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I just finished installing a Defi BF boost gauge in my '05 STi. It's a costly way to go for only one gauge, but it works great and ties in well with the other gauges. Plus I can add BF gauges relatively easily now that I have the basics in place.
One assumption I made going into this project was that I was going to keep the Defi stuff with the car permanently and not try to uninstall anything later.
Here's what I purchased from Defi:
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I went with the glovebox mount for the Control Unit based on all of the super advice I got here. I don't anticipate needing to get to it all that often and the glovebox is a nice out-of-the-way spot that is accessible enough for those times when I do need to poke at the buttons. A neat side effect is that my glovebox now beeps when I start my car
The arrow in the picture shows where I cut a hole in the back of the glovebox. Also the Control Unit is attached with velcro rather than double-sided tape. I used velcro buttons that I had laying around; they are readily available at hardware stores, kitchen supply stores, and craft stores.
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Power/illumination/ground wiring for the Control Unit all happens behind the radio. I tapped off the radio itself for everything except ignition, which I took from a wire on the fuse block that only sees 12V when the ignition switch is in the On position; this ensures that the Defi starts up at exactly the same time as the dash cluster. Sorry, no pictures of this stuff. I *highly* recommend a voltmeter for this work, not just a test light! You really need to see the volts.
I mounted the gauge on the top of the steering column. It blocks a wee bit of the speedometer and odometer but it lets me see speed, RPMs, and boost all in one glance. The visor's added length makes for a tight fit but I'm still happy to have it; it keeps the sun off and also prevents reflections from the gauge face/bezel up into the windshield.
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Overall I'm very happy with the end result. The gauge is super responsive and the overall look ties in very well with the factory pieces. I'm less thrilled with the illumination of the gauge face, which is more than sufficient for viewing but a bit uneven; brighter here, dimmer there. For this kind of money I expected better. Also there is now a hum in my radio that I hear when it is tuned to very weak FM stations; this is definitely coming from the Defi stuff because it goes away the instant the gauge turns off. I'm still playing around with how to get rid of the hum.
Cheers!
One assumption I made going into this project was that I was going to keep the Defi stuff with the car permanently and not try to uninstall anything later.
Here's what I purchased from Defi:
- Boost gauge
- Control Unit II
- Visor (for single gauge)
- Mounting kit
I went with the glovebox mount for the Control Unit based on all of the super advice I got here. I don't anticipate needing to get to it all that often and the glovebox is a nice out-of-the-way spot that is accessible enough for those times when I do need to poke at the buttons. A neat side effect is that my glovebox now beeps when I start my car
The arrow in the picture shows where I cut a hole in the back of the glovebox. Also the Control Unit is attached with velcro rather than double-sided tape. I used velcro buttons that I had laying around; they are readily available at hardware stores, kitchen supply stores, and craft stores.
Power/illumination/ground wiring for the Control Unit all happens behind the radio. I tapped off the radio itself for everything except ignition, which I took from a wire on the fuse block that only sees 12V when the ignition switch is in the On position; this ensures that the Defi starts up at exactly the same time as the dash cluster. Sorry, no pictures of this stuff. I *highly* recommend a voltmeter for this work, not just a test light! You really need to see the volts.
I mounted the gauge on the top of the steering column. It blocks a wee bit of the speedometer and odometer but it lets me see speed, RPMs, and boost all in one glance. The visor's added length makes for a tight fit but I'm still happy to have it; it keeps the sun off and also prevents reflections from the gauge face/bezel up into the windshield.
Overall I'm very happy with the end result. The gauge is super responsive and the overall look ties in very well with the factory pieces. I'm less thrilled with the illumination of the gauge face, which is more than sufficient for viewing but a bit uneven; brighter here, dimmer there. For this kind of money I expected better. Also there is now a hum in my radio that I hear when it is tuned to very weak FM stations; this is definitely coming from the Defi stuff because it goes away the instant the gauge turns off. I'm still playing around with how to get rid of the hum.
Cheers!
