Just finished the Edge Gauge install . . .

[Mad Dog 20/20]

I finaly got gauges. Long overdue. I selected theEdge kit w/ autometer ultra-lite series oil temp, oil pressure and water temp. Got it from MPact. Rob is da bomb over there. Gotten a lotta shit from him lately.

Anyway, the install is pretty straight forward, but time consuming. The bound instruction manual is excellent with plenty of pictures and well written. The only exception would be where it tells you to put a washer on "either side of the ODB". It really means put a washer on "both" sides, I think (hope).

The kit was packaged extremely well. For the most part, everything is pre-assembled for you. The quality of the workmanship is excellent. Everything looks solidly put together and is aligned right. The senders are already screwed-in the supplied ODB and alu t-stat housing. The guages are already installed/wired in the modified factory sunglass holder.

The install took some time, prolly 5 hours. I played around with the grommet for perhaps an hour, though. I also forgot how much I hate dealing with coolant and slippery fingers/tools as I struggled with the t-stat housing swap.

Its in and it looks very sweet. Unlike other kits I've seen, the gauges are angled up and over towards the driver, which is a must. I doubt I'd be able to read them otherwise. It illuminates amber and dims just like the rest of the OE lights. It is very well integrated in the interior, and is pretty much invisible in the engine bay.

I really look forward to knowing the status of the engine at the track.

Downsides:

The autometer gauge bezels are deep and along with the angled nature of the mountings, they protrude quite a bit and preclude use of the cigar lighter plug! That's a major issue for me. I drive to/fro the track and NEED use of the phone charger . . . luckily my V1 is hardwired. I also use one of those HF impact guns that plug into the lighter socket. Well, I USED to use one. Edge should warn you that you will be eliminating your cigar lighter socket. They should also supply a cap or something to plug it up or cover it. The cigar lighter itself can't even fit in the hole, so it just stays illuminated and empty. A fly in the ointment for such a great-looking kit.

Also, as I was putting in the OBC, it kinda got stuck and I had to use a lil elbow grease. It went in, but it slightly scratched the top of the gauge mounting plate, which is apparently clear/white plastic painted black. I scratched a tiny bit of the paint off and now need to touch it up. This plastic should be solid black plastic, which would make it much more resistant to scratches.

Also, how do you remove the OBC or the guage panel? There is no way to reach up under the OBC and unlatch it like before, so everything is now pretty much permanent, and man-handling the OBC or the guage panel is gonna result in scratches to the panel.

P.S.
I now have an Aluminum T-Stat Housing and OE sunglass holder for sale.

Here's a pic. The color of the panel matches the OBC very closely, much better than the pic depicts. The grain of the panel is slightly different and apparently reflects the flash differently.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v351/xsverdict/Edge2.jpg

[e30sd]

pics?

[BMWManiac]

you can always replace the cigarette lighter with a push button start like I did! :)

As far as needing the cigarette outlet, look at bavauto.com for one that plugs into the flash light socket in your glovebox...problem solved for $8.

[Mad Dog 20/20]

As far as needing the cigarette outlet, look at bavauto.com for one that plugs into the flash light socket in your glovebox...problem solved for $8.

Schweet.
Thanks

[Realhotguy77]

How much that kit run u for?

[Mad Dog 20/20]

MPact (http://www.mpactmotorsports.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=36_84_54&products_id=79) sells it for $409.00

[resisTm3]

looks good... nice job on the install :cool

brett.

[Erik@EDGE]

Mad Dog,

Thanks for the post and the pics! As far as removing the OBC again, you can slide a credit card between the gauges and the obc and give it a wiggle, comes right out.

Currently our faceplates are custom molded and the material ends up a grey color. We will look into dying it or something during the process.

The cigar lighter issue is a problem, especially if you have a straight charger. I like the idea of another outlet in the glovebox, we will check that out as a possibility.

As always, we appreciate the feedback, this is version 8 or so, and we are constantly making improvements to deliver the ultimate guage kit.

[beatniks325]

looking good! I wish I had guages :(

[mlytle]

where did you run the wires through the firewall for the sensors?

[Mad Dog 20/20]

Thanks for the compliments guys.

There is a grommet/hole in the firewall on the passenger side just below the ECU/Air Injection Pump area.

