Oh great, another gauge failure.
- Thread starter Wwabbit
- Start date
Xcentric
GT Owner
The seat of my pants isn't very reliable except for pucker-factor situations. You could always put red tick marks on the speedo for redline shift points, as VW (and maybe some others?) did for MT cars without tachs.
I bought a complete set from ford from Capital Ford in Rocky Mt, NC . Around 4500. Going to hold them in reserve. My car has 1200 m.
Only problem I see with that is, since the gauges have not been produced in a while, OEM stock is aged. Thus all existing OEM gauges in stock potentially have the same fatal flaw - whatever that is - and may fail sooner or later as well. Buying an OEM gauge today means buying an 'old' gauge from the same stock as the gauges that are dying in our cars today. I have 2 cars, one with 4 dead gauges. I prefer OEM to Speedhut (at this point at least), but I don't want to buy OEM just yet, until some improved OEM might appear - if, when and maybe. Am I misinformed? Perhaps someone knows that the gauges were improved at some point along the way and newer OEM gauges don't have an issue(?).
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There are only the "existing design gauges" and the alleged "newly designed gauges" that are *supposed* to be available through Autometer directly in approximately the August timeframe. I had a very candid, sincere conversation with the CEO of Autometer while I was at SEMA. Despite they have reached an agreement with Ford to make available these new gauges (I suspect Ford has somehow offset some of the costs but that's pure speculation), the CEO remains solidly convinced that the fault with the existing gauges is not theirs. I'm simply relaying his, allegedly knowledgeable, opinion.
Unlike the existing gauges, the new gauges will not use air-core stepper motors. Rather, they will use a more traditional stepper motor. As such, fast-sweeping gauges such as the tach and the speedometer will NOT be re-made. If you have a bad tach and or speedometer, there's no point to wait until August - you need to decide now to roll the dice on an "existing design gauge" or go the SpeedHut route. The other concern that I personally have re: the new gauges is the potential for them to be noisy. I had installed some of Autometer's latest design "Ultra" gauges into my Laguna Seca (oil temp, oil pressure, and water temp). The gauges functioned great - but they were noisy. I hope the new GT gauges are not as noisy as those Autometer gauges but I think it is a legitimate concern - so much so that we have a few gauge-insulator prototypes ready to try out for when the new gauges arrive.
Unlike the existing gauges, the new gauges will not use air-core stepper motors. Rather, they will use a more traditional stepper motor. As such, fast-sweeping gauges such as the tach and the speedometer will NOT be re-made. If you have a bad tach and or speedometer, there's no point to wait until August - you need to decide now to roll the dice on an "existing design gauge" or go the SpeedHut route. The other concern that I personally have re: the new gauges is the potential for them to be noisy. I had installed some of Autometer's latest design "Ultra" gauges into my Laguna Seca (oil temp, oil pressure, and water temp). The gauges functioned great - but they were noisy. I hope the new GT gauges are not as noisy as those Autometer gauges but I think it is a legitimate concern - so much so that we have a few gauge-insulator prototypes ready to try out for when the new gauges arrive.
Thanks for the update and additional info, Kendall. Interesting. It's helpful to know the facts. Amazing this problem remains so ambiguous and misunderstood. I'm still not sure we are well served if Autometer updates the gauges. To retain the OEM look one would always have the chance of a defective speedo or tach. Bummer.
Would sure be nice if the user community could learn what the real failure mode was. Would be willing to bet a reasonable fix could be worked out. The CEO at Autometer could be right. The replacement gauges could be a work around for a problem elsewhere. But the aftermarket could well come up with a more systems based solution regardless of 'fault' No one really cares who's 'fault' it is. Just want a good solution to make them reliable. Even if the fix is not a replacement gauge. Heck, especially if the fix were not a replacement gauge.
Then again, it could be that the air core movements were a design that was dictated to Autometer back when and it turns out was a bad direction to go but changing all of them now would require much more than replacing the movement....just theorizing.
Then again, it could be that the air core movements were a design that was dictated to Autometer back when and it turns out was a bad direction to go but changing all of them now would require much more than replacing the movement....just theorizing.
FENZO
GT Owner
ViperJoe
GT Owner
I installed a complete set of Speedhut gauges. They look great and to the eye of John & Jane Q. Public, they are completely indistinguishable from OEM. So my advice to those of you with gauge failures (which will eventually include all of you) is just order a set of Speedhut gauges and move on. Neither Ford nor Autometer will ever do anything to rectify the situation. If that was their intent, it would have been done by now.
ViperJoe
GT Owner
They will. You can work with their art dept to design your gauge faces pretty much as you wish, just call them and request special order gauges (costs a little extra). Mine are almost exactly OEM except for longer sweep of some smaller gauges (better to read) and the round (instead of D-shaped) tach. No one but another GT owner would guess they are not stock. And I agree with ViperJoe - I'll believe new, reasonably priced gauges will be available when I see them. And even then, I'll run the Speedhuts, which have better customer service and warranties.
BlackICE
GT Owner
It's a Trademark issue with Ford. Unfortunately. And Ford is unrelenting in such matters I am told.
:agree:
:agree: sorry to say.
Yeah, I definitely agree with the "move on" sentiment. The situation is what it is. Thanks to SpeedHut for seeing the opportunity and providing a viable solution. Thanks too that we will have some newer gauges from Autometer as another alternative. Although I haven't done it with my own car, perhaps the most prudent thing to do is to take your known-good gauges out of the car and replace them with the SpeedHut set-up. Keep the OEM gauges in a climate controlled environment and when if you or your grandchildren ever sell the car, they will always have the OEM gauges available.
Xcentric
GT Owner
Black GT
GT Owner
- Jan 2, 2006
- 771
I have never had a problem with my stock battery. I replaced my original just because it was time. Went with stock bat with Ford GT on top. Great battery. Never had a problem since 05.
No, it will ALWAYS work. You would always have the OEM gauges as removed (working) from the car. (Who said they STILL work?)
Xcentric
GT Owner
^^^What I'm saying is the removed, used OEM gauges may or may not work when reinstalled. Since nobody knows or is not saying why they fail. chempwr's MSO car with 175 miles has 3 bad gauges. Those gauges have been essentially stored for 7 or 8 years.
What does a climate controlled environment have to do with anything? What are the temp and humidity specs that are known to keep gauges working (or conversely, cause them to fail)?
In the last extended discussion on gauges (a year or so ago), DBK said (not a direct quote) there is no pattern to gauge failure.
I recall DBK posting something about Autometer finding the problem after analyzing the failed gauges. Did I misinterpret that? That is why I am surprised to hear that Autometer is still apparently not accepting responsibility for building crap gauges.
What does a climate controlled environment have to do with anything? What are the temp and humidity specs that are known to keep gauges working (or conversely, cause them to fail)?
In the last extended discussion on gauges (a year or so ago), DBK said (not a direct quote) there is no pattern to gauge failure.
I recall DBK posting something about Autometer finding the problem after analyzing the failed gauges. Did I misinterpret that? That is why I am surprised to hear that Autometer is still apparently not accepting responsibility for building crap gauges.
If I removed a working OEM gauge, vacuum packed it, tucked it away in Cheyenne Mtn, with guards posted and went back in 10 yrs... talk about a Schrodinger's cat. I'm not convinced I'd have anything more than a paperweight. Maybe. But I've had gauges fail while parked and while running, battery tender or not. It must be that Higgs boson or a stray quark flying by that gets us. Speculation is obviously futile.
twobjshelbys
GT Owner
Funny!!! So just how many people got it (without going to Wikipedia to look it up)?