Boost gauge installation with pics !

juli0s

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Location
UK
TDI
Golf TDI 1996
Thought it was time i should contribute something to the club, so here we go.

I'm in a bit of a hurry as i type this, so commentary will be concise !

I've got a 1996 Golf TDI, engine code 1Z. I'm in the UK, so a couple of bits maybe be slightly different from US spec A3s.


1: The gauge kit



Ignore the silver bleed valve, this isn't part of the gauge.

2: The engine bay



3: The intake manifold pressure hose

I chose the tap the gauge feed in at the intake, since this would allow me to read the pressure that was actually entering the engine. I recently took the manifold off to clean ou the crud, and replace the clip with an geared type, so i simple loosened this, then pulled the hose off.

4:Tee in,


Here you can see i've used some 4mm fuel hose to allow for the "T" fitting.

5: ...inside the cabin

Now i had to find a route for the hose to get into the cabin, and into the gauge...... after about an hour of searching, i remembered something i read on here, and looked under the passenger footwell, and hey presto !!!

6:

Next i had to feed a new length of hose down behind the dash to connect up with the hose that i'd just fed in from the engine bay.

7:


.... found a route behind the dash, and re-emerged in the passenger footwell.

8:


.. then connected the 2 hoses using a fitting.

9:

Here is the pillar pod. It needs some trimmimg before it will sit nicely ....

10:


Now i pulled off the A pillar trim and attached the pod to it.

11:

... then put the trim back in place, and fed the hose into the pod..

12:


all that remained was to insert to connect up the guage and slot it into the pod !
 

juli0s

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Location
UK
TDI
Golf TDI 1996
Re: BOOST GAUGE INSTALLTION GUIDE WITH PICS !

i had no idea that was banned,

i'll take out the other one
 

BleachedBora

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Oct 16, 2003
Location
Gresham, Oregon
TDI
'81 DMC-12, '15 GL350 CDI 275 hp/448 tq - '81 Caddy CJAA, '05 E320 CDI 250hp/450 tq, '23 ID4 AWD Pro S Plus
Re: BOOST GAUGE INSTALLTION GUIDE WITH PICS !


We all make mistakes from time to time. Great writeup though.
You might want to take to Wingnut about getting it added to his "how to" page.
-BB
 

paramedick

TDIClub Enthusiast, Vendor
Joined
Jul 29, 2001
Location
Versailles, Kentucky
TDI
2015 Audi Q5 TDI
Re: BOOST GAUGE INSTALLTION GUIDE WITH PICS !

Great writeup. I'm jealous. Your intake manifold as no EGR valve, as ours do here.

We also don't have that vacuum nipple on the intake, IIRC.
 

juli0s

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Location
UK
TDI
Golf TDI 1996
Re: BOOST GAUGE INSTALLTION GUIDE WITH PICS !

hey,

I do have an EGR, but its a different design to yours, (you can see the diaphragm in the final pic)

thats a shame about the intake nipple, its such an easy place to tap !
 

Toronto_Vento

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 7, 2002
Location
Richmond Hill, ON
TDI
01 Baltic Green Bora
Re: BOOST GAUGE INSTALLTION GUIDE WITH PICS !

We do have a nipple, it's just positioned on the hard plastic piping for the intake, not on the intake itself. I wonder if your design of EGR is what makes your engines less prone to clogging.
 

jck66

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 4, 2001
Location
Greenwich, CT, USA
TDI
12 Passat SE / 14 BMW 535d
Nice writeup, but I'd be leery of using tygon under the hood in this application. As you mention, it does soften with heat. It doesn't take much heat either. Your foil may not help much - you will probably find that first section folded over pretty quickly. You may have better luck going with a rubber hose - like a fuel hose?

Just my two "pence".
 

juli0s

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Location
UK
TDI
Golf TDI 1996
i did actually try using fuel hose first, but i got the wrong size, doh!

i'll keep an eye on the connections though.......
 

juli0s

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Location
UK
TDI
Golf TDI 1996
Re: BOOST GAUGE INSTALLTION GUIDE WITH PICS !

think you might be right, i cleaned my intake out at 73,000 miles. It was bad, but not half as bad as some of the photos i've seen of other peoples......

the EGR on my car looks much smaller in terms of bore than the ones i've seen on here, i'd say mine had a diameter of about an inch.

Also, because the cold induction air does not flow throught the EGR on my engine (on my set uo the EGR introduces exhaust gas at a right angle to the induction air), i chose to leave the EGR constricted with crud. I then adjusted it using VAG COM as per the FAQ...
so hopefully the clogging tendcancy will be at an absolute minimum.
 

Jaco

Veteran Member
Joined
May 5, 2000
Location
Leuven (Belgium)
TDI
Polo 1.4 TDi , 04 , black
Re: BOOST GAUGE INSTALLTION GUIDE WITH PICS !

good write-up !

Juli0s : where did you order the boostgauge ? Do you have a link of a place where I can buy it online ?
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
Re: BOOST GAUGE INSTALLTION GUIDE WITH PICS !

