This is probably one of the best tech videos you have ever done. The combination of a "real world 4wder" and your experiences combined with the "professionals" opinion is a fantastic concept. I will rate this video a 10/10 lol. Great to see travis make an appearance again on the channel. More of these videos for sure.
Great video Ronny very well explained. A detailed video on the scan gauge would be great and would be as good benefit as this video has been . Cheers 👍🍻
if you have a high powered engine that you are driving hard for long periods, oil temperature is important to monitor. especially if the car has no oil cooler. I think it's a little lees important for most 4wdrives though.
The low oil pressure warning light on your vehicle covers that aspect, you are most likely to loose oil pressure due to hotter temperatures than the oil temperature itself, by this time your water cooling system would have boiled long time ago.
By the way they work, the EGT will give you the first indication of heat problems, and the ECT (engine coolant temperature) will give you the last, most dire warning. Engine oil temp will be somewhere in the middle.
Engine oil temp! Yeah, you can use the oil pressure gage to see when the oil is running hot and the pressure goes lower. But if you don't have a reference point, you don't know what you looking for. Personally I have one Guage for temp and two sensors, one in engine oil and one for engine water, then a switch to choose between what I want to see. If I were driving an auto I probably put in a 3 pole switch and a sensor for the gear box. It's one of those things, specially if you have tuned your engine, if you run engine hard, (water tenps might be fine) the engine oil might be cooked, and run down the life of the engine.
Absolutely agree. In my opinion at least as interesting (if not more) as the coolant water temp. It gives a way better impression of the real engine temp than the CWT. Your engine is not ready to perfrom when the watertemp is high enough, but when the oil temp is high enough! (And this takes much longer than to heat up some coolant.)
Absolute gold fellas, thanks! Run a Scan Gage myself and feel it's a far more accurate way of monitoring what's going on in the engine. I would love a dedicate video to this device. Thanks again for such an informative video. There's a lot of BS out there and this cuts through the myths. Well done.
To me the most important one is oil pressure and water temperature . On Modern cars by time the oil pressure light comes on you've probably got no engine oil and you've seize the engine. With electrical water temperature they don't work if you get a hole in the radiator and you've got no water they don't work on Steam
Nice video. Very important. I would rate the oil pressure much higher because: a) can give you a hint about viscosity when engine is cold - if oil looses viscosity pressure it will be approx the same when engine is cold or hot. in normal conditions, pressure will be higher when engine is cold; b) can give you a hint about any obstruction in the system that can make pressure rise. I also would consider an AMP meter also important: a) to get information about the status of the alternator (charging/not charging) and, b) have a hint if I'm charging or not the batteries, mainly when there's more than one.
Great video! I have a video idea for you: Could you do a video on what noises are normal to here from a newer/older off road vehicle and what noises mean you should go to the mechanic. I drive a 2002 Tacoma I have built up as a pretty capable 4x4. I am pretty new to all this and any time I start hearing a new noise I get kinda freaked out because I don't know if its normal wear and tare or actual damage. For example when I am on a really bumpy trail I hear some knocking noises coming from my steering column. It does not feel bad and there is no noise while on road. But I think my mechanic is getting tired of my stupid questions. I am not sure something like this would be helpful to others to or just me. Thanks! awesome videos, I love your channel.
Glad to hear you have a mechanic you trust, they are a blessing. As a nurse I tell all my patients there are no stupid questions. It's your car/life, ask and feel free. You are paying directly or indirectly for their knowledge. We can't me masters of all knowledge.
It's hard to generalise some sounds between different makes and models. What might be alarming on your Tacoma is normal on another vehicle. The general rule of thumb I've been using is if it sounds different than what you're used to, check it out. Almost every time I get my Jeep serviced it sounds different. Just gotta keep asking questions, maybe check out RU-vid vids of ur vehicle
Great video, really informative. One thing I'd like to mention about volt meters, the red battery light will only come on if your alternator completely fails. I've had cars where the alternator is outputting just enough voltage to keep the lights off but not enough to put any charge back in the battery. Also your warning light won't tell you if your alternator is over charging, driving around with it pumping out 18 to 20 volts can really mess up modern engine management systems. So while I agree that it's not as important as egt, coolant temp or fuel level, I think a decent digital voltage gauge is still a must.
