When you are driving at high speed, in practice or competition mode, it is vital to have a clear, real-time display of the pressure in your engine via a boost gauge. These essentials are used for vehicles with superchargers or turbochargers to ensure that pressure levels are not excessive when pushing your car beyond recommended OEM specifications.
Boost gauges are typically mounted on your dash, and can include analogue and digital displays so that you can act quickly and prevent damage to your engine if pressure levels get too high.
How do digital boost gauges work?
Both super and turbo boost gauges deliver extra power to the engine in a forced air induction vehicle by compressing air and releasing it into your combustion chamber. This blast of compressed air means more fuel ignites, a bigger bang and more explosive power.
Controlling this extra air intake is critical as not enough air will mean your air-fuel ratio is too lean, while too much air will make it too rich. Either option can cause significant damage to your engine.
Your boost reader or your turbo or supercharger is used to monitor this flow of compressed air into the combustion chamber. It enters via a small tube that runs into your engine's intake manifold. A small amount of air (not enough to influence performance) will be injected into this airtight tube as well, which delivers a real-time reading.
Digital boost gauge solutions for performance vehicles
Electronic solutions are also available, which will give you the most accurate readings from your engine. These electronic readers directly measure from the intake manifold air pressure and deliver a highly reliable reading. Instead of using a tube, a sensor is used to transmit pressure readings directly to your dashboard.
What can cause boost gauge to deteriorate?
A broken hose or sensor in an electronic version will mean that you are no longer getting accurate readings. This is more of a problem with mechanical options, as there may be a small leak – which means you are getting inaccurate readings, and you may not know it. If a sensor deteriorates, you will get no reading at all, and the sensor needs to be replaced.
Other options to consider
To ensure your vehicle is running at safe levels when you are pushing its limits, it is also recommended that you install:
-
Ethanol gauges: Ensure your fuel levels are optimised at 85 per cent and monitor other vital metrics, like fuel temperature, for reliable tuning and safety.
-
gauge pods in different shapes and styles, so you can match them to the interior design of your car.
Whether you are looking for individual solutions or a kit with everything you need that’s been personalised for your ride, the team at Pro Speed can help. Contact our team, and we will ensure you have all the metrics you need for high-speed performance.
