I read in another post about a boost gauge. Can someone teach me about what they are, what they are for and what the difference is from the gauge that's already on the dash for the turbo?

I have a 98 quattro 1.8 that the previous owner said he chipped. So do I need one of these gauges?

Thanks

 

First off if you have a 98 1.8t you do not have a gauge in your dash already unless the previous owner put it there. You have: Tach, Speed, Volt, Gas, Coolant Temp, clock and Oil Temp. A boost gauge does exactly what it sounds like, tells you how much boost (pressure that the turbo makes) you are running at a certain time. For example at idle your boost gauge tells me I am at -20in Hg (Vacuum) but at WOT I'm at 22Psi (Boost). It is a necessary component on chipped cars so you can tell if something is wrong, if you normally run 20 psi and all of a sudden you can't go over 7 you know you have a problem that you wouldn't be able to pin without a gauge

 

^ Exactly.
A boost gauge not only looks good but as PBCRAZY said, helps you see that your car is running normal.

I have this boost gauge and it matches our stock gauges in color and font: Audi B5 A4 Quattro 1.8T Search SiteSearch Boost Gauge - GAU009KT - Column Mounted Boost Gauge & Pod Kit - ES#2580417


..did he say what chip he used?

 

The guy I got it from owned for 2 years. He said the guy before him chipped it and did other stuff also.(exhaust, air filter, performance clutch and so on.) I don't know what chip. And I don't know how truthful this is but the first owner claimed he had it pushing like 300hp. This is my first Audi so I don't know how realistic that is but it does seem to have some get up and go.

I have a gauge that looks just like that one but it's in the air vent in the middle of the dash. It doesn't say boost on it but the other numbers are the same.

Sorry. This is the first turbo I've owned. I've only had it for a few days but have figured out that if I throttle heavy and the rpm is not climbing very fast the "boost gauge" climbs fast instead. Then when it gets to like 15+ the car surges. Sometimes like 20+. I can feel it even in 5th gear.

 

Ok. Just got a hold of the guy finally and it is supposed to be an APR stage 2 chip.

 

Sweet! Do you know how to use it?
Mine is soldered onto the ECU so I can't switch "programs"

APR Audi A4 1.8T - APR ECU Upgrade

Step 1
Press and hold the "set" button on your cruise control. After approximately five seconds, the "check engine" light on your dash will begin to blink once per second. This will tell you that you are activating program one. This blinking sequence will continue for approximately five seconds.

After this five second interval, the "check engine" light will begin blinking twice per second. This will indicate that you have activated the second program. This process is continued to access any remaining programs you may have purchased. (three blinks = program three, four blinks = program four).

Step 2
Once you have activated the desired program, simply release the "set" button. The "check engine" light will stop flashing. Turn the ignition key off for 10 seconds, turn the key back on, and you will be locked in that program until you change it again.

It's that simple.

 

Can I see a picture of this installed?

 

To my knowledge APR never made a stage 2 for the AEB. They makes a stage 1 tune and a stage 3 kit, but no stage 2.

 

Everybody calls these "boost gauges" but most are actually manifold pressure gauges. Strickly speaking, boost means pressure above atmospheric, whatever that happens to be, while people typically call any pressure below that "vacuum". My car's gauge had boost in PSI, and most WW2 american aircraft with superchargers or turbos used inches of Mercury, while the Germans used Bar, with 1 being standard sea-level. That's probably the most useful, because the engine's torque tends to follow manifold pressure. So if you are running 2 Bar, the torque is roughly doubled.

 

My check engine light didn't blink at all. But it is already on because of not having a cat. Would that make it not work?
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Looking at their website it seems to me that there is a stage1. Stage2 is stage1 plus the mechanical upgrades like exhaust and such. Then there is a stage 3 after that. But I'm not 100% sure. Just a guess.
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Here is the gauge that was there when I got it.