Excellent video, cheers guys. A video on the scan gauge in addition to including OBDII Bluetooth senders (to phone apps like torque) would be really helpful. Thanks for the great content - much appreciated. Cheers!
I've used Torque Pro and other OBD2 solutions but have found the Banks SuperGauge / DataMonster (and associated analog sensors) to blow them all out of the water. Couldn't recommend more highly. Their support is exception too including a dedicated Facebook support group. I've got a Gen 4 LS (L94) swapped 2009 JKU and the data logging and multiple pages of custom gauges with alarms have been invaluable in getting running perfectly. www.bankspower.com/i-2696-banks-idash-1-8-datamonster-aftermarket-can-ecu-primary-gauge-for-aftermarket-ecus-can-bus.html
Canadian here. I had a 1978 Mack dump truck (the body style Mad Max drove) with an EGT, except it was called a pyrometer. It was a large analog gauge. It was especially adept at measuring air cleaner restriction. The more the air cleaner was clogged, the easier the pyro would shoot up - especially on long hill climbs.
I have a scan guage , I use this so I have 4 digital gauges, without having to fit pod gauges etc, I have it set for volt, get, cwt, boost, and with all the other features the gauge has in my opinion best bang for buck invented . Great video guys keep up the great work 👍😁
If you loose you’re coolant, remember that the water temperature probe does not measure air temperature. Meaning, without an exhaust temperature gage you won’t know your coolant is gone until you’ve fried the engine.
Great video, very informative. Am a bit surprised that you did not include an oil temperature gauge in it. Travis mentioned that the transmission fluid operating temperature was critical to the health of the trans.To me that knowing the oil temp would fall into the same category. Engine oil looses viscosity as it gets hotter. The engine can still have oil pressure at the same time the oil is at or above its maximum operating temp. Looking forward to both you thoughts on this.
I actually really enjoy my oil pressure gauge. This might not be a problem in Australia, but here in the bitter cold Swedish subarctic it's quite useful. When I start driving , I read 4+bars of oil pressure at 2000rpm even after the cooling water temperature is at working temperature. After a few minutes of driving the oil pressure will go down to 2 bars at 2000rpm. Now it should have the proper viscosity to sufficiently lubricate a fast spinning turbo for example. After this oil pressure drop, or oil pressure normalization, I'm confident to floor it when accelerating on to the motorway or overtaking. I daily drive a 1993 Isuzu Trooper 3,1TD on 31" tires.
If you do a video on the Scan Gauge, I would like you to test Diagnostic against Learn Mode. In the mechanic field when ever we plugged into the OBDC port, the computer went into Diagnostic Mode. The turn off Learn Mode. What does that mean? When you drive the vehicle normally the computer “Learns” how you drive, Lead Foot, and tries give you better fuel economy to your driving style. Has the Scan Gauge allowed your computer to stay in Learn and not Diagnostic?
Another great vid Ronny, it has definitely solidified my decision to get an EGT gauge especially as I've just had my turbo upgraded and engine retuned, plus I hit the sand quite a bit so I definitely want to keep a close eye on how hard I'm working my engine. A video on OBD scanners would be great. I just recently put an UltraGauge in my Hilux mainly to get my car out of limp mode as I was having issues with my old turbo but now I'm starting to look at all the sensors it has available to read, I'm particularly interested in setting up the fuel usage/amount etc and how accurate this is, especially as I'm considering a long range tank in the future, it would be good to see what Trav and yourself have to say about them. Cheers
With a decent OBD2 interface and something like an Ultragauge (with programmable alarms) you really don't need any more aftermarket gauges, except to monitor accessories.