Hi,

Good write up. I opted to tap into the ECU MAP line closer to the ECU. Doing so placed the plastic "T" in the air plenum instead in plain sight. I did this for cosmetic reasons.



The hose is tee'd near the ECU, then travels under the plenum to the drivers side. From there, it exits the plenum briefly then enters into the cabin via a grommet very similar to what you have chosen. In the end, you cannot see any evidence of a gauge install other than what's in the cabin.


Take Care,

Scott
 
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juli0s

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Location
UK
TDI
Golf TDI 1996
Re: BOOST GAUGE INSTALLTION GUIDE WITH PICS !

cheers Scott.

I'm gonna do some more work on my set up at the weekend, and i think i may follow your lead and hide some of the connections. I've now got the pillar guage pod too, so i should be able to finish off the guide.

I also now have some fuel hose to use instead of the PVC stuff.
 

juli0s

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Location
UK
TDI
Golf TDI 1996
Re: BOOST GAUGE INSTALLTION GUIDE WITH PICS !

bump!

just finished the guide.

Simplified it a bit, and put uo the final stages.

cheers
 

Gigitt

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2002
Location
Australia
TDI
2011 Mk5 Jetta 125TDI, 1996 Mk3 Golf TDI
Not to rain on the parade...

But 42draftdesigns.com has a totally sweet gauge pod solution for Mk3:

http://www.42draftdesigns.com/mk3single.htm
Everyone says get the 42draftdesign Mk3 guage bracket... and my 2cents... you cannot read the guage when it is mounted! (unless you are the rear middle or front passenger)

The steering wheel blocks the gauge. Very inpractical for some thing vital like a boost guage... might be ok with a Temp gauge and you can look around the steering wheel once in a while... but not a boost gauge!
 

juli0s

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Location
UK
TDI
Golf TDI 1996
Re: BOOST GAUGE INSTALLTION GUIDE WITH PICS !

......i've just installed a 42 draft designs gauge holder, the one that replaces the heated seat switch.... and done away with the pillar pod. Looks much neater now, will put a new pic up soon
 

curtg

Active member
Joined
Jul 2, 2005
Location
ct
TDI
1998 black
boost gauge

sorry i should have said i bought mcnally boost/egt combo where is best place to tap for pressure sensor?there is some kind of stock sensor on lower intercooler plastic pipe should i put close to this closer to egr intake?
 

a.bradd

New member
Joined
Feb 9, 2011
Location
birmingham
TDI
mk3 golf tdi 1z
just got my boost gauge through today been scratching my head how to fit it this guide is bang on thanks!!

determined newbie :)
 

a.bradd

New member
Joined
Feb 9, 2011
Location
birmingham
TDI
mk3 golf tdi 1z
1 more question though.
you said using this tap its the pressure into the mainifold...
what tap would i be able to use to find out what pressure my turbos pushing?
 

Rabbid0281

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Location
Dallas, TX
TDI
96 B4 TDI 1Z sedan. '12 Jetta TDI 6spd. 1982 GTD Jetta Coupe 5spd
Thanks to this thread, I have a fully functional boost gauge, just need to hook up the wiring for the lights! :thumbsup:

a.bradd, I tapped the vacuum hose that goes into the black intake tube attached to the intake manifold. Dont use the black line on the box with the blue and red lines going into it. It is negative pressure.

 
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WINDSORB4TDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2009
Location
Nathalie
TDI
LOOKING
^Why would you put a BOOST/VAC gauge on a diesel that is incapable of producing vacuum?

They do make BOOST only gauges, I have a 0-25PSI gauge on my Passat.

Vince
 

Rabbid0281

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Location
Dallas, TX
TDI
96 B4 TDI 1Z sedan. '12 Jetta TDI 6spd. 1982 GTD Jetta Coupe 5spd
This IS a boost gauge... And if the TDI doesnt produce vacuum, why are there vacuum lines on it... Why does it matter if its both? It can only measure one at a time....

This is what I did:

Teed off from intake tube


cut a slit in the hood release cable grommet


routed next to ECU(?) Black and white wires hanging are the power wires for the gauge light.


Removed vent and closed the plate, drilled a hole for the vent tube. Air duct is disconnected from vent housing.




Plan on crafting a block off plate for the vent piece so that it gets mounted.
 
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bandit-jay

New member
Joined
Jul 12, 2013
Location
Nottingham
TDI
Golf mk4
boost gauge

hi rabbid u are the only person i can find that has put a boost gauge on a golf tdi themselves n posted it on a forum for people to do diy.
i need to pick your brains, now i am installing a boost gauge and manual boost controller to my mk4 golf tdi. now i know where to locate and place the T-piece for the boost controller on the turbo, now what i am not sure about is where to locate the T-piece for the boost gauge, should i or would you put it in the same place that you have located yours on your mk3 tdi. any info from anyone would be appreciated so as just to shead some light on this matter. cheers guys.
 
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