DIY: How to Install Podi MK5 Gauge Pod Boost Gauge

There's a lot going on under the hood of your GTI. While the factory dash gauges do a good job of keeping track of the vitals: Speed, RPM, Fuel, Water Temp, and warning lights, there is still vital information missing. Mainly, boost. On a turbocharged engine, having a method of monitoring boost pressure is vital to diagnosing issues and making sure that your turbocharged engine is performing to its fullest potential. Another vital statistic is oil temperature. Your turbocharger is lubricated using engine oil, and if it gets too hot or is too cold, you'll need to adjust your driving habits accordingly. From the factory, Volkswagen ignores these two vital gauges, but that's where Podi has come in to offer a complete OEM-grade solution to full monitor engine conditions. The following how-to was performed on a 2009 Volkswagen GTI 2-door equipped with a TSI 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and a 6-speed manual transmission. This first portion is only for the boost gauge. Instructions for the oil pressure/oil temperature gauge are to follow. Please keep in mind that your actual car may vary, however this installation was designed keeping all variations of the MKV (2006-2009) GTI's in mind.

Remember that installing equipment on your own vehicle is done so at your own risk. I, nor Podi are responsible for any damage that may me incurred on your vehicle. This how-to guide is intended to be just that. A guide. If your vehicle differs from anything seen here, please use your best judgment while keeping safety the number one priority.

Tools and Materials list:

Flat-head screw driver
Phillips-head screw driver
3/16” hex screw driver
13mm Socket
10mm Socket
Needle nose pliers
Channel lock pliers
T20 Torx screw driver
T15 Torx screw driver
~20 feet of small gauge wire
Electrical tape
Add-a-circuit connectors
Zip-ties

Removing the engine cover, airbox, and battery:

Step 1:
Pop your hood and remove the engine cover. On the TSI, this is accomplished by gently pulling up on each of the four corners. The cover will simply pop off, and set it safely off to the side.



Step 2:
Using your phillips head screw driver, loosen the 8 screws holding on the airbox. Note that the screws will not come all the way out. This is a safety feature so that you don't lose your screws.





Step 3:
Using the channel locks, clamp on the band clamp on the air intake and gently remove the intake tube with the airbox. You can leave the mass airflow sensor connected, just place the tube out of the way, keeping in mind that the mass airflow sensor is still connected



Step 4:
Remove the cover over the battery and place it off to the side. Then, remove of the front lower battery cover by inserting a flat head screwdriver into the tabs holding it on. Finally, using the 10 MM socket, disconnect the battery terminals.



Step 5:
Using the 13 MM socket, remove the bracket holding on the battery on the bottom left and carefully remove the battery, placing it off to the side. Then, remove the lower rear battery cover by prying up on the connection tabs. There are three. One on each side, and one on the rear. Disconnect each side first, then the rear should pop out easily



Installing the boost tap, boost line, and filter

Step 6:
Locate the tube running from the intake manifold to the cylinder head on the front of the engine



Squeeze the opposing serrated sections of the connector and gently pull the tube off the intake manifold port



Step 7:
Attach the longer of the two supplied boost lines to the boost tap



Step 8:
Insert the gasketed end of the boost tap into the port on the intake manifold. Make sure the tabs on the boost tap are over the ridge on the intake manifold to keep it stable.



Step 9:
Snap the tube onto the open end of the boost tap. The result should look like below.



Step 10:
Route the boost line below the lower airbox and along the right side of the battery tray, in between it and the fusebox. Cut the line so it ends at the middle of in between the battery tray and fuse box. Install the filter with the arrow pointing toward the rear of the car on the end of the boost line attached to the boost tap, and install the rest of the boost line to the other end of the filter.



Routing wires to the cabin

Step 11:
Follow the main wiring harness to where it meets the firewall. Around the joint is a baffled rubber boot. Using the flathead screwdriver, poke a hole in the boot, and insert the boost line and (if required) a wire for the oil pressure and/or temperature gauge. Some people prefer to use a straightened coat hanger to assist inserting wires through the boot into the cabin. I found it to be pretty simple just using the bare wires. If you were to use a coat hanger, tape the boost gauge and wire to the end of a straightened coat hanger and push the coat hanger (with wire and boost gauge attached) through the new hole in the wire boot. Only insert the tube and wires a few inches. You'll pull it though in a few minutes.



