Aeroforce Interceptor gauges for the Ecotec Atom2

[Heywood-Yablowme]

I need to add gauges that are readable and am looking at the Aeroforce Interceptor unit. Anyone using one,and can you get oil pressure off the ALDL or do you need to run the oil pressure sender Aero sells? Thinking of a dual guage setup,which will give me 4 parameters of information on display at all times and warning lights. Seems like a nice setup with minimal hookups.It also datalogs,which is nice. Probably will use a dual pod mount between the bubbble windscreens.
If you don't have the Aeroforce setup,I'm not really interested in how shitty you think it will look or why I even need gauges,or why I changed my screen name again,or why I own three Atoms etc etc etc. Just go read a different thread. 

[1965Cobra427]

Somebody had a similar setup at AtomFest I. I'll look through the photos and see if I can identify them.

[Heywood-Yablowme]

Thanks,Randy. I knew someone had used the setup..might have been Bottoz(sp?) and Terry K. may have a set as well. Seemed like a nice design,using existing data and wiring,so simple install. May have to add an oil pressure sender in place of the one for the idiot light.

[silver]

I borrowed Spanky's gauge for a while, it worked extremely simply, hook up to the OBDII port....and hook up additional 12V for extra power (it doesn't get enough from the OBDII by itself)

I think I read on here from TK that the car does NOT have an oil pressure gauge built in....but I dunno...I'm tired I haven't slept in a long time...and I need caffeine.

[Heywood-Yablowme]

Yea,I don't think the GM ecm reads oil pressure.I think the SPA dash only has an idiot light for oil pressure.Not a biggie,but not exactly plug and play...

[silver]

[quote="Banned"]
Yea,I don't think the GM ecm reads oil pressure.I think the SPA dash only has an idiot light for oil pressure.Not a biggie,but not exactly plug and play...
[/quote]

i was just making sure you know it plugs into the obdII and I'm not sure if it's capable of receiving information outside of whatever the obdII has to offer....spanky or bolus will have to comment on that since I dunno

[Lane]

I have an Interceptor.  Our cars do not appear to pass oil pressure data through OBD2.  The gauge is capable of reading several external analog sensors in addition to the OBD2 data so one can be added.  Other things that I found out about the gauge use after using it for a while:

* It could be a little more water-resistant.  Having this occur several times caused the buttons on the front to require a much more firm press or several presses to have the desired effect.
* It appears to have the ability to display quarter mile times, horsepower, and MPG.  None of this works for us, however, because our tire diameter apparently differs too much from whatever it assumes your Cobalt/Ion has.  You can program the altitude that you live at in the gauge, but not your tire diameter. 
* The thing has a ton of settings which are supposed to show you fuel information, but I can't find any that tell me tank resistance or fuel level based on it.

Other than these issues, it sure is nifty.  Being able to read and clear your codes is nice, and so is the ability to have it monitor practically any parameter and alert you with built-in LEDs when it reaches a threshold you define.  It can do data logging over time also.  Be sure to read the manual on Aeroforce's website though before you decide to buy so you have an idea of its capabilities.

[quote="Banned"]
I need to add gauges that are readable and am looking at the Aeroforce Interceptor unit. Anyone using one,and can you get oil pressure off the ALDL or do you need to run the oil pressure sender Aero sells? Thinking of a dual guage setup,which will give me 4 parameters of information on display at all times and warning lights. Seems like a nice setup with minimal hookups.It also datalogs,which is nice. Probably will use a dual pod mount between the bubbble windscreens.
If you don't have the Aeroforce setup,I'm not really interested in how shitty you think it will look or why I even need gauges,or why I changed my screen name again,or why I own three Atoms etc etc etc. Just go read a different thread. 
[/quote]

[benyeats]

[quote="Lane"]
* The thing has a ton of settings which are supposed to show you fuel information, but I can't find any that tell me tank resistance or fuel level based on it.
[/quote]

Is it a programmable unit ?  The reason for asking is the OBDII on my Merc shows the fuel being used at any time so it should be possible to do a fuel use * time calc to work out fuel used on a particular tank full.  This uses the amount of time the injectors are open rather than the fuel gauge which as we know is universally pants on all Atoms !

