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I'm wanting to put a temp monitor guage in my new-to-me Disco 2 and after searching on here it seems like all the posts are rather old and since tech has improved a lot I'm wondering if there are better/ newer/cheaper monitors out there than the Ultra guage everyone talks about.
Please also mention actual model numbers so I can find them! (a search for "ultra guage" with no model # comes up with a bunch of weird scanners that is not helpful)
A simple bluetooth OBD dongle and an app on your phone will get you 95% of the way there. I use an old phone when I want to monitor levels or read/clear codes.
OBD Fusion (iOs) or Torque (Android) seem to be the most widely used apps.
I have used a Veepeak OBD2 Bluetooth and an older smart phone for display for years. I have it mounted in a Ram Mount down by the ashtray/cup holder. You can custom many different gauges and monitor O2 sensors, etc...I run the Torque App. It diagnosis Check Engine Light and will reset/read most codes. Cheap and effective way to start monitoring temp. I also have a manual Glowshift temp gauge spliced into the coolant hose. I also would recommend the Glowshift sandwich adapter for an oil pressure gauge. I think those two manual gauges should be at the top of a list if your wanting to go that route. I recently (last week) picked up an Ultragauge and the mount holder from Golden Rovers. The negative about the Veepeak is having to manually connect it everytime. Second, the connector is a parasitic draw. If you aren't daily driving you should pull it out or it will drain the battery. Also, @Extinct just came out with some nice manual gauge mounts. Pretty slick looking around the dash. Something to consider. The Ultragauge is tough to beat, imo. It provides everything one would want to monitor in a small/compact package.
@Diesel Gypsy The tech has not changed one bit for these systems in nearly a decade, I have been using a bluetooth dongle and Torque on an old Android phone for about 7 years. I have an actual code reader just case.
You can monitor everything except oil pressure, I have a glowshift sandwich adaptor and gauge but I just check pressure every few months and right after and oil change.
I just use a regular OBD II reader connected to my phone, but like Windy I plan to use a temp gauge spliced into the coolant hose. You can also connect a temp gauge into an inline thermostat.
Originally Posted by Windycity_rover
I have used a Veepeak OBD2 Bluetooth and an older smart phone for display for years. I have it mounted in a Ram Mount down by the ashtray/cup holder. You can custom many different gauges and monitor O2 sensors, etc...I run the Torque App. It diagnosis Check Engine Light and will reset/read most codes. Cheap and effective way to start monitoring temp. I also have a manual Glowshift temp gauge spliced into the coolant hose. I also would recommend the Glowshift sandwich adapter for an oil pressure gauge. I think those two manual gauges should be at the top of a list if your wanting to go that route. I recently (last week) picked up an Ultragauge and the mount holder from Golden Rovers. The negative about the Veepeak is having to manually connect it everytime. Second, the connector is a parasitic draw. If you aren't daily driving you should pull it out or it will drain the battery. Also, @Extinct just came out with some nice manual gauge mounts. Pretty slick looking around the dash. Something to consider. The Ultragauge is tough to beat, imo. It provides everything one would want to monitor in a small/compact package.
Nice mention on the sandwich adapter, I didn't know these existed.
Last edited by CharminULTRA; Jan 10, 2025 at 01:39 PM.
The benefit of the ultragauge is programmable alarms, no need to connect bluetooth devices. Downside is it will not plot analog voltages (02 sensors). Good to have both.
So, if I go to the Ultraguage, is there any advantage of the MX version or is the base EM version the one to get?
Also, does anyone know where to get one in Canada?
What about transmission temp? Is there a way to monitor that? I ask because I do a lot of towing.
Last edited by Diesel Gypsy; Jan 10, 2025 at 06:08 PM.
The EM is great. Ive had one for 10 years and it tells me everything I need to know.
Just recently got a new mount for it from Golden Rovers. Such a clean mount and they are color matched to the interior. The mount that comes with the Ultragauge will do the job but this one from Golden Rovers is really well thought out.
My UltraGauge mount is very, very simple. It sits on a strip of Velcro to the left of the instrument cluster, and leans against the A-pillar. Pics below show my setup. I have two pages set up as shown, and they cycle automatically every few seconds. I left an extra U-shaped loop of the cable hanging as pictured to make it easy to grab the UG to manipulate the buttons on the back, to reset the trip gauge after a fuel fill up for example.
I see your user name is Diesel Gypsy. Is your Discovery a diesel? If so, UltraGauge does not support the TD5 engine. If it is petrol, have you confirmed it is OBDII Certified? I expect the answer is yes, but I don't know how Discovery IIs were configured for sale in Canada.
As for which UltraGauge to choose, a careful review of the product descriptions at the UltraGauge website shows the MX would not be compatible with a DII. The means the EX Plus v1.4 is what you'd want. As for buying in Canada, the UltraGauge product pages have links for international shipping information.
And finally, transmission temp is not supported by the DII OBDII system.
What's the best/newest temp monitor?
