Best place to mount gauges?

[BennyLava]

Where is the best place to mount gauges in a 2009 yaris? I'd like it to look as close to factory as I can. Maybe the driver's side A pillar? I'd like to install a digital water temp gauge, also digital oil pressure gauge and voltage gauge. But I don't want any of it to look "tacked on".

[HTM Yaris]

You don't want to put gauges in the A pillar if you have airbags . Personally , I think A pillar gauge pods just look "tarded" .

Try this , buy 1 din stereo and then go to Mitsubishi and get the sport gauge cluster for the Evolution VIII or IX . The cluster is 1 din . I do NOT know if the gauge cluster hole are the same size as the gauges you want though .

Or you could get the 1 din stereo and fabricate a 1 din cluster from carbon fiber sheet .

[BennyLava]

Sounds like a plan. Although, I may have to modify it some because I'm going to be installing a nav unit with a double din bezel.

[Focus_Sh1ft]

I definitely prefer the A pillar. In my tC they're on the dash, and in my Yaris they're on the A-pillar. I definitely prefer where they are in the Yaris. The gauges are always right in my peripherals so I can kinda always keep an eye on what's going on.

[TLyttle]

Good god, as if the A-pillar wasn't obnoxious enough! All the pillars in the Yaris are bigger than they should be IMHO. I jump out of my Volvo 245 into my Yaris, and I feel like I'm in a railroad tunnel! Add gauges to an already fat pillar? Not for me...

[Brian]

Here is how I mounted my gauges. I don't use my climate control knobs so it's not an issue but probably is for most people. My climate control knobs are in the glove box.

[wizzle]

ive always wanted to put them in the glove box behind the steering wheel cause you can drive with the lid up and it doesn't block my view and i can see the gauges right through the wheel
i am also 6'3" so i sit high if your short it might not work

[eTiMaGo]

personally I love how mine are mounted, on the dashboard right in front of you. Easy to see , all horizontally aligned with the stock speedo, yet not blocking the view of the road...

[cali yaris]

You don't want to put gauges in the A pillar if you have airbags .

Why not? the airbag goes under about the first 4" of the top of the pillar only, nowhere near where a gauge would be.

[cali yaris]

OEM look:

[Yaristeve]

Originally Posted by cali yaris

Why not? the airbag goes under about the first 4" of the top of the pillar only, nowhere near where a gauge would be.

I think the concern is the inflating bag causing the pillar cover (with gauges) to go shooting off and having the gauges bounce around. I'm sre Toyota's lawyers think so, anyway. I wonder if you can cut the a-pillar cover in half so the top half breaks away leaving the gauges in place...

[CrankyOldMan]

Originally Posted by wizzle

ive always wanted to put them in the glove box behind the steering wheel cause you can drive with the lid up and it doesn't block my view and i can see the gauges right through the wheel

I'm with this guy, since I want to make my little bean into a sleeper. I'm not sure how much space there is behind the interior walls of the glove box though.

[TickleTimeTim]

Focus shift, where did you get your pillar from? Pics?

[packetrace]

Originally Posted by Brian

Here is how I mounted my gauges. I don't use my climate control knobs so it's not an issue but probably is for most people. My climate control knobs are in the glove box.

When I look at that I regret to have wrapped them with neffy!

I should have sent them to you!

[Focus_Sh1ft]

Originally Posted by TickleTimeTim

Focus shift, where did you get your pillar from? Pics?

One of the members on this forum had it custom made. He later sold it, and the guy who bought it off him sold it to me so I'm the third owner. I can't remember who originally had it made, but I believe fnkngrv also had the same guy make an a pillar gauge pod for the sedan.

[TickleTimeTim]

Wonder if I can get him to make one for me. I don't think I have the skill to cut into my dash. But the gauges in the temp controls is sweet.

[bzinn 1]

Ok to help understand how the side airbag is connected and what happens when it is inflated.....

The bag itself is attached from the C pillar mount point in the headliner edge and follows that path to the top of the door and then a anchor line goes to the A pillar under the cover.

The cover is held on at the top by what is known as the pillar clip,this clip is not the same clip as found on a non sideairbag car.....it is a one time removable/insertable clip that goes to a post on the A pillar.

It has the sole purpose that in the event of airbag deploying it holds the Apillar in place as not to fly off in to the passenger compartment and cause injury.

The clip is a pain to remove and 9 times out of 10 it has to be replaced once removed by a new clip,I would add a new clip if I got it out in one piece no matter what jsut to be safe......it can be gotten from Toyota for like $2.75 a clip and most dealerships can order and get it in 24 hours.

So gauges,can be added to the Apillar safely......basically the only thing you should not do with side airbags is make headliner out of solid material like CF or fiberglass as it will shatter into passenger compartment when bags go off,they have a lot of power and they are hard to impeed.

Now be sure to undo battery to car prior to working on any area that has airbags,wait like 5min....book says 90 seconds but just wait 5 min to be certain the thing is de-energised.....once you do that you can safely pull it all apart.I have done 3 interiors now with airbags in the side and never any issues with what was done interfering with how the bags deploy.....jsut use your comman sense.

Also the in the dash like Garm showed is a great way to mount them as well,easy to cut the holes and run the wires from too.

[ArmyYaris]

Originally Posted by cali yaris

OEM look:

This is what im going to go for..love this