Faulty AutoMeter Gauges?????????????

Highland Daytona Racing · #1 (**permalink**) 08-05-2003, 11:03 PM

Have any of you guys or manufacturers been having problems with the AM cobra replica gauges?

We have found that this past year has piled up several single and multiple gauge failures by our retail parts customers, along with about every other car we build here has had a minimum of one bad gauge per dash.

Just wondering if this has been wide spread or just an isolated bad batch.

RE
HDR

Hal Copple · #2 (**permalink**) 08-06-2003, 05:08 AM

i got an oil temp gage from you about a year ago, to replace a smith's gage, it was bad when i got it, so i called Autometer's specialty shop, and i can't recall if you or they replaced it, i checked this one by putting the sending bulb in boiling water to check to see if it got to 100C before i went to the effort to put it in, and it was pretty accurate then, but i am not so sure it is now, as my oil temps just don't want to come up to temp, so i intend to check my sumps temp with an infrared sensor gun, my sending unit is in my sump, not the oil filter housing.

Your survice to me was exemplary, by the way, but so far i am at a "50% failure rate". This one may be going out too, if it is, i will put in another VDO gage or one of the high tech electronic gages under the dash.

Clois Harlan · #3 (**permalink**) 08-06-2003, 06:17 AM

My Autometer Oil temp gauge is bad now. I is reading about 30 degrees hotter than my oil reallly is. It is the electric type. It will be replaced with a mechanical type. First bad gauge I have ever got from AM.

Clois

oldman ohio · #4 (**permalink**) 08-06-2003, 06:51 AM

The front trim rings on my speedo and tach both fell off.
Looked like a poor glue job.
jack

David Kirkham · #5 (**permalink**) 08-06-2003, 04:19 PM

We have NEVER had a faulty gauge with Autometer. We even broke a stud off of a speedo and they replaced it with no problems. I was expecting to have to pay and they wouldn't hear of it.

We are very happy with Autometer and they are the only gauges we use now. All other tachometers have failed with the MSD ignition. Autometer works fine. They even made 2 gauges for me one day within 2 hours because I was accidently missing a set and had to deliver a car.

They are one of the best companies we have ever dealt with. I am sure if you have a problem with a gauge, they will be more than willing to make it right.

David

Chaplin · #6 (**permalink**) 08-06-2003, 06:02 PM

I bought my AM gauges from you guys and you were an absolute pleasure to deal with. Finally started the car, and had a bad tach. Sent it back to you and, again, you guys were a pleasure to deal with and resolved the issue quickly without any question. I should add that the people at Autometer were also very helpful and easy to deal with. If all goes according to schedule, my new tach will be here in time to be installed this weekend.

Thanks for excellent customer service. And I'll let you know how the replacement works out.

Brent Mills · #7 (**permalink**) 08-06-2003, 07:24 PM

My set of Autometers (ambarrassingly not yet installed after a year of owning them) look to be great except the oil pressure which has a rubber o ring pinched outside of the chrome bezel (so bad you can stick a pencil through the loop of rubber hanging off the face. Also, the tach face is not centered and noticable from all angles. I need to send both of those back to Autometer before I install.

HOTHAM · #8 (**permalink**) 08-06-2003, 08:24 PM

I bought a set of Cobra guages from Mike at Tri-State and I have a bad fuel guage (it reads backwards). I called Mike and told him about my situation and he sent me out a new guage no questions asked. Excelent service thanks Mike.

Hal Copple · #9 (**permalink**) 08-06-2003, 09:17 PM

i have over 60K miles on my SPF, and have come to think of some things as just consumables. I have probably 70+ quarter mile runs, and as much as a thousand miles of track time on my car. My engine doesn't leak a drop, the finish looks like the day i brought it home. But things wear out. New windshield, a top, battery, clutch, several thermostats, a few alternators, a starter, CV boots, about to put on the fifth set of rear tires, and so forth. I think about three gages so far.

But replacing a hundred dollar gage from time to time is just another part of the privelge of owning a race car i am priveleged to drive every day. If a gage were to be defective out of the box, i just got a new one. If it fails sooner or later in the car, i just put in a new one. When my son tells me of the routene service costs and parts costs for his Porsche Boxster, i just tell him to save his money, and enjoy the ride.

So it is no really big deal for an Autometer gage, or a Smiths, to give out every now and then. I have had gages go out in other cars, so putting one in the Great Stroker occasionally is not an issue, really.

Things that have moving parts eventually wear out. Like me, someday.

misfit41 · #10 (**permalink**) 08-07-2003, 11:24 AM

I bought the autometer's for my car but not yet installed,,I still really wanted smiths but NO ONE had them,or recommended them,has anything changed with smiths in the last few months ? avalibility,reliability ?
Tk

jdean · #11 (**permalink**) 08-07-2003, 11:45 AM

what service you get when a gauge does fail. I will always buy AM because I know they will repair or replace within a reasonable time, and you can actually get them on the phone when you need to deal with it.

John

Highland Daytona Racing · #12 (**permalink**) 08-07-2003, 07:12 PM

Thanks allot you guys for the input. Evidently I am experiencing some made on Monday sets.

Brent, send that gauge back ASAP, dont wait to long.

RE