I bought this kit for an S52 Build. Everything mentioned in the review is based off an S52, it may be similar for an M20 installation.
Price- I'm going to do this first because if you can't afford it you shouldn't bother reading the rest. Just remember you have to pay to play and quality isn't cheap. The setup I got is AFR, Boost, Water Temp and Oil pressure. This is probably one of the most expensive setup combinations. I ended up ordering the wideband separately through ebay because it was cheaper, but if you order it direct through PODI, it comes out to $690 for this exact setup.
Fit and Finish- I like the way the gauge mounts, it was very well designed. It slides into the vent and locks in place on the factory studs for the vent. It is very secure and clean looking. It also comes with the removal tools to remove if needed (think radio removal tools). The finish is pretty much spot on to factory. It doesn't add virtually any weight either.
Installation- Wiring was pretty straight forward, it came with a basic diagram with some notes for what sensor goes to what input. If you can do some basic butt connectors and source power and ground, you can wire this. The hardest part is running the wires cleanly through the dash and engine bay. You will need to purchase some extra butt connectors and such.
OIL: The oil pressure sensor looks like a quality unit, not just a cheap universal sensor. SS body with weather tight connector. I had to buy a separate adapter to be able to run my factory dummy light and the new oil pressure sensor. Even if I wanted to eliminate the factory sensor I would still need an adapter from factory to 1/8npt. I don't think this was mentioned on their site. This was an additional $30 over the $690 initial cost. You don't need to run a factory oil pressure dummy light if you don't want to as the PODI gauge has a low/high warning system for every sensor. That is a neat feature for sure.
BOOST: Pretty straight forward, one wire and a piece of vacuum line. I had to purchase the vacuum line separately, it was an additional $5 at a local parts store. The sensor is very compact and will fit in many places. I have it mounted in the dash. It's about a 1" cube.
Wideband: Welded in a bung that is supplied with the kit, and installed. Pretty straight forward.
Coolant temp: There are probably a few different ways to do this, but I opted to buy an adapter that goes in the coolant hose. It's not as accurate as drilling and tapping the head, but far less labor intensive. Adapter was an additional $15
Function- The gauge works well, and the readouts are effective. They are not slow like some digital gauges. You are able to set low and high limits on the readouts, as well as set brightness in the gauge. It also works off the dimmer of the car if wired properly. There are 4 small icons in the center of the gauge showing what the displays are. Everything works well together and communicates properly. My one and only issue with this gauge is the 4 little icons are barely illuminated during the day. The LED's just don't cut it. This is only an issue with the red ones I am told as the other colors light up fine. They are dim enough that I was actually told to send my gauge in to have it looked at. We thought they were not working, but apparently they were. They changed a couple things and it is ever so slightly better but still not correct IMO. At night the lights are all visible. The actual gauge readouts are visible constantly, just not the little pictures.
OVERALL- If you have the money invested in a gnarly build, don't be afraid to spend a little more on some gauges to monitor you car. This setup is expensive, but is well worth the money. It is customizable to whatever your needs are and it is integrated into one unit. There is no "ricey" gauge pod on your pillar attracting the attention of people that don't need to know. It really is a clean setup.
Initial purchase/build time for the gauge was a little slow. They were waiting on a sensor that was on backorder before they shipped it even though they were told to ship it anyways. Small miscommunication but not a big deal.
When I had to send the gauge in, the customer service was top notch. They covered shipping both ways, priority. They were in touch with me before, during and after the sale and repair. It took a week to send it out, repair and return to my door.
I would recommend this gauge to anybody building an E30 looking for a gauge, it gets a solid A.
Brightness all the way up. Overcast day.
Before modification
Price- I'm going to do this first because if you can't afford it you shouldn't bother reading the rest. Just remember you have to pay to play and quality isn't cheap. The setup I got is AFR, Boost, Water Temp and Oil pressure. This is probably one of the most expensive setup combinations. I ended up ordering the wideband separately through ebay because it was cheaper, but if you order it direct through PODI, it comes out to $690 for this exact setup.
Fit and Finish- I like the way the gauge mounts, it was very well designed. It slides into the vent and locks in place on the factory studs for the vent. It is very secure and clean looking. It also comes with the removal tools to remove if needed (think radio removal tools). The finish is pretty much spot on to factory. It doesn't add virtually any weight either.
Installation- Wiring was pretty straight forward, it came with a basic diagram with some notes for what sensor goes to what input. If you can do some basic butt connectors and source power and ground, you can wire this. The hardest part is running the wires cleanly through the dash and engine bay. You will need to purchase some extra butt connectors and such.
OIL: The oil pressure sensor looks like a quality unit, not just a cheap universal sensor. SS body with weather tight connector. I had to buy a separate adapter to be able to run my factory dummy light and the new oil pressure sensor. Even if I wanted to eliminate the factory sensor I would still need an adapter from factory to 1/8npt. I don't think this was mentioned on their site. This was an additional $30 over the $690 initial cost. You don't need to run a factory oil pressure dummy light if you don't want to as the PODI gauge has a low/high warning system for every sensor. That is a neat feature for sure.
BOOST: Pretty straight forward, one wire and a piece of vacuum line. I had to purchase the vacuum line separately, it was an additional $5 at a local parts store. The sensor is very compact and will fit in many places. I have it mounted in the dash. It's about a 1" cube.
Wideband: Welded in a bung that is supplied with the kit, and installed. Pretty straight forward.
Coolant temp: There are probably a few different ways to do this, but I opted to buy an adapter that goes in the coolant hose. It's not as accurate as drilling and tapping the head, but far less labor intensive. Adapter was an additional $15
Function- The gauge works well, and the readouts are effective. They are not slow like some digital gauges. You are able to set low and high limits on the readouts, as well as set brightness in the gauge. It also works off the dimmer of the car if wired properly. There are 4 small icons in the center of the gauge showing what the displays are. Everything works well together and communicates properly. My one and only issue with this gauge is the 4 little icons are barely illuminated during the day. The LED's just don't cut it. This is only an issue with the red ones I am told as the other colors light up fine. They are dim enough that I was actually told to send my gauge in to have it looked at. We thought they were not working, but apparently they were. They changed a couple things and it is ever so slightly better but still not correct IMO. At night the lights are all visible. The actual gauge readouts are visible constantly, just not the little pictures.
OVERALL- If you have the money invested in a gnarly build, don't be afraid to spend a little more on some gauges to monitor you car. This setup is expensive, but is well worth the money. It is customizable to whatever your needs are and it is integrated into one unit. There is no "ricey" gauge pod on your pillar attracting the attention of people that don't need to know. It really is a clean setup.
Initial purchase/build time for the gauge was a little slow. They were waiting on a sensor that was on backorder before they shipped it even though they were told to ship it anyways. Small miscommunication but not a big deal.
When I had to send the gauge in, the customer service was top notch. They covered shipping both ways, priority. They were in touch with me before, during and after the sale and repair. It took a week to send it out, repair and return to my door.
I would recommend this gauge to anybody building an E30 looking for a gauge, it gets a solid A.
Brightness all the way up. Overcast day.
Before modification
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