Digital Dash-any experience?

I would like to get a digital dash like the AIM or Racepak for my race car but which one is best? I am only considering ones that plug into OBD2 port and would prefer one with a G force sensor and GPS. Anybody have any experience?

I can not add any specifics to what one to use but I can tell you that I have used digital dash's in the past and hated them. I much prefer a regular needle type gauge (even if it is digital) that I can look at and see where it is and not have to actually read the numbers. This is why you see the gauges in many race cars turned all over the place so when everything is in spec all the needles are pointed the same way (usually up) If you have a needle that is not pointed the rite way you need to pay it a bit more attention. Quick and easy to see if everything is in order with out actually reading anything.

Also, since your primary use will be autocross, looking at gauges/dash means you are not looking at the course. A simple set of gauges should be plenty. You will likely drive by sound once you get the new engine sorted and tuned.

I'm gonna agree with dean1484 on this one. I much prefer being able to give a quick glance at a set of analog gauges and think "yeah, that looks about right". With digital stuff, unless it's all bar graphs (which are just as readable as analog if they're done well), I'm left having to think about everything I look at "oil pressure says 42, is that normal?"

That's why you also set alarms. When the alarm goes off, you know something's out of range. Digital dashes are great because they combine both precise information and logic with alarms. I've used the MXL and the MXL2 on customer cars, and the MXL2 is a nice piece of kit. You can get pretty complex with the factors for the alarms, which is great.

I've got video of two experienced racers lapping in one of our cars as all the 4" analog gauges illustrate the engine gradually dying, and neither one noticed because they were discussing how to drive the track. One good alarm would have saved an engine. That's one reason you don't see analog gauges in race cars anymore, they're all digital.

But for autox? All you really need is an oil pressure light that's brighter than the sun and the size of a baby's head.

I once got into an argument with a tech about how analogue gages were better than digital for the exact same reason Dean gave. I might as well have been talking to a wall

I use a Stack 8100 on the race car and love it. I've got alarms programmed w/ a very bright red high intensity LED warning lamp at the top, center of the dash to the left of the sequential shift light. I can pick which values are displayed so when I have a second or two twice a lap I can read the oil and water temps which are all I check for a number. Otherwise, if I see a bright red light I know to look more closely.

My purpose for the digital dash is primarily for the alarms. I have an AIM Mychron4 on my kart and I never actually look at it during racing but I have all the alarms programmed in it for temp and shifting plus I can recall data from laps afterwards. Can't do that with analog gauges. I want flashing lights for rpm, oil pressure and temp but also want to recall peak boost,rpm and plot the G forces. This will be useful for set up and for tuning.

AIM MyChron 3/4/5.

What data do you REALLY want to collect and use? The kart dashes are easily the best value.

chaparral wrote: AIM MyChron 3/4/5. What data do you REALLY want to collect and use? The kart dashes are easily the best value.

I REALLY want oil pressure, rpm and temperature alarms as well as maximum boost recall. I race karts and have several Mychron4's, I could use one to get some of the things I want until I get the dash I really want. The tach is inductive and my engine has coil-on-plug which could make that tricky to get but I'll try