Great vid again. Can you tell the optimal operating temp of oil and coolant water for a turbo diesel? Mine is a 200 resp. 300 Tdi Land Rover (109 Series 3 engine swap; Discovery 1). Cheers Heinz
Yes a detailed comparison video on the scan gauge and other gauges that do the same would be great. I drive a 2014 200 series and mounting ideas would be appreciated. Would also love more info on towing with a six speed auto box and wether in auto or set to 6th gear is best. This would be appreciated. Gerry
I’ve watched this one a few times Ronny… love how you put these vids together mate. I do have a question 2 yes down the track.. Have you seen the EC offroad screens upgrade for the 200 series? They attach to the OBD somehow, and I was thinking instead of getting the scanguage or Ultraguage etc… just using the screen display… it should be much the muchness right?
I would agree with your list in modern cars, yet I wouldn't agree with it in historical cars, like LandCruisers or Land Rovers from the pre-turbo-pre-automatic-pre-electronic epoche.
Has anyone else had problems with the display on a scan gauge? The screen on mine started playing up within the first 2 weeks and now its 6 months old its almost indecipherable, just gibberish of pixels. Interested to know if I just got a dud one or if its a scan gauge thing.
You can have all the gauges in the world but if you don't pay attention to them they're all 100% useless. Seems I have a few family members and friends who have no idea what the E on the fuel gauge means and they run out of gas quite frequently....must be why so many vehicles just have idiot lights, nobody looks at the gauges anyhow apparently LOL.
EGT probe location. Before the turbo or after the turbo? Discuss. Low coolant alarm - right up there. Water temp goes to ambient air when there is no coolant in the expansion tank....you don't necessarily no you have lost coolant. Way up there in importance is the alarm.
CHT, cylinder head temperature. Am surprised this isn’t mentioned. It tells you the actual temp of your motor, as opposed to the temp of the coolant running through it. When alarmed at suitable temp, it will prevent engine destruction as your scan gauge CWT will not alarm. It will also show a rise in engine temp before the CWT reacts.
Clearly, neither of you have, or value a chickometer. The speed you both went past that hitchhiker in short shorts was very concerning to me. I have a chickometer mounted on the front driver's seat and whenever it detect a rise it automatically applies the brakes and saves me from a disastrous weekend of kicking myself for not stopping in time. Can save your weekend but ruin a marriage. 9.9/10.
Great video. Results did not surprise and were based on solid logic. Well done. I am looking to purchase an aftermarket gauge and would love to see a comparison between the major gauges on the market (eg scan gauge v ultragauge).
Great video. Would love a scan gauge vid also please. Different camera angles though are driving me a bit crazy. Feel like I have strabismus 🤪 Keep up the great work. 🤘🏾
I find my Ranger 3.2 diesel will over heat towing up a mountain in the summer at half the maximum towing rating. Oman has similar temperatures to Australian desert in the summer with peaks close to 50 C. I have a digital Gauge on my Garmin tells me the car is getting hot and then the car goes into limp mode and cuts power to the engine to protect itself. I keep getting conflicting opinions that it's the transmission that needs cooling or that I need more airflow to the radiator since going uphill at a steep angle on a speed limit of 40 kph is a challenge for any car/pick up. I actually find it starts to loose power on that road even when not towing
I own a scangauge and have to agree with coolant temp and auto transmission temp as prime choices .. mine being a DPF equiped vehicle the other two gauges I find are a must is the EGT ( exhaust gas temp) BUT also my DPF soot level gauge . The EGT and DPF gauge go hand in hand and you can monitor how often a DPF burn is carried out 👍 Good presentation 👍
Just a quick question if travis sees this comment. In regards to egt temps where he sez 450 degrees to 600 short term, how long is short term a minute, 3 minutes?
think the oil pressure gauge should be up the list a bit if your oil light doesn't come on and you have a major oil leek like my old man when he started his truck one morning and a hose came off and dumped most of the oil on the ground in less than a minute you could bugger your motor pretty quick he only new about the leek from the guy that followed him out the car park. We also had an old tractor that would pop the seal on the oil filter on cold mornings
re gear a mechanical speedo yea that's easier said then done first you need to figure out what size gears you need then you need to find said gears thats there real hard part as mechanical speedos haven't bean put on cars for years Toyota dont even sell spare gears anymore add on the fact its the 2020's good luck i cant even find a relay arm.
