Seems like a good idea, right? Open top track car gets rained on? Who cares! 4x4 takes a load of mud to the interior? Hose it out!
OK, a few do exist...Auto Meter makes some circle track and Jeep branded gauges...and there are marine gauges...but as far as I've found no complete, matching gauge set that doesn't say "Jeep" on them. Am I missing something?
Are regular gauges that leakey? I've never sprayed one so I honestly have no idea.
Honestly I don't know. I ASSume that they would be damaged or at least fog up if they were rained on. I may be looking for a solution for a problem that doesn't exist. I was just thinking that weather resistant gauges would be beneficial in something like a locost with no roof to keep the rain out.
I can tell you that my miata gauge cluster, with no gauge hood and no windshield didn't suffer from spending lots of time in the rain. If I was building a locust, I'd spend the extra money saved on regular gauges and make a full tonneau cover for when parked.
Get boat gauges, kind of made to get wet.
If you want full water resistant gauges, you'll have to go marine.
I'd assume the liquid filled ones by definition would be water-proof lest it all leak out.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I'd assume the liquid filled ones by definition would be water-proof lest it all leak out.
That's what I was thinking when I saw the thread title too.
My Sammy's stock gauge cluster's been splashed with filth quite a few times and none's made it inside...even with a piece of plastic cracked out of the top of the gauge surround.
All those Lucas gauges in leaky Triumphs and such. They do just fine. Glass and a rubber gasket. You don't need anything more unless you plan on submerging.
foxtrapper wrote: All those Lucas gauges in leaky Triumphs and such.
water or smoke?
oldopelguy wrote: Get boat gauges, kind of made to get wet.
Yes. This.
bgkast,
Waterproof and water resistant instruments do exist in limited variations from a number of different manufacturers including Auto Meter depending upon what you're after. As you've noted, at Auto Meter we offer them in our Jeep Licensed designs, as well as our Marine and Pro-Cycle (motorcycle) products. The processes and components to achieve the necessary sealing do add to the overall cost, so we don't offer this option on everything. If you're looking for something fully waterproof, someone here already mentioned Liquid Filled Mechanical gauges as one viable option. Another would be to look at the offerings from our sister company STACK (www.stackltd.com), whose tachometers and instrument displays are designed for open top racing and in many cases submersion specs (IP67 sealing).
The main concern about environmental sealing for instruments tends to do with corrosion or water damage to components especially with regard to gauges with electrical movements, but can also be a consideration for mechanical gauges because the differential between the internal case pressure and external atmospheric must be accounted for in the calibration of a fully sealed instrument (in the case of liquid filled mechanical gauges, a venting point is often utilized to allow for the occasional equalization of pressures).
In a relatively protected cockpit taking appropriate measures to protect the instruments during washing and such, most instruments will survive the occasional bit of light rain or splash of water, though we would technically recommend water resistant face for any moisture exposure as a precaution. Where you really want to start considering resistant or sealed gauges are for environments where the interior of the vehicle is heavily washed or consistently exposed to intense, heavy rain, mud, or similar conditions. Further, any instrument fully exposed to the elements or mounted in such a way that water would pool around them should have at minimum a water resistant face.
Hope that helps!
-Kris-
Wow, it's not every forum where you can get a reply from the company! Thank you.
oldopelguy wrote: Get boat gauges, kind of made to get wet.
That was my original thought, but I don't really want to use a GPS speedometer and i I don't want my readings in knots. 
I had a convertible with regular not water resistant gauges, or whatever you call them, and they got rained on all the time and there were no problems.
I can tell you marelli gages are not waterproof.. in fact, the ones in my fiat used to steam up on cool damp nights when the internal lights would heat things up
why not just locate a "lip" or "ledge" above the gauges so if it rains, it wouldn't hit them....
It would have the other effect of keeping them shaded to reduce sun glare.
mw wrote: I can tell you that my miata gauge cluster, with no gauge hood and no windshield didn't suffer from spending lots of time in the rain. If I was building a locust, I'd spend the extra money saved on regular gauges and make a full tonneau cover for when parked.
This. Hundreds of Exocets out there scampering around with exposed (on the bottom) Miata gauge clusters and very few problems. The rare issues are usually simple wiring errors (a few plugs are identical and easily mismatched).
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