Aeroforce Gauge and custom Defrost Vent Pod
 

Ok, so I have been on the boad for some time now and I pay attention to most threads. One of the major things discussed is performance, but with out having a way to monitor, how do we know if we are getting the most out of our products. But more importantly how are cars are reacting to what we modify. I have found the answer! We have seen them and its nothing new, but wouldnt it be nice if we could see A/F, Boost, Temp, just to name a few and it would all be real time cause it is hooked to the OBD2. I know, I know, we have all seen them, but what if we could get one made for our car? I spoke to Todd over at Aerofoce and here is his response.

(In order to pursue this we would need someone with one of these cars to stop by our shop for an initial evaluation to see what we'd be up against. Some mfg's are very standardized, and communications are very straight forward. Some like Subaru are completed messed up and we actually have to buy a car to figure it out.

We are located in North Ridgeville, Oh. If you can find anyone interested from your forums let me know. I'll ask around but I don't know any owners off-hand.)

This is huge and the gauge is sick!!!! So come on OH we are counting on you. Here is a link to there site and a video of it in action.
http://www.aeroforcetech.com/products_interceptor.html

Now the next thing is how do we mount this without it looking like a racecar and keep it classy. Well, i have been chatting with a member on another forum and have sent him pics. He got back to me and as long as the vent is removable he can do it. Here are a few pics of his work.

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Does anyone know if the vent can be removed? I assume it can cause I found it in a parts catalog. And would it be easy to get to? Im gonna go through with the Pod, But Im really hoping we can get this gauge.

So "sick" is a good thing? If so, i'd be willing to put one in my XF it you can get it all worked out.

Sorry, yes its a good thing!

I have a better idea. I would be glad to make this retro fit for any XF or Jag that uses the same rear view mirror. Just like my radar detector I removed just the display part and etched it into the rear of the mirror glass so there is no pod visible.

Then I extend just the wires from that pod and make a connector for it to come apart any time and you still just plug it into your OBD port.

So if you want to sell your car and remove it to reverse it is just the same. Swap or buy a mirrror from anyone and unplug this one and your set. No holes drilled or cut and a monster clean install and stealth.

This is no secret as many high end car audio shops can do this for all of you as well.

That would be way stealth and I would be interested. But there are two buttons on the gauge that are used to scan through different functions. I'm really set on this gauge but we need a member in the OH area so they can build one fr us. If you read my original post, you see the guy at Aeroforce is willing as long as he has a car. But so far no takers. I know PLX offers a nice one as well. But you have to keep buying different parts to read certain things. And that means you would have to keep plugging more things into it.

Man...! This gauge is nice. This has been my biggist compliant about our cars. You have no way of knowing what the car is really doing. Outside of the idiot lights, you have nothing. This would go along way in detecting a problem before it is a problem. I hope there's a way they can get the info they need to move forward.

Doesn't look like anyone in OH is interested in going to the shop. There is another company with a similar gauge. That's are only hold up. I can have the pods made ASAP. But still have to see if the vent comes out, and if it does I'm gonna go ahead and have a pod made. In the mean time I'm gonna keep looking for OBD2 gauges unless someone from OH is willing to let them have there car for a couple hours.

The 2 buttons can be mounted in the mirror bottom or back like the garage door buttons are. Very easy as well.

Im reopening this thread cause I let this project go by the waist side, but now I'm motivated once again. I spoke to the guy today who makes the vent pods and he is ready to go. Didn't get much action when I posted the first time, but with new members joining everyday I wanted to bring this thread back to life. Now, so I don't have to repeat myself start at the top of the thread and read, still looking for someone in OH to volunteer a couple of hours to go to the shop so they can custom make a gauge for us. I and another member on the board would be willing to compensate for your time. They are located in North Ridgeville. Anyone interested in the vent pod let me know.

I don't know if it works, but I bought an Ultraguage for my Nissan Titan and I love it. It has about 80 different values that it can display and you can arrange the various screens as you see fit. I have it mounted quasi-professionally in my truck or I'd yank it out to see if it reads the Jag info.

UltraGauge OBDII Scan tool & Information Center

From their site:

They're also cheap at $60 (after rebate).

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/a...ine=1374174370

The point of the thread was going for a OEM feel. And was really hopeing to get a owner in the OH area. But thank you for your contribution.

I think if we can get a good gauge to show us what our cars are doing long before you see a idiot light, it would help with diagnosing problems that some us may have as they come up. This would also be a handy little item to have for those of us who have made mods to their rides. I myself would like to see how much boost I'm getting at any given time or what my volts are since some of us have had voltage problems. I am willing to hop on board with chXFS and offer alittle bounty for anybody willing to take their ride up to Aeroforce to see if they can help us out.
I'm sure with the newer member who are joining the forum, this would be a great thing to have for any model Jaguar..:icon_headbang:

Thanks Redjaguar100, I didn't even think about the XJ, XK, an S-type members. Our cars should be similar. We should post something in the other model threads as well. Ohh, spoke to the guy about the vent pods and all I have to do is a few measurements so he can have the pod lined up before he molds them to the vent. I will keep you posted, cost will be pod, vent, and labor. I will find out the cost.

If we can get the pods on the road, that would be a excellent first step. I also think that when it comes to monitoring performance, most of the Jaguars with simular engine should be the same or close. I'm sure other forum members with different models would like to have this gauge as well. Keep us updated..

chXFS,


My apologies for offering a possible answer to your previously posed question, taken from your opening post:

In regard to OEM look, you sincerely feel that the Aeroforce pod looks more OEM than the UltraGuage? Really? The Ultraguage is darned near a carbon copy of the central info screen between our XF speedo/tach.

At any rate, my apologies for "hijacking" your thread.

Hey FastCat2011,

I don't think you tried to "hijack" the tread. And thank you for offering a choice. chXFS and myself where just looking at trying to get a external gauge that can be syled to look like the speedo and tech with same coloration. We choose aeroforce because it would be easyer to blend it into the contour of our dash without making it look it was an add on item to the disconcerning eye. Much like hiding something in plain view unless you knew the dash layout or was a motorhead. As far as I'm concerned, any positive in put is a good thing.

If the gauge is a standard size (and it looks like it probably is) then three are lots of ways you could mount it. The vent is convenient or you could put it on the A-pillar and recover it to match.

That is what I did with a boost gauge.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...writeup-83912/

I think the gauge FastCat2011 was refering to looks more like a smaller nav or square shaped. The Aeroforce is more like a standard gauge although I'm not sure about post mounting because of possible injury if the side curtain air bag was deployed. The air vent seems to be our best option short of digging into the dash somewhere to run the lines. IMHO.

Good point about the curtain airbag, I hadn't thought of that angle. My older XK doesn't have that one, just the side impact airbag in the seat.

So finally the final product. Myself and Redjaguar100 have been working on this for over a year. The hardest part is locating a vent. Jaguar will not sell the vent by itself, it is part of the dash in there system. So I have been searching wrecked XFs for quite sometime and finally found a salvage yard on ebay and he went out there and pulled the vent for $20.

You can use your vent but if you ever want to sell your Jag it would have to be part of the sale. The gauges read 30 perimeters, I have them setup so it shows two on each gauge. You can show 8 but it's very small, or you can have them go through a duty cycle and it will go through what you program. I have mine reading Boost/Vac, A/F Ratio, Intake, and Coolant.