I may be able to dremel the cigar lighter to get it to fit past the bezel. Only needs a few mm's to slide by. :)

[sawbones]

Excellent write-up! That's the same set up I'm looking at.

[nordique14]

I have the Edge gauge package installed. I never noticed a problem using the cigarette lighter plug. I have a Y-adapter that plugs in fine. I figure the reason it works is that the adapter plug is a little smaller than the BMW lighter plug so it can be pushed at a little bit of an angle instead of having to stand straight up. Funny thing is that in my other non-BMW car, the adapter fits super tight. I always figured the plug was a standard size. I guess not.

If you do get a Y-adapter, get the Radio Shack one. It's rated to 10amp. I bought a cheapie one at Fry's. It was probably only about 3amp and melted down wihen over loaded. It didn't even blow the fuse. It just melted! The Radio Shack one is worth the couple of extra bucks.
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F009%5F001%5F002%5F002&product%5Fid=270%2D1535

[Mad Dog 20/20]

Yep, dremelled the cig lighter, fits now.
Also touched-up the minor scratches with a thick-tipped black Sharpie.

Perfect! :alright

[jmargo]

I added a radio shack 12V acc plug to the side of the console.
Looks almost stock. Ran the wires from the original 12V sourse.

[defigh]

Anyone know what these gauges would be if you bought the seperately? Basically...think the kit is worth $400??

[MVEED3]

The install took some time, prolly 5 hours.

That reminds me of some of my installs. There were times where being anal got the best of me and minutes would turn to hours.

BTW, kit looks good and you'll be less stressed with the extra piece-of-mind at the track. Good choice in mods as usual.


Allen

[M3corey]

looks good .. i had this kit as well but with the vdo guages and they werent angled .. but overall great kit ..

[Mad Dog 20/20]

Anyone know what these gauges would be if you bought the seperately? Basically...think the kit is worth $400??

Who knows?

Add it up . . .

Oil Distribution Block
oil pres. Sender
oil temp sender
water temp sender
tapped alu t-stat housing
heat-resistant tubing
wiring
autometer oil temp gauge
autometer oil pres gauge
autometer water temp gauge
OE sunglass holder
various taps, zip ties, washers, etc.
Detailed color picture instructions

Labor:
pre-installed/wired gauges in custom angled gauge housing pre-installed in Oe sunglass holder
tapped t-stat housing

Any time you buy a "kit", you are paying for the convenience of having some of the technical/difficult/tedious stuff already done for you, R&D, parts sourcing, easy plug-n-play instructions, tech support, and one-stop shopping. How much this convenience is worth depends on the individual consumer.

[mlytle]

Anyone know what these gauges would be if you bought the seperately? Basically...think the kit is worth $400??

oh yes, it is worth it. i just went through a no-kit spa install in my race car. it came out great, but it would have been a heck of a lot easier if someone else had done all the individual sourcing of all the adapters, sensors, bits and pieces. see thread on edge digital gauges in this forum for a pic and more info.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=316492

marshall

[DNK]

Looks nice. Can't wait for mine to come in... but they still haven't shipped them yet :(

[beatniks325]

what can u tell us guys without the guages about the engine temps. about how long before the oil is hot? how hot have you seen the oil get? how about coolant?

just wondering, stuck here with the stock guage. i really wish BMW wouldn't have put a MPH guage in the U.S. cars but an oil guage like the euros.

[Erik@EDGE]

Oil takes a while to get hot, you will see around 140-150ish under light use, long trips will stabilize at around coolant temps. Oil temp will spike to 200 or 220 if you are autocrossing or thrashing a bit. Water temps generally stabilize at around 210, you may see spikes to 225 or so (and you will note that the factory gauge will center at about 140, and it won't move until somewhere north of 240 at which point you are already in trouble!)

[beatniks325]

Oil takes a while to get hot, you will see around 140-150ish under light use, long trips will stabilize at around coolant temps. Oil temp will spike to 200 or 220 if you are autocrossing or thrashing a bit. Water temps generally stabilize at around 210, you may see spikes to 225 or so (and you will note that the factory gauge will center at about 140, and it won't move until somewhere north of 240 at which point you are already in trouble!)

yes, I agree with you. the stock guage should really just be a light that flashes "pull over now and turn the engine off or else"

thanks for the info.

