Individual gauges are obsolete.
You don’t really need to look at all those gauges at once. What I envision…is a digital screen…that can display a variation of the gauges. Probably configurable. More like an digital engine diagnosis screen.
This is actually trivial to do…once you have the inputs from the gauges worked out. And I don’t think that is difficult. Just need to know the possible inputs and what they mean…and how to display them.
Maybe you could adapt something like this:
Good comments all. You all reminded me, I totally forgot about one of the most important, fuel level. I like some of the other suggestions too. Like a dash gauge for intake manifold vacuum. I had a friend years ago who had an Oldsmobile “442” – I think that was the name of his car, sort of a sports car – and it had a big vacuum gauge dead center on the dashboard, above the gear shift lever. You could watch it go way up and way down during accelerations/decels. He said it was intended to help get better mpg, but it seemed to me if you wanted better mpg I don’t think you would have bought a 442 in the first place. But it did make for an interesting display, and would give a heads up in the event of a vacuum leak starting to happen, so that could be very useful.
The O2 sensor and fuel trim display seem like that could be useful too, and would, if nothing else, provide entertainment for kids riding in the back to watch at least. A car with all these gauges would get a lot of comments I’ll bet. Not all good though … lol …
To be honest, I’ve never understood why anyone would put a vacuum gage on a street car except for diagnostic reasons. But, hey, to each his own.
Back in the good old days, we didn’t need a vacuum gauge. We had vacuum powered windshield wipers. If the wipers moved quickly, the vacuum was high. If the wipers moved slowly, the vacuum was low.
I remember when most of the owner/operators of school buses had to buy new school buses. This was in 1951. One driver had a new bus on an International chassis that had a vacuum gauge. None of the other new buses that were all on International chassis had a vacuum gauge. The bus with the vacuum gauge was equipped with power assisted brakes–vacuum over hydraulic. I suppose this was the reason for the gauge. Years later, I rented a U-Haul truck for a move. This was the largest truck available. It had a vacuum gauge and after the truck sat overnight, a buzzer would go off after starting the engine until the vacuum came up–it happened almost instantaneously. I suppose the purpose of the gauge on both the school bus and the U-Haul truck was to warn of low vacuum with the resulting loss of the power assist on the brakes.
It’d be nice to have a mechanical oil gauge. That way thered be no second guessing the oil level, and you wouldnt have to pop the hood to check it.
I’d want simple display with the option to show any and all engine inputs on a screen when I want. The Nissan GTR has this:
That’s a good point @Texas … with that technique you can have all the displays available, yet still have enough dash space for a glove compartment.
Triedaq, if you think about it we all have vacuum assist over hydraulic brakes.
I clearly remember the vacuum operated wipers. I even remember manual cranked wipers, and the little finger that would stick out of the B-pillar on a Beetle that served as a directional. I clearly remember the good old days. And I knew wannabe racers who put vacuum gages in their cars… often Dodge Darts or something similar… but I still never saw any use for them other than to say you had one.
Can anybody here explain to me what value a vacuum gage would have on a street car? Other than just for fun, of course.
@OK4450; Another system could be the use of what we called “voice boxes” which were used in some Nissans many years ago. There was a robotic female voice that would repeatedly recite the same phrase over and over in a mind-numbing monotone about seat belts not being fastened, low fuel level, door ajar, etc, etc. until the issue was resolved.
Funny you mention it. I was at the self check out at the grocery store today and the machine kept saying “Insert Cash Now”…I could’ve sworn that was my wifes voice!!!
Yosemite
They got rid of that robotic female voice because everybody HATED it.
Now if I can only get rid of that robocall I get almost every day telling me I can “lower my interest rate”. I’ve tried everything, including trying to track down the source of that bobocall (impossible… it’s a moving boiler room in Florida somewhere).
Hey, if we get cars that drive themselves, will they shut down once every month in the middle of a drive for “automatic updates”, like my PC does?
a robotic female voice that would repeatedly recite the same phrase over and over in a mind-numbing monotone
I’ve experienced that before. I think they called it “marriage” … lol …
@ASEMaster: I respectfully disagree with you re: lights vs gauges. Gauges give more information, and are very useful for tracking “trends,” even when tracking within the “normal” range. Think about it: would you want you doctor to monitor you systolic/diastolic blood pressure in mmHg…or just get a report of “hypotension/hypertension/A-OK?” What about blood sugar?
