Comments on: JCW Shift Indicator Install PDF

By: livefrom718

livefrom718 — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 04:52:18 +0000

yeah, i think it’s a good idea in theory, but it’s completely in the wrong place. MINI also introduced a set of gauges that surround the tach (boost and something else???, oil pressure maybe???) those are a good idea and they’re situated in the right place. What was MINI thinkin’???

By: Deborah / NekoWoman

Deborah / NekoWoman — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 15:14:47 +0000

Nope, you’re not…

By: KevinR

KevinR — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 14:38:49 +0000

Everyone talks about mounting it to the tachometer, but I can’t see the top of my tach because of the steering wheel. Am I the only one with this problem?

By: Gabe

Gabe — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 05:39:32 +0000

Have at it Dave, let’s see what you got ;-) Something discreetly integrated into the top of the tach would probably be ideal.

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 04:54:59 +0000

Good opportunity for a 3rd party solution me thinks

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 04:50:11 +0000

It looks kludgy and cheap, it’s in the wrong place, I have to drill multiple holes through my dash, it costs a lot, er – why would anyone want one? Sure – I’d love to have something integrated into the tach directly in my line of site. Can’t figure out for the life of me why they didn’t go that route – except that this solution was probably cheaper to implement/repackage. Looks like someone found a cheap third party solution (4, 6, 8 cylinders!) and packaged it into something that could be bolted in place. What a load of junk.

Dave

By: derek

derek — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 02:13:12 +0000

gee I’d like to see a big gear number indicator instead.

By: Trick

Trick — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 23:01:58 +0000

Still not sure why they didn’t borrow a page from VDO or other gauge manufactures and put a big red shift light on a pod off the tach so it’s where it needs to be right in your face.

By: matt

matt — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 21:36:56 +0000

I find it interesting that most people aren’t excited about this part… If your going fast enough, you shouldn’t be looking down at the tach and location up on the dash could be good, except it is in the middle of dash unfortunately….I can’t even hear myself think when getting passed by a viper, open exhausted vehicle or whatever, and my helmet is on…. The MINI doesn’t have the loudest exhaust…

By: Philip

Philip — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 21:28:07 +0000

I've seen this live and the LED are not very bright at all. This might be as they don't point towards the driver, but in a straight line towards the middle of the back seats.

The idea is great and the unit fits the dash nicely, it's just the wrong location ...

... and I can tell you a shift indicator is very useful on the track. I hit the revs limiter at least a couple of time when driving the Nordschleife.

By: Lee L

Lee L — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 19:29:34 +0000

I thought you were supposed to shift when the engine stopped revving up????

;-)

By: Giacomo

Giacomo — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 18:30:27 +0000

Yes I’ll bet.

By: stephen

stephen — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 18:16:52 +0000

i go by feel.... i dunno i can always feel a difference in the shift lever itself....

steve

By: Dave Rowney

Dave Rowney — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 17:48:16 +0000

When I was racing a Spec Racer in the 1990's I found a shift light useful when making upshifts in traffic when one could not safely glance at the tach. Also these are useful in autocross for the 1st-2nd shift which comes up very quickly, and again it is usually advisable to keep your eyes on where you want to go.

I'd like to here feedback from those who have installed this unit.

By: Zeke

Zeke — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 17:32:59 +0000

As said before, looks fraggy and unfinished, but to each their own, eh?

By: Giacomo

Giacomo — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 17:09:19 +0000

I see them on WRC and F1 cars but I guess all you pundits and would be MS's know better.

I wouldn't put one on unless I was doing a lot of track time but I think it's kool.

Thanks Gabe

By: mdsbrain

mdsbrain — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 15:49:19 +0000

Thank you Gabe :-)

By: ScottinBend

ScottinBend — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 15:44:47 +0000

The biggest argument for the shift lights are for track/DE days when you are wearing a helmet and can’t hear the engine, or are otherwise engaged in keeping the car on the road…..lol. My only complaint about this option is the location. It isn’t real convenient to locate and I have heard it is not very bright on sunny days.

By: Erik Rutberg

Erik Rutberg — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 15:38:29 +0000

I’ve had my MINI out to the track with race prepped Ferraris and Porsches. Shift lights are not a bad idea. When those cars come to pass me, I can’t hear my own engine over theirs.

By: blalor

blalor — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 15:38:12 +0000

Interesting. There's DIP switch configuration for 4, 6 and 8 cylinder engines. Man, I'd like to see a V8 MINI... :-)

Also, it looks like this thing plugs into the OBD-II port! Weird. That seems a little kludgy to me. But whatever works, I guess.