[95RogueM3]

I added a radio shack 12V acc plug to the side of the console.
Looks almost stock. Ran the wires from the original 12V sourse.
Is that the same panel that Edge sells? Your Gauges look like they are really angled (which is a good thing).

What gauges do you have (autometer, vdo??)

thanks

[jmargo]

Yes its the EDGE pod. The out side guages are VDO. Voltage and water temp. The middle is a SPA guage that gives me Oil Temp and pressure.
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=233072&highlight=SPA

[m3fuz]

I just installed the kit recently (VDO as opposed to autometer) and I love it. The gauges look great in the car and light up very nicely as well. I'll have to take some pics when I get home.

Edge shipped out the package quickly and it was packaged very well. Thanks!!

[DNK]

Ah dam, Edge doesn't know if they work with M42s yet. Heh, I'm never going to get these gauges :(

So just an FYI, M42=??? with these (I know all you M3 guys care, right?), but they're working on it... Also, respect to Edge for good customer service in the matter.

[BSH]

Mad Dog,

Can you post a pic from the view of a driver looking down at these gauges? I want to see how visible they are from a driver's perspective.

Thanks in advance. :)

[Mad Dog 20/20]

Mad Dog,

Can you post a pic from the view of a driver looking down at these gauges? I want to see how visible they are from a driver's perspective.

Thanks in advance. :)

I'll try to get you one.

They are very visible/readable with just a slight tilt of the head. I don't think flat gauges would be.

However, having been on the track a hand-ful of times with these now, I can say that ANY gauges mounted THAT low are gonna be of limited utility during the heat of battle. On the track, you have to really pick your spots as to when you are gonna check'em, because when you look down there, you ain't gonna be seeing much of the track or what's going on around you.

Best spot for utility purposes would be on the A pillar or in or above the center vent.

[vjlax18]

Rotate the gauges so that the "normal" position of the needles is vertical. A quick look is all you need to see 3 vertical red lines.

[m3fuz]

Here's the only pic that I have from a driver's perspective:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/fuzinjax/107-0726_IMG.jpg

[BSH]

Thanks for the pic. :)

Oh, man. What a difficult decision. I prefer the subtle appearance of the gauges in the center console area but the A-pillar pod is much more visible...and less costly.

The other thing is that I always use that shelf under the OBC for (temporarily) storing my cell phone, wallet, pen, etc.

What to do?? :dunno

[m3fuz]

Thanks for the pic. :)

Oh, man. What a difficult decision. I prefer the subtle appearance of the gauges in the center console area but the A-pillar pod is much more visible...and less costly.

The other thing is that I always use that shelf under the OBC for (temporarily) storing my cell phone, wallet, pen, etc.

What to do?? :dunno

They are very subtle. I didn't like the way other gauges were flat, and almost facing the back seat. Edge did a great job designing this kit.

[318daily]

Thanks for the pic. :)

Oh, man. What a difficult decision. I prefer the subtle appearance of the gauges in the center console area but the A-pillar pod is much more visible...and less costly.

The other thing is that I always use that shelf under the OBC for (temporarily) storing my cell phone, wallet, pen, etc.

What to do?? :dunno

I was advised against the A-Pillar. For one, it is ricey. Two, it is distracting since it is in your field of vision. And three, thugs will smash your window and take off with $100 worth of gauges.

When you have gauges, you only need to glance down at them to make sure the needles are in the correct place. It's not like you're going to stare at them for 30 seconds while you're driving 80+ mph.

For storage space use the glovebox, door side pockets, or the cupholders in the center console.

Yes the kit can be pieced together for 1/3rd of the price, click the blog link in my sig. ALthough, if i had $400 to spend, i'd get the Edge kit because of the convenience.

[Mad Dog 20/20]

Rotate the gauges so that the "normal" position of the needles is vertical. A quick look is all you need to see 3 vertical red lines.

Yeah, the guages are set-up from Edge to place the oil/water temp needles at about 12 o'clock at operating temp. "Reading" them does not take long at all - just a glance is required. I didn't mean to say that these suck or are not a good mod. Overall, I am VERY happy with them. Would do it again, for sure.

