or whatever the turbo/boost controller is called, because you can get much more precise measurements and a more exact peak boost memory, etc, plus it's got so many more features built into it. All that in one device or a simple gauge that just shows boost. I'm curious why a person would pick the guage instead? Is there REALLY a benefit to being able to look at your boost gauge while driving? It's not like you can't feel it if the car is performing incorrectly, like say a leak that is causing low boost. So what use is the gauge?

 

a boost gauge has many puposes. one of them is to be able to tell how much you are boosting in regard to rpm and by that yo9u can tell the efiiciant shift points. another use is to be able to tell if everything is ok with your car like no leaks and no boost creeps etc...

i suggest that you read some technical magazines to get a better understanding of turbo cars. IMHO, boost gauge is one of the most important mods you can do and that is why it has always been my first mod along with all the other gauges.

 

I drove around for almost a month boosting only 11psi before I got a boost gauge. I then found out that I had a crimped hose coming from the stock boost solenoid. I couldn't tell I was down on power because the car still felt fast pushing only 11psi especially after breaking it in.

 

haha on 11 psi it still felt fast??? damn welcome to 19 psi... its a diff world

 

It's good to have (and monitor) in case you're experiencing boost spikes as well. Without monitoring it's damn near impossible to know until something catastrophic happens. Short periods of intense heat CAN and WILL cause damage and failure in the long run if not sooner.

EDIT: Too tired, realized Mr Blonde already mentioned boost creep. Just reinforcing that I guess.

 

Prime use for a boost guage in my Supra is to double check on boost after I've tinkered with my HKS EVC boost controller. I do this periodically, turing Channel A down and Channel B up, or vica versa, then driving the car and checking whether I'm really happy with the boost level I've chosen. The guage gives me a better reading than the controller does.

I'm happy right now running my cat at 11 psi on Channel A and about 17 psi on Channel B. A few months back I had the settings at 15 and 19, but I wanted something more conservative for the street. If I race the car I can turn Channel B up again, using the guage to double check the way I have dialed in the controller.

I don't own an Evo (yet), and I don't know much about the car, but I would think the guage is of most use to those of you who are tinkering with boost levels using a contoller rather than accepting he factory setup; otherwise, you can live without a boost guage (though it might help with the eventual sale of your car).

Cheers from a Supra owner considering a second car.

 

I do not believe he was saying that a boost gauge is not important ... I think he's saying that he'd rather just use an all-in-one device such as an HKS EVC V boost controller that has a digital gauge built in, or the APEXi that he mentioned that does the same or something silmilar. He was just wondering why people choose to go with stand alone needle gauges opposed to the all-in-one devices that are usually digital and show highest peak boost much easier. Just the way I read it but i could be wrong.

 

If my interpretation of your question is correct ... then I'd have to say that I agree with it. I prefer to use an all-one-device (boost controller/gauge) ... it reveals peak boost, and it's also easy to moniter while driving. In other words ... for me, it does everything that a needle gauge can do + the peak boost display which I believe is extremely beneficial when setting my EVC V.

 

If my boost gauge were electrical and ran off my EMS I never would have known that my MAP sensor was configured incorrectly. Thankfully the gauge is mechanical and the difference in readings from my MAP sensor and boost gauge pointed to incorrect configuration of one. The fact that my wastegate was opening at 5-6psi on the boost gauge pointed confirmed this.

Obviously it's personal preference, but I believe that running a mechanical boost gauge on top of electronic monitoring allows for better diagnosis of problems. Helps allow for ease of troubleshooting...though honestly it does allow for more points of failure as well.

 

Good point Hobie ... I'll take this into consideration.

 

My own HKS EVC instruction booklet, ironically, says to double check the boost level you've dialed in by correlating it with the boost guage readings.

I think I'd advise anybody using a boost controller, and especially if they have other mods like an intake and an exhaust system, to have an analog boost guage as well. Just seems like a smart investment.

 

Cool. Thanks for the education, guys!

 

not a problem!!

good luck

 

I'm a fan of the mechanical gauge as well.

 

you can also get analog boost guages that have peak hold... like mine.. 60mm greddy warning/peak recall etc... i would honestly trust the analog guage more than a digital one that is on a boost controller... since the analog guage ONLY USE is the measure boost and was specifically built just to do that... the boost controller was built to be a boost controller and they just added an extra feature of boost readings...