what is the difference between electric and mechanical gauges? Which are better and/or easier to install? I know this might sound like a stupid question to most of you but I was always taught that the stupidest question is the one never asked.

 

ok, i think that the difference would be that electrical one would show digits and mechanical has the needle and numbers like a clock. IMO i think that both perform similiar except the electric one is overpriced. I think that both are fairly easy to install. I've installed a mechanical one before, but not a electric. Anyone feel free to correct me...hope that helped.

 

Bump! I would like to know a more detailed answer to this too.

 

Mechanical one and an electrical one both can read in bar and psi.

I will use DEFI as an example.

The Defi Blue Racer gauge series is mechanical. Meaning that they do not require a control unit to operate them. Installiation is very easy.

Blue Racer = http://www.egauges.com/Defi/br_top.html

The Defi LinK Meter Gauges are electronic. They require the Control Unit II to operate them. If you are doing a series of gauges they are very easy to hook up to one another in a link format. Since you have to have the control unit you also have the nice feature of play back mode. Hit record, run through the gears, then hit play and see where your boost was at every RPM in every gear. Peak and Hold Features shows you what the maximum boost that you hit was. I loved my Defi Link Meter electronic gauges.

Link Meter = http://www.egauges.com/Defi/bf_top.html

Control Unit = http://www.egauges.com/Defi/cu2_top.html

Hope this helps

 

Tha diferrence has nothing to do with the face of the guage it has all to do with how the reading are sent to the guage. On a mechanical guage like my Apexi boost guage I have to run a vac hose all the way to a mani source. on an electrical guage all information is translated to the face through sensors, and all that will have to be run through the firewall is some wires, in addition you can also run alot of todays more popular units through on center command unit which most times will also allow you to play back guage readings etc, hope this helps

 

An electronic gauge gets its signal from a sending unit. This sending unit translates the mechanical reading into voltage that the gauge then translates into something we can understand, such as a needle movement or digital read out. For instance, an electric oil pressure sending unit would be mounted in an oil line under the hood and there would be an electrical wire sending current from the sending unit to the gauge. The gauge itself reads only voltage from that unit, not the actual pressure.

A mechanical gauge would have a pressurized hose running directly to the back of the gauge instead of just a wire. The needle on the gauge moves in direct relation to the pressure pushing against it.

Your boost gauge is most likely mechanical and every other gauge on your car is probably electronic.