Posted by JimmieD on Wednesday, August 08, 2007 at 11:04:40 :
Hi guys!
Near disaster: had a 3 gauge set of Autogauge by AutoMeter installed in my truck for extra monitoring of water temp, oil pressure & voltage. Got them used from a buddy, and temp and oil failed and had to be replaced within 1 month. He only used them in the drag car for a dozen or so passes!
The other day I drove into town and suddenly clouds of thick black smoke pouring out from under dash! Got all electricity shut down after popping the hood and yanking loose all the quick release battery connections.
Turns out this Autogage #2319 piece of junk is so poorly made that the meter movement inside gauge case slipped over and shorted out hot lead to the gauge case and to ground. Those burning hot wires then sliced through both nylon lines to both oil pressure gauges to spray oil all over the glowing hot wires and the carpet. Just about lost the whole truck!
I later dis-assembeld the gauge and it's 100% junk! The [B]only thing [/B]preventing shorting out is a couple of little plastic nibs on the electrical connection screws, about .030" thick, that are supposed to have an interference fit in the .025" thick case! One of the screws, the hot terminal, was cast in off-center and the insulator was also off center, easily visible when inspected. [B]ZERO QUALITY CONTROL ON THIS GAUGE![/B]
The whole design of the gauge is a nightmare of just asking for serious trouble. 100% junk, junk, junk, designed by a simpering idiot, an electrical moron. A word to the wise: caveat emptor, as in [B]'let the buyer beware'[/B]. Any company that would sell garbage like this to unwitting buyers is a company to stay away from. So sue me Autometer! I've got the melted evidence and [B]LOTS OF PHOTOS....![/B]
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