Ben

[DarthChicken]

Assuming you're using the stock sized injectors, or your injector mapping in the ECU is set properly.  As the brammo atom does NOT use GM stock sized injectors... 

[Heywood-Yablowme]

Well..I decided to go inexpensive....$160 shipped for the ScangaugeII setup.1/2 price of the Interceptor.Does 4 parameters at the same time,and I can mount it under the lip of the dash panel,between the bubbles. http://www.scangauge.com/products/

[Radowick]

My interceptor does not provide oil pressure data.
So I got a dedicated oil pressure gage (not installed yet). I got the mechanical type that is not dependant on a power supply. I got a braided line I had made up and plan to run it from one of the un-used ports that are in-line with the port that the Masterlube connects to on the backside of the head.
The pressure gage needle is far easier to read while driving than the Interceptor gage. And since it only takes seconds to lose a motor after pressure lose, I think that is important. Does that mean I will catch it intime? I don't know. Let's ask Calscot if it would have made a differance.

[CalScot]

[quote="Spanky"]
My interceptor does not provide oil pressure data.
So I got a dedicated oil pressure gage (not installed yet). I got the mechanical type that is not dependant on a power supply. I got a braided line I had made up and plan to run it from one of the un-used ports that are in-line with the port that the Masterlube connects to on the backside of the head.
The pressure gage needle is far easier to read while driving than the Interceptor gage. And since it only takes seconds to lose a motor after pressure lose, I think that is important. Does that mean I will catch it intime? I don't know. Let's ask Calscot if it would have made a differance.

[/quote]

I do know it makes no sense to run an Atom hard on track with no oil pressure gauge

Worst part of that is that I knew I needed to have one a long time ago but I clearly had my head up my arse. I have no idea if the failure I had was indeed lack of oil pressure but it's the most likely cause. At the very least it was certainly lack of oil at the bearing that caused the failure but that could have been a blocked oilway, a clearance issue with the bearing or ??

I plan on installing a good sized analog pressure guage, a low pressure activated warning light that is very visible and an accusump. When tracking the car hard, I really am quite useless at performing any other tasks other than keeping my eye's on the track. I will need a big red idiot light right in front of my sight line to let me know the oil pressure is low.

[DarthChicken]

The problem with oil pressure gauges is they are affected by variables.  RPM and temperature dependent.  Is this 50psi I'm seeing right now ok?  Is it not enough?  I've seen cars where there was a swing of 80psi between idle and full rpm.  So where do you set your alarm at? 

I was once sitting in a car, on a dyno, when the engine blew up.  At lot like Calscots - rod through the side of the block.  The alarm for the oil pressure drop turned on at the same time the idiot light on the dash kicked on.  Very useful 

Something I HAVE found to be useful is a knocklink.  Its an ugly little box that you hook up to a knock sensor.  And it lights up like a xmas tree when there is noise in the engine, either from detonation or rod knock, or anything else abnormal.  I'm seriously considering putting one in my atom, somehow making it waterproof (probably coating the circuit board with an expoxy).  Had one in my wrx, and saved my engine a number of times.

http://www.linkecu.com/products/AncillaryDevices/KnockLink

[WorkingOnIt]

[quote="DarthChicken"]
... knocklink.  Its an ugly little box...
[/quote]

Wow, you pegged that right.  A company must have a lot of confidence in the usefullness of a product to spend so little consideration on appearance. 

As long as you're tinkering to waterproof it, a nicer case should be no problem.

[quote="CalScot"]
... I will need a big red idiot light right in front of my sight line to let me know the oil pressure is low.
[/quote]

It might be worthwhile to investigate also rigging the output of any of these warning devices to an audio alert, like the Radar Screamer.

[Heywood-Yablowme]

I find audio alerts not very usefull on track. A VERY bright light always gets my attention. Out on track,oil pressure should never go below 20psi. This is what I have set my oil lights to flash at on other cars. If you street drive the car,you could set it just below hot idle oil pressure.(most cars vary on this figure)