For a street car, I think the sunglass holder area is the best compromise of aesthetics/visibility. I would not put them anywhere else in my car. It IS a compromise, however, and most dedicated race/track cars put the gauges up high in the line of sight . . . for a reason.

But, I don't think the loss of "storage space" is an issue AT ALL. Put your glasses on a visor clip, or glove box, or whatever. No big deal.

[vjlax18]

Well if you have the cheap OBC, just put them in that hole instead. I could care less if my washer fluid is low... I'll know when it's time to wash my windows. :)

[BSH]

m3fuz,

How well do your VDO Vision gauges match with the rest of the interior lighting? I presume Edge provides amber diffusers, correct?

I was just a little surprised by LeatherZ's rather bold claim on their site, "OEM-matching amber illumination (only available from LeatherZ)". How can they be the only ones that have been successful in matching their gauges to OEM lighting? :confused

[m3fuz]

m3fuz,

How well do your VDO Vision gauges match with the rest of the interior lighting? I presume Edge provides amber diffusers, correct?

I was just a little surprised by LeatherZ's rather bold claim on their site, "OEM-matching amber illumination (only available from LeatherZ)". How can they be the only ones that have been successful in matching their gauges to OEM lighting? :confused

You'd be surprised how the VDO Vision gauges match - I'd say identical. I'll try and get pics tonight for you so that you can see it.

[G. P. Burdell]

You'd be surprised how the VDO Vision gauges match - I'd say identical. I'll try and get pics tonight for you so that you can see it.
Even with the standard red diffuser, the VDO Vision gauge is a reasonably close match to the BMW amber illumination. The Vision gauge typeface is also very similar to the instrument cluster lettering.

Attached is a picture of the Vision water temp gauge I stuffed into my driver's side vent. You can compare it to the color of the instrument cluster in the background.

EDIT: Posted a better picture.

[Loud_TIGER]

does anyone have a mount for the radio location?

[vjlax18]

edge has one

[Erik@EDGE]

You betcha! There are pics on the website, and Gordon and I (as well as several club racers) are running the radio slot kit. Email me if you need more info!

[Bernanke]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v351/xsverdict/Edge2.jpg


Hey mad dog, where did you get that shifter boot surround peice (the silver one). I really like how that looks, especially with the CF console, just curious. Looks great, ima get the gauge kit too, thanks for writeup.

[giterdone]

Hey mad dog, where did you get that shifter boot surround peice (the silver one). I really like how that looks, especially with the CF console, just curious. Looks great, ima get the gauge kit too, thanks for writeup.
what supa said.

But Garrett, do you still need a cap for your lighter plug spot? Because I will jack one out of one of the work cars at my unit, and mail it to ya if you need. :D

Just lemme know, if you do want it, pm your address, and I'll send it out today or tomorrow. ;)

[giterdone]

Rotate the gauges so that the "normal" position of the needles is vertical. A quick look is all you need to see 3 vertical red lines.
yeah all vertical, or soemthing similar about them all is easy. An old friend of mine; his dad raced his 1st gen rx-7 in scca. He would have all of his gauges piont to 3 o' clock, because he knew if they were all pointing at each other, he was correct. Same concept just different direction. But something to that effect is what seems like it would be best.

[Mad Dog 20/20]

what supa said.

But Garrett, do you still need a cap for your lighter plug spot? Because I will jack one out of one of the work cars at my unit, and mail it to ya if you need. :D

Just lemme know, if you do want it, pm your address, and I'll send it out today or tomorrow. ;)

Thanks guys. I got that shift surround from a Canadian company, like 3 years ago, I think. I can't recall the source. Sorry.

Thanks Giterdone. But I just dremelled the cig lighter a bit and it fit right in.

[giterdone]

Thanks guys. I got that shift surround from a Canadian company, like 3 years ago, I think. I can't recall the source. Sorry.

Thanks Giterdone. But I just dremelled the cig lighter a bit and it fit right in.
oh cool. Well if you happen to remember the exact company, will you please let me know?

Also that is good about hte cig lighter, I know I would be annoyed by seeing htat little orange light just a glowin at night. Didn't want to leave ya stranded in that sense.