What Boost/Vacuum Gauge are you running?

Post by **- Pete -** » 13 Aug 2019, 07:52

I really don't want to have a dashboard or A-pillar full of gauges, but the ELM327 boost data sure is frustrating with all it's ambiguity.

Just curious what people are running is all. Interested in mounts too, amazing the array of styles & pricing on some of them.

Thank you!

Saltyvolvo · Post by **Saltyvolvo** » 16 Aug 2019, 21:06

ipd blue one.

Post by **- Pete -** » 16 Aug 2019, 23:33

What are you running it in & what values do you typically see? Do you have it in their $110 dash pod?

No doubt these cars are aged, & the notion of tuning a 2.5T non-R seems a little silly. I'll get to my point eventually here. I'm doing the super basic tune IPD offers, I think they call it a stage 1 or something like that. From my understanding, it basically deletes the torque limitation in gears 1 & 2, and cranks the boost up a little bit. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. As a precursor to that, I want to log my various parameters now, and also after the "tune"/flash, so I can sort of see where changes are most perceptible. I can log data via ELM327, but I hate the way it populates values for boost.

I've ordered several different gauges; (even bought) the cheap jobber from HF (seems pretty accurate, maybe ~1-2psi low, but decent little kit), a couple off eBay & Amazon, a few different pods, and of course, the IPD (non-R) gauge (couldn't justify their pod's cost!). I've only installed a gauge in our one P2, the 04 V70 AWD, but will eventually put them in probably 3/4 of the cars we own. What I'm really wanting to see is how each of them differs because the experience in the drivers seat varies significantly (to me) from one to the other.

Anyhow, always so many words, but that's it.

Post by **Rattnalle** » 17 Aug 2019, 00:22

I did a stage 1 on my V70 but from Swedish firm BSR, supposedly 250 hp/400-something Nm. The difference is really noticeable in general driving both when going easy and relying on the extra torque and when really slamming it and letting the engine spin to the redline. Not that the 2.5T is too much of a slouch as it is. Mine included minor adjustments to the shifting pattern to use the torque better as well. It stays much longer in gear when it starts going uphill now instead of dropping a gear which makes for a quieter drive. Very happy with it.

I haven't actually measured boost after though. I did before using VIDA and it was correct and stable.

Post by **vtl** » 17 Aug 2019, 08:04

https://github.com/vtl/volvo-ddd

Post by **- Pete -** » 18 Aug 2019, 00:15

Rattnalle,

That sounds like a step in the right direction. Our 06 2.5T feels like a race car compared to the other 3 2.5T's. It'll be interesting to see how the 04 V70 AWD responds. Right now it seems to peak at about 8-9 psi. I'll be changing the gauge to the IPD one so will know more on accuracy soon.

VTL,

Holy cow, quite the information center there in that little 2"x3" area. I scrolled through about 1/3 of the pictures in your files.

Have you had to add any sensors to allow it to populate data? I see oil temp and also oil psi on there in one of the pics, as well as trans temp. I believe (in ELM327) trans temp on 2003+ is measured at the trans cooler, ya? My trans temps & coolant temps are usually within a fraction of a degree (at speed).

I didn't see any info on the manufacturer of the display, can you share the maker of it & possibly the bezel/trim ring?

Post by **vtl** » 18 Aug 2019, 07:55

It's mentioned down there in "hw used": 4D Systems uLCD-24PTU. I had upgraded it recently with a newer and bigger version: gen4-uLCD-28PT. The display is basically a computer with its own processor, memory and storage (uSD card). It runs a user interface program, that draws everything on the screen, you just tell it the values of counters, etc via serial cable. The rest of functionality is done in Arduino with a couple of CAN-shields. The Arduino program polls various Volvo sensors in a same way like DiCE+VIDA do. I in fact carved out most of queries from MSSQL database that VIDA uses. Any sensor you can read in VIDA you can also add to that display yourself. Not only reading, but command operations are possible too. This little thing can, for example, turn on transmission adaptation mode or reset service reminder.

Oil temperature and pressure is for Haldex (DEM).

In two months I learned lot more about operation of the car since the display was installed than in all previous years.

Semi-active (dead) thread: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=89387 I have a cheap version almost finished, just waiting for the end of camping season, so I could take the old version away and don't piss off the children - they are addicted to the headrest monitors

That thing also controls the monitors...

Post by **- Pete -** » 26 Aug 2019, 23:02

Stage 1 sure is a kick in the pants. Oophta. I now see where the disease comes from.

Everything Ken said about hiking the boost psi seems dead on, not that I had any doubts. Previously I'd see a max of 7.5-8 psi, tapering to 4-5ish at 5k rpms. After the flash tune boost peaks at 14-ish psi, tapering at 5k just like pre-tune but only diminishes to about 10psi.

I'll put it this way, on the designated "course" I drive on regularly (and using rough estimates), where I'd usually just be hitting 80 mph, I'm now hitting ~110. It is ahh-mazing.

No real need for a boost gauge anymore, but I think I'll re-home it to the vacant pocket left of the radio, at the top of the opening so I have plenty of room for my toothpicks underneath it. Dental hygiene is very important ya know.

reverend · Post by **reverend** » 09 Sep 2019, 12:55

I use a simple SunPro (probably Chinesium) gauge that seems to work ok. I really just want it as baseline info and see if it ever deviates. I don't see more than 14-15 psi when I romp on it.

Post by **- Pete -** » 09 Sep 2019, 13:42

Looks good Reverend. Did you hook yours up so it’s dimmable?

At 14-15psi max you must be stage 1 I assume?

Right now I have the non-R IPD one in the empty pocket left of the radio. Seems accurate, like you say peak is right around 15, maybe a hair under. What I don’t like is the IPD gauges needle action is notchy as it climbs/descends. Also there aren’t an appropriate number of lines between 1-5, 10-15, etc. there should be 4 but there are only 3.