Dismantling interior and wiring for gauges

Step 12:
Remove the fuse panel cover by inserting a flat-head screwdriver into the opening in the bottom and place the fuse panel cover safely off to the side



Step 13:
Remove the headlight switch by pushing in on the knob and while the knob is in, turn clockwise. This may take a few tries, but you'll be able to tell when it catches.



Disconnect the wire connected to the headlight switch by pressing on the tab on the left side and pulling.



Step 14:
Remove the 5 screws holding on the lower left panel using the T20 Torx bit. Three on the bottom:



And two on the top. One here:



Gently pull on the piece that runs along the bottom of the gauge cluster that the vinyl cover to the steering column is attached to and pop it off. Behind that is the last screw:



Now, pull out and to the left and the lower left panel will come off and detach the wire connected to the dimmer switch by pressing on the tab on the left side of the connector (per the image)



Step 15:
Remove the bottom dash piece by removing one final T20 torx screw and wiggling it loose



And let it rest on the floor



Step 16:
Feel for the boost tube and wire (or coat hanger if you chose so) at the rubber boot on the fire wall and pull everything all the way through.

Step 17:
Route the boost tube and wire through the dash and into the fuse box area.

Installing Gauge Pod and Gauges

Step 18:
Time to build a wiring harness. Use both wiring harnesses (if equipped) and twist the red, yellow, and black wires together. It is helpful to strip a quarter inch of sheathing from each wire. Crimp a butt-connector to the end of each of the combined wires. Then, crimp a single wire about 12 inches in length to the end of each wire combination. Using multi-colored wires is extremely helpful, or at least label them so you know which is constant power, switched power, and ground. Also determine which harness you would like for boost and for oil pressure/temp (if equipped). After doing so, crimp butt connectors to the end of the orange wires (marking which is boost and which is oil pressure/temp)



Step 19:
Route the wiring through the dash to the fuse panel. Make sure the connectors for the gauges are placed at the steering column with plenty of slack. Connect the wire you ran through the firewall to the orange wire of the oil pressure/temp harness, and connect the white wire of the boost gauge sensor to the orange wire on the boost gauge harness.



Step 20:
Install the add-a-circuit connectors to the fuse panel in space #36 (fifth row, five in) for the battery power and space #42(sixth row, 3 in) for the switched power.* Twist the red wire for the boost sensor and the wire designated for switched power for the gauges together and crimp those to the loose wire for the add-a-circuit in fuse #42. Then crimp the the wire used for battery power to the gauges to the add-a-circuit wire in fuse #36. Finally, twist the ground wires together along with the ground wire for the boost sensor, and crimp it to a spade connector. Loosen the screw on top of the fuse panel and install the spade connector with the ground wires behind it. The metal should be bare. If it's not, use some sandpaper to sand it bare. Install the boost tube to the boost sensor, and place the sensor on top of the fuse panel. Group all the wires together, and you're good to go.


* I only had large fuse add-a-circuits, so that is why I used these fuse places. You could use mini add-a-circuits if you had some, however I'm not sure which fuses are best to tap. I would suggest possibly fuse 2 (first row, 2nd in) for switched power and 12 (third row, first) for battery power, though I'm not 100% positive.

Installing Gauge Pod and Gauges

Step 21:
Cover your flathead screwdriver with electrical tape so as not to damage the steering console covers and pry between the upper and lower steering column covers starting on the steering wheel end. There are two clips on the front that need to pop, and then two clips on the side. Once the front clips pop, carefully work your way around the side. The rear is a hinge-type connection that will not pop up. Once you have the front clips popped off, pull the upper column cover toward the steering wheel and the back clips will release. You'll be left with this:


Step 22:
Remove the two yellow front metal clips from the factory column cover by pushing on the edge with a flathead screwdriver



Using needle nose pliers, squeeze the clips together to insert them into the new Podi dual gauge pod.





Step 23:
Snap the new supplied vinyl cover onto the gauge pod. First, note that you need to fold the plastic mounting band under the shiny side of the vinyl. As you attach the vinyl piece, be mindful of the plastic tabs on each side, and note that it takes a bit of force to push the spherical clips through. Don’t worry, you won’t break anything.