Also, the movement of the gauge gives information on the validity of the data shown. If an actual oil gauge shows low pressure…predominately at hot idle, that resolves itself somewhat as you rev it–that’s probably valid data. If, OTOH, an idiot light shows up, is that a valid indication, or just a loose connection in the wiring? Not a lot of data for plausibility testing!
Individual gauges are obsolete.
Well, “obsolete” means “no longer supported with needed infrastructure,” and I can surely get individual gauges replaced with new ones, they obviously aren’t obsolete. Hardly cutting edge, though, and just might be obsolescent. A Model A is obsolescent; a Stanley Steamer is obsolete (due to lack of watering troughs needed to re-water the car.) A record player is obsolescent; an 8-track is obsolete (even though the 8 track is newer tech, it is no longer supported, but I can still pick up a new stylus.)
TSM … speaking of your lower your interest rate robot call, I get those two, too but even weirder, I get a phone call at least once a week that says “we’re sorry, we don’t have time to talk to you right now”. What? You’re calling me, and you don’t have time to talk to me? I find this very perplexing, too challenging what M Poirot calls the “little grey cells” to handle without some extra assistance, and so I always have a nice cold beer right after it happens. I’m hoping it happens later tonight!
George, I get one monthly in Spanish… and I don’t speak Spanish!
According to what I was able to find on the internet, the FCC has logged over 7,000 complaints just on this “lower your interest rate” scam. And they too have been unable to stop them. Apparently the technology they use to prevent getting found is pretty sophisticated. Best I was able to find out, the “home base” is in Florida… but keeps moving. Countless times I’ve pressed “1” and asked nicely “what company are you with and where are you located?”. Every single time they’ve hung up on me immediately.
@meanjoe75fan If you’re talking about cluttering up your dash with a set of actual gauges then you might glean some–some–useful information. But as it is gauges do nothing but look pretty and give you the illusion of information.
I have a 2006 Lincoln and the temperature gauge reads at the exact same point on the gauge from 155 degrees to 225 degrees. How useful is that? The battery gauge on my Silverado never really reads close to 13 volts, it reads 9 with the key on engine off when the system voltage is actually in the low 12’s.
Gauges and lights are equally susceptible to loose wiring connections.
I’m perfectly happy with my doctor telling me my blood pressure is OK or high without telling me the actual numbers. How do I know if 110/72 is good or not? That’s what his job is–do the exam, look at the info, tell me OK or not OK. It’s also my car’s job to look at the engine data and inform me when there’s a problem, and not bother me when there’s not.
Speaking of add-on gauges, remember those gauge pods that you would bolt under the dash?
I believe it was oil pressure, voltage, and something else
Anyways, a colleague installed one of those on his car. He hooked everything up, so they actually worked, because they weren’t just for looks, as far as he was concerned
One day, he told me he noticed the add-on oil pressure gauge was reading extremely low. I advised him to hook up a mechanical gauge, to make sure he doesn’t actually have a problem. He said why bother, the darn gauge is obviously wrong.
A few days later, he headed to the junkyard to look for a replacement engine . . .
I’d look at gauges in a car for the same reason I’d want them in an aircraft; maybe a bit of a headsup which could prevent being stranded on the roadside or scattered all over a smoldering crater; all depending on the mode of transportation… 
Now if I can only get rid of that robocall I get almost every day telling me I can "lower my interest rate". I've tried everything, including trying to track down the source of that bobocall (impossible... it's a moving boiler room in Florida somewhere).
Even though I’m on the do-not-call list…I get the same phone calls. They’re in Florida NOW…but they were in Colorado then Utah then Washington…They keep moving. I’ve filed at least 5 complaints over the years - National Do Not Call Registry.
The do-not-call list was a good idea IF AND ONLY IF it had any back-bone. But it doesn’t. You can complain all you want…but NOTHING ever gets done.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/16/do-not-call-complaints-robocall_n_1887822.html
I’ve also called Kelly Ayotte’s office…her office was very dismissive. I called Jean Shaheen…they were more responsive and even said they are getting dozens of calls a day about this…but that was over 2 years ago…and I keep getting the robot calls.
I would like to see an absolue manifold pressure gauge in the center dead space of the tachometer.
Also I would like a RF feed to the radio on an unused frequency to allow a remote microphone to listen to noises around the vehicle. Can you imagine listening to the exhaust to diagnosis a miss; to the pulses of the ignition system, ro spots on the engine for related noses, to localize squeeks and rattles, etc.