Driving without any instruments

PeteM1965 · PeteM1965's Garage

I am going to send my instruments to be overhauled. Has anybody driven their car without instruments. My thoughts lean towards getting a temporary oil temp and pressure gauge, the other gauges I can live without for 3 or 4 weeks.

Any thoughts?

na2ub · 06-22-2011, 10:02 AM

Get your instruments overhauled in the winter when you are not driving it. Your list however, does appear to cover the basic "engine killing" problems though.

ChaseN · 06-22-2011, 10:12 AM

I drove my 325 for about a week without a speedo while I repaired the odometer gears...just go with the flow of traffic, and shift with your ears. As long as you drive conservatively, you should be OK. Just a thought though - do you have a smart phone? My new HTC Evo has a GPS app which shows my speed, which would have come in handy on empty roads where I couldn't quite tell the difference in 35mph and 45mph. Good luck

I say go for it if you want it done now.

turborat · turborat's Garage

Remember that you will need the "Gen" bulb left in its socket in order for the alternator to charge the battery correctly.

I think a similar socket is used for the oil pressure "idiot" light.

daepp · 06-22-2011, 12:40 PM

Not that they would ever ask for my opinion, but I think places like North Hollywood Speedo would do more business if they would offer a swap program. Pay us, and we'll send you refurbished gauges and you send us cores. Obviously they couldnt service everyone this way, but there are several advantages:
1) You could unhook and rehook the wires one at a time
2) No down time on your car.

IMHO of course

daepp · 06-22-2011, 12:41 PM

Not that they would ever ask for my opinion, but I think places like North Hollywood Speedo would do more business if they would offer a swap program. Pay us, and we'll send you refurbished gauges and you send us cores. Obviously they couldnt service everyone this way, but there are several advantages:
1) You could unhook and rehook the wires one at a time
2) No down time on your car.

IMHO of course

tcar · 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by na2ub

Get your instruments overhauled in the winter when you are not driving it..

We don't all live in Ohio...

I'll bet over half the people on here drive their Pcars all year... we do in Denver.

Pete doesn't say, tho.

PeteM1965 · PeteM1965's Garage

Thanks for the advice guys. I intend to drive it as long as the roads are salt-free.

blucille · 06-22-2011, 03:53 PM

The alternator warning light must be functioning, as mentioned already, you probably need to ground the socket to make it work.....for safety's sake you at least want an oil pressure light, too...turn signal and hi beam indicators are good too.

I'm sure a local pelicanite has some spare gauges....why not put in some temporary gauges, stall and removal is very quick....I have a spare speedo, fuel and oil level gauge, clock.

Probably the biggest concern is making sure the loose wires don't contact anything while the gauges are out....next biggest is forgetting what goes where.....so, insulte everything and take lots of photos.

When i did this last winter turn around time was incredibly quick, if you expedite ship, you could probably do the whole thing with only one weekend of the car being without gauges.