Hey Ronny, you should get Travis's opinion on the mounting position of the EGT sensor, having it behind the tubo can give a inaccurate reading of the true engine temperature. You can lose up to 200°c coming through the turbo for example your engine temp coming out at the exhaust manifold could be 700°c and once it goes through the turbo would be 500°c so you could be damging your engine without knowing it if its tuned incorectly, thats just an example though. So you should mount your sensor at the dump on the exhaust manifold before the turbo. Would be interesting to see what Travis's thoughts are. Cheeres mate.
Thanks Ronny amazing and very informative video.. I don't know there but here in South Africa is system call MadMan and it is life saving it has all the essentials in it It has help me and lots of us this side of the world specially in harsh conditions... Wondering if you guys had heard of it.. If is not just Google "MadMan systems"... Ronny no matter what all your videos and experience had helped me personally a lot... Tks mate
I suppose extra information is a good thing but we drove the old diesel 60 series for years pulling a huge brick of a caravan with the 60 fully loaded inside and a boat on top. We went all over the state without any issues and without all the new-fangled gauges. I guess the more complex engines become the more info you need to have about what is going on. There are two new things I would add to any vehicle, a TPMS and a coolant drop alarm.
Hey all, got a question, we (family) have a small to moderate acreage in s'thn Tas. The hills are steep, mostly old logging tracks. My question. All of the U tubers I have been watching, including the all day, all week guys with the big following (love their stuff, they have shot some video within 20 K of my place). No one ever shows how to do decent on tricky stuff. I can winch my self up to the top of my hill to do stuff, check dam levels, battery for my solar panels. my question. HOW DO I GET BACK DOWN (especially in winter [mud, mud, mud])? Do I tie off from the front and winch backwards? (With a safety line, cos the mud will wreck me at the bottom of the first slope if I don't). But oh Gee it's scary. I could really use some sage advice here. Nick.
Scan Gauge video please, but include what is actually available through the OBD port. I have a phone app for my D40, but it doesn't find readings for all the expected sensors. Hey, maybe compare apps to the scan gauge...
The flag that was designed by a anglo art student back in the 1970's. Or Geoffery Bardon, the anglo art teacher who originated dot paintings from the same era.
I’m surprised by oil pressure gauge rating, as I use this quite a lot during touring. When tow a 3 tonne van up to Atherton Tablelands your in 3rd most of the way, water temp max’s out around 92* , the oil pressure is a telltale on how hard your pushing, if it drops below 1/2 at 2200rpm I roll off it a bit to let the oil cool a bit and pressure comes back to 3/4. 2013 ‘79 series unmodified except 3” exhaust , Scanguage II, no EGT gauges. So if you have EGT or oil temp I think oil pressure is less important, but if you don’t, I would rank it as important as CWT.
WOW. An EGT gauge is only useful on turbocharged engines. Higher NA engine load is going to increase EGT and if your engine is stock or tuned properly, will not be a problem. You rated an oil pressure gauge as the least required. 99.9% of vehicles do not have a dry sump. If you are offroading, and your oil pan gets dented, your engine could be starved of oil and serious damage will start occurring before that low pressure light comes on. If you're on a trail and consistently at an angle, you also could be starving your engine of oil. If you go into deeper water, you could also get water into your sump and that will cause damage and your idiot light isn't going to go on until it's already too late. With an oil gauge, you will learn the proper idle pressure and higher RPM pressures as well as cold vs hot. You even mention these things in this video yet rate it the lowest? That's not right. RPM gauge is also very important, especially with diesels. If you're traversing steep terrain in low or highly variable terrain, knowing RPM is much better than guessing based on how loud your engine is. You'll make more accurate informed decisions on proper range and predict better places for gear changes. I'm not impressed with this list at all. You both mentioned many very good bits of knowledge but totally failed at your rating system.
