Gauges and Wiring

Hi folks, right im a bit of a novice when it comes to wiring and gauges etc so please forgive me. Ive done a search and found alot of results but am still uncertain for my engine/vehicles. My plan is to fit engine oil pressure, oil temperature and volt meter gauges to my 300tdi.

Firstly can i use vdo gauges out of old VW cars for example?

How do i go about the engine oil pressure and temperature... I beleive something has to fitted between the air filter or something like that, which has two senders, one for pressure and the other for temperature. Is this correct?

Also, i have a split charge system and what to read the volts of the two batterys. Can this be done via a carling switch and be switched either way, one or the other.

Many thanks guys, Josh

oil pressure has to fit to the oil filter housing but you will have to likely buy a t peice. To connect the new sender and keep the old oil pressure sender as well. same for oil temp but you would want to read the temp before it goes into the oil cooler

Similar post to one I did a few weeks back - good to see us novices having the same learning curve - Demon Tweeks do the "T" piece but you need male to female connectors etc as well

i have a digital temp guage which is far more acurate and reliable than the defender one.

2 seperate digital volt guages for each battery connected via relays so when the ignition is switched on they come on

buy the triple VDO gauges off ebay. They will be sold as Audi or VW gauges. You get temp and pressure and volt meter.

If your going to monitor the 2 batteries, your better off getting 2 gauges and digital will be more usefull. you can do what Wilts has done or I have a national Luna twin volt meter: http://www.nationalluna.com/Datasheets/Dual Monitor.pdf

as above, you will need a T piece for the sender units. Best bet is to make sure you get BOTH oil senders with the gauges. I just took these to Rich at Croytec at one of the shows. He measured the pitch of the thread etc. and mailed me the correct one in the post. then its just a question of wireing. If you get the VW set, they are in a neat loom (with a delayed dimming relay) then you just need to decipher the colours and their meaning. I have the VDO gauge datasheet here if you need it for this. I have still got to wire mine in. Gauges are in, just need to sort wireing and fit the senders when the next oil change is due.

G