Digital Dash Solutions?? Any insight or advice?

[FasterNU]

Been looking around at digital dashes for G4 This is a whole new world to me. I suppose a lot of this decision boils down to my wiring job/harness.


OBD-II Dash Link and some tablet device:
If I wire my truck to keep the factory OBD2 wiring… the cheapest option appears to be some sort of wireless OBD-II dash link. Which sends a wireless signal to an iOS device or Droid. So an ipad mini or some droid tablet:

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productdetails.asp?RecID=28038

AEM.
Have a flat or hooded design. They seem to receive signals from CAN enabled devices. I don’t understand this. Or what it means when it comes to the various sensors on the motor. It looks like they have a harness that will connect it up to the OBD-II too? So this might be the hot ticket. I’m leaning towards it at the moment. But I don’t know jack shit so far. Can get in 5 or 7”. The ones pictured below are 7”

AiM.
The MXs 1.2 Strada one looks cool… (And it can do OBD-II or CAN devices. Just select appropriate model?)
But I read something about them displaying the number in (mv)… as in they don’t get the units right. 200degrees would read as 200mv? That seems lame. ( https://www.aemelectronics.com/forum/aem-infinity-can-aim-mxs-dash )
They certainly aren’t showing that on the display below… so maybe outdated info?

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productdetails.asp?RecID=29899

MoTec:

MoTec CD127 Seems to be top of the line… but looks like you need all sorts of extra stuff to even display normal shit?? Way too expensive for me anyways!

https://www.motec.com.au/displays-currentrange/displays-directory/

Holley: Seems to own Racepak and “EFI”.
After seeing people complain about other Holley shit… I’m not feeling the warm fuzzy here.

Racepak IQ3S
This is the one I feel like I have seen on most race trucks, etc. But, IMO it really seems outdated. It’s not an LED screen. Didn’t read a ton of good so far ... but not a ton of bad either. Shows it does OBD2 for 2008+ vehicles. Don’t think the motor we are getting is 2008+ though…

https://www.holley.com/products/data_acquisition/digital_dashes/digital_dashes/parts/250-DS-IQ3S

Holley EFI Digital Dash solution.
Can’t seem to find a ton about it yet. Looks to only be CAN stuff again? Not sure.

 

[smokeysevin]

Something to keep in mind, the reason the racepak is not color is so you can see it in full sun. Most of the other dashes are not "sunlight readable"

Sean

 

[FasterNU]

Good point. I did read that somewhere.

BUT >>>> I figure with the "hood" over the unit... any hood on my dash..... and the roof, windshield tint at top, etc.. would make it dark enough inside my prerunner to have sufficient contrast for viewing ?

 

[smokeysevin]

Good point. I did read that somewhere.

BUT >>>> I figure with the "hood" over the unit... any hood on my dash..... and the roof, windshield tint at top, etc.. would make it dark enough inside my prerunner to have sufficient contrast for viewing ?

Entirely possible. I will say I have a shitty alpine android auto head unit in my tundra right now and the reflection off the tan seats is enough to make the screen hard to read.

Sean

 

[FasterNU]

Yea.. i can see that. like your cell phone in the sun. Cant see shit with too many reflections.

I noticed that any that say OBDII... seem to work with only 2008 or newer. Wonder why that is. OBD-II must have changed a bit since beginning.

So yea.. my biggest issue right now is just trying to understand how all these work.. and what I will need to do.

 

[smokeysevin]

The Motec, AEM, AIM, and Racepak should support 0-5v analog inputs, can, or obd2. You always have the option of running secondary sensors like you would with any other aftermarket gauge. On one hand its extra money since you are spending a shit ton on a gauge setup plus sensors, on the other you get to put the sending units where you want them.

On another note, I am partial to how innovate does their gauges with their logging setup since you can daisy chain them.

Sean

 

[yltaco05]

Have you decided on a ECU setup for the motor yet? Ive heard some good things from the Holley EFI setup and adding the digital dash from them as well was plug and play. just something to think about.

As for CAN, its basically a 2 wire setup that carries tons of data. also all of those OBD II dongles are just interfacing the 2 CAN wires from the OBD II port. So it depends on the ECU/Harness setup you have. If you have an OBDII port, get that. If not than you should have the 2 CAN wires, and you would use those. If you have both, Id still lean towards CAN as you won't have the big connector to worry about, or if you want to plug something else in you can do that too. There are also other CAN devices that can plug into the mix. like ECU Masters PMU.

 

[smokeysevin]

Have you decided on a ECU setup for the motor yet? Ive heard some good things from the Holley EFI setup and adding the digital dash from them as well was plug and play. just something to think about.

As for CAN, its basically a 2 wire setup that carries tons of data. also all of those OBD II dongles are just interfacing the 2 CAN wires from the OBD II port. So it depends on the ECU/Harness setup you have. If you have an OBDII port, get that. If not than you should have the 2 CAN wires, and you would use those. If you have both, Id still lean towards CAN as you won't have the big connector to worry about, or if you want to plug something else in you can do that too. There are also other CAN devices that can plug into the mix. like ECU Masters PMU.

There is also latency from using bluetooth or wifi over obd. Its not a huge amount but its enough go be irritating.

Sean

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

 

[FasterNU]

No, I don't even have a motor yet! HAHA. The plan is an LQ4 with 4l80..manually shifted. I am just trying to prepare and learn how this is all going to go together. I have no knowledge on this stuff. I have only ever used factory gauges. And by used... I mean connected factory wiring right back up!

I need to figure this stuff out now.. so I don't pigeon hole myself.

The way I envision it is to have a digital dash like this for all my gauges (rpm, volts, oil pressure, temp, maybe trans temp)... and simply mount it to a Fiberwerx CF or Fi-BRO-glass dash.

Then have the Switch Pro switches to run all accessories. I see they have a 12-pod now.
Part of me was kinda hoping to get some sort of steering column that has turn signals. But, it may end up being switches too. (it seems those digital street dashes support an indicator on dash.. so that would be nice as a reminder you have blinker on)

The whole thing is... how do I get from A to B!?

If I strip down the factory harness. It seems I could just plug the digital dashes right into its OBD-II port. The way you are making it sound is.... that there is actually already this "CAN" type protocol in the factory ECU harness? I have been trying to learn this real quick today. I saw some stuff online that made it seem like the OBD-II is not as fast because it's like a middle man.

 

[FasterNU]

There is also latency from using bluetooth or wifi over obd. Its not a huge amount but its enough go be irritating.

Sean

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

OK.. that makes sense to me. Blue tooth for sure. I read on a forum the tach was delayed

But what about plugging into OBD port directly?

This is where I am lost. I suppose i need to understand flow of data.

Like sensor sends data to where... ECU? Then ECU sends that out to what? The digital dash? How? (Seems like through CAN or OBD)