Step 24:
Slide the rear clips on the Podi dual gauge pod into the rear clips on the lower steering column cover. Route the harnesses for the boost and oil pressure/temp gauges along either side of the middle of the steering column. With the column pod attached to the rear, tape each harness to underside of the pod so as to keep them from away from the middle of the steering column. Examine the column structure, and tape the wires to keep them from interfering with installing the pod. Route the gauge connectors through the gauge openings.



Step 25:
Snap the pod onto the side clips, making sure the the side tabs are inside the lower column cover. Then, snap the front of the pod down. Step 25: Plug the harnesses into the gauges, and make sure you have the correct harness with the correct gauge. Insert the gauges into the Pod. Reinstall the battery, and turn the ignition key to ACC. DO NOT START THE CAR!!! Only turn to ACC to check to make sure the wiring is correct. If it is, both gauges should perform a full sweep when acc power is switched on. If they do not, double check all of your wiring connections. If the gauges start properly, reassemble everything under the hood, and start the car. The gauges should do a full sweep, and the boost gauge should fluctuate with throttle input. If it does, put the interior back together and enjoy your new gauges!

Here are a few installed images:

I received my gauges yesterday. Can't wait to get them onto my GTI. This guide will be extremely helpful. Thanks!

looks pretty easy in the beginning and then it gets hard ! i will give it a try soon

Hey thanks PetrolHead. This guide was quite a good help. The installation was quite simple and went very smoothly using your guide. My only problem relates to my oil pressue gauge. I don't know whether to replace the stock sensor or try to "tee" off of it and use both. Any suggestions?

i remember it's supposed to replace the stock sensor until a new tap is developed for the oil temp.

BUMP


NOTHING! no power, no nothing to the gauge.. red wire to what fuse and yellow wire to what fuse?? everyone keeps saying different numbers

Ony said:

BUMP


NOTHING! no power, no nothing to the gauge.. red wire to what fuse and yellow wire to what fuse?? everyone keeps saying different numbers

Click to expand...

I posted this in your regional thread also,

Red #2 Yellow #12 :thumbsup:

Bump.

Can't wait to do this mod.

Nice write up mate.

20GLI08 said:

I posted this in your regional thread also,

Red #2 Yellow #12 :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

I tried this and still no movement from the gauge at all.. do i only need one ground or should both black wires have their own ground? i saw this on a boost gauge diagram from a4mods.com

http://www.a4mods.com/index.php?page=webcontent/pages/Podi.html

no power to the gauge still.. so i started to doubt the gauge itself after over examination of my wiring. i decided to test it with the battery itself by connecting it to a direct power source ie the battery.. vaccum was in, ground was connected and voila! the gauge turned on barely nothing. i disconnected the gauge to test the harness itself to see if it had a current/power going through it. I completely stripped a wire and use the metal to connect the vm to the top of the wiring harness. Luckily/ Unluckily there was power. so this could only mean it has to be the gauge. Does podi have a warranty or something?

Ran into the same problem, just installed the mono pod with the electronic stepping motor boost gauge. When I have the yellow going to the switched fuse and the red going ro the constant I get nothing. Twisted them both together and went to a single constant, gauge works great now but the damn thing is always on! No idea how to fix this but for now at least the gauge works.

If anyone has any ideas im all ears, this is going to drive me nuts!

That said, great DIY and really only takes about a half hour- hour at the most. Screw paying the shop $140 for the install.

Das Gespenst said:

Ran into the same problem, just installed the mono pod with the electronic stepping motor boost gauge. When I have the yellow going to the switched fuse and the red going ro the constant I get nothing. Twisted them both together and went to a single constant, gauge works great now but the damn thing is always on! No idea how to fix this but for now at least the gauge works.

If anyone has any ideas im all ears, this is going to drive me nuts!

That said, great DIY and really only takes about a half hour- hour at the most. Screw paying the shop $140 for the install.

Click to expand...

I had the red to fuse #2 and the yellow to fuse #12. Worked flawless

I tried that and got no power. Considering its your gauge and wire harness I was really confused lol. Gotta mess around with it when I get hack from the wedding/road trip. For now im just dealing with it. Have to figure something out though.

Side note: 20GLI08, thanks for the gauge! Came in yesterday and ended up putting it in around midnight lol.

if you look closely at the fuse positions to see which fuses are powered and not, there will be a metal connector inside the fuse port. i bet it's plugged into a fuse location that's not actually powered.