Loved this ep. agree with the list with the exception of the boost. After the install of my 3” exhaust “GU Patrol” and boost gauge I was over boosting and getting check engine light. This was concerning until in installed the Dawes valve. Never looked back, but it was the gauge that helps me diagnose. “Backyard mechanic and all”. Maybe more diagnostic, but I found it extremely helpful. My GU IS 2003 and apparently can not communicate with scanguage. Are u guys aware of another option.
I had an 81 Toyota where the voltmeter read 0-16 volts, with index markings at 11 and 14 volts. It was a road car, so there wasn't a huge electrical demand, but I got to the point where I could tell what accessories were switched on at idle by only by checking the volts and RPMs. I could also gauge the battery condition by what the car sounded like when starting, but if I wanted to use the gauge for that, I could switch the ignition on without starting. Telling the difference between 12.4 (good battery) and 11.9 (battery on the way out) wasn't difficult after I get used to reading that gauge. Gauges like that become useful with experience, not just from pre-recorded values.
In North America, CWT is called ECT = engine coolant temp. For my rig, I'm planning what gauges to put on it, and the top 6 are on my list. EGT, ECT/CWT, Trans, Volts. The vehicle already has working Fuel and Speedo gauges, it doesn't have boost, it has a tach, and an oil light (idiot light). I think you rated them fairly well, and with good sound reasoning behind your ratings. Thanks!
Hi guys, Love the vid but I was just wondering if there is some sort of gauge that registers when when you loose coolant dramatically? Two examples in my old VT Dunydoor I nicked a heater hose and in my 80 I copped a stick through the radiator, both results dumped coolant faster than the gauges could keep up with ended and massive repair bills :o( Cheers, Dave from Sydney Oz
Great video. Thanks. One of the best indicators I added was an indicator light wired to the glowplugs. I found I can travel about 4km in a ZD30 Nissan Patrol before the glowplugs turn off! Having cracked the head at 180k and discovered the crack was between the glowplug tube and the exhaust valve. Suspect it was localized heat from too much right boot when the engine was cold. Now I have 380k on clock with no problems. Glowplug light ON = no right boot.
I've just got a 2020 LTZ Colorado 4x4 auto.It has no transmission temp gauge and I was told that you don't need to service an auto ? I was told the same thing about my VZ Calais. I don't think there was even a provision for an oil change in the normal order of things. I can't imagine the LTZ lasting that long without some serious attention to oil changes etc. Imagine how hot it would get in some heavy sand action ! I haven't had it long enough yet to know much about it. Just hope the 5 year unlimited k warranty is as good as it sounds.
Hey Ronny. Question out of term .. I couldnt find any video by u about it.. How do u calibrate ur wheels?? Lead-mass on the rimhorns or sticky-mass? Or maybe calibrating-pearls?? Would be nice to know from my God of 4x4 ☺
Couple of things, not much point having different camera angles if they are all just two shots. Should have wide camera on two shot and two CU cameras. Also no point having multiple cameras if the colour balance and grade is going to be so different from one camera to the next. Should at least roughly white balance the cameras but it's also easy to white balance after the fact in Premiere using Lumetri effect.
Questions if you do a scan gauge / OBD reader episode. Re ATF Temp, do most vehicles read the temp at the Torque Converter? or elsewhere. Also is it more important as Travis mentioned to see Torque Convertor temp or as with engine oil is it about how it recovers/cools? i.e. ok to have high Torque Convertor temp as long as it is cooled well enough? In this case do I measure at the pan? Giving some indication if my Trans cooler working ok or needs attention. Ta
I would add digital fuel pressure and air fuel ratio (preignition under load will shorten the life of your engine real quick) and mechanical vacuum (good for mileage, work load, and easy diagnosis of internal engine problems).
