Dolphin Quad Gauges - Not Recommended

In case someone out there was considering Dolphin quad gauges for their ride you might want to consider this. I installed a set in my 54 Chevy but on the first night ride noticed the illumination between the two buckets was significantly different. After confirming the wiring was correct I contacted the Dolphin tech line. They informed me they were aware of the problem and were working on a new gauge bucket lighting arrangement. Once it was available they would swap it out with the one I had. Call back in a month I was told.

It is now over two months later and they informed me the new lighting method was not going to be available afterall. It was suggested I add a resistor in-line with the speedo to lower the lighting level to that of the gauge. This is not a solution. I requested they refund my purchase price but was rebuffed.

If you were considering using this brand of gauge then you might consider the picture below and ask yourself if you would be satisfied. I am not and will have a set of Dolphin Gauges available at the next swap meet.

 

I was always kind of curious why anyone would try to sell gauges to hot rod people with a big insignia that says "dolphin" on them...

I could see for boats I guess...

I am surprised they are still in business.

 

I looked at those, but then thought.......... Hmmmmm, if one of the gauges in the Quad Gauge set goes bad, would I be able to fix just the one gauge, or would I be replacing the whole thing? I then decided to not even bother, and to go with VDO seperates.

 

Wow that ****s. Thanks for the heads up.

 

That's what I thought the first time I saw these.

 

You might have overlooked their first major flaw. They are UGLY as hell and they say Dolphin.

 

They were originally marketed to the boat owners. I've installed several sets for customers, never cared for them.

 

Especially when stock gauges were perfect the first time.

 

I am waiting on there "Maxi-Digital Square Orca Line".

 

You should e-mail this thread to them. Companies should know when their boneheaded moves cost them. I guarantee you the damage done to their potential business here is more than it would have cost them to make it right.

 

Finished a project where they had used dolphin gages, hateful and inacurate. And calibrateing the speedo took a 24 page book! The speedo has 442 different settings, imagine cruising, the speedo hanging out the dash (goes in from the front) and you are messing with 9 different dip switches! You can figure out what happened. Never again, for sure an SEP - somebody else's problem oj

 

Glad I read this, I was actually considering these. Yes I know they're ugly - but they seemed affordable. Now I know why.

 

Ugly cheap ****....

 

unacceptable..

thanks for the heads up..note to self..dont buy Fish Gauges

 

My gauges don't look bad I don't think. My problem is any humidity the quad fogs up. I have the one touch speedo which has one push ****on to set the speedo.

 

Ain't figured out putting a pic here , check out the pic of these guages in my 39 album

 

Dolphins are mammals.

A friend of mine who was co-owner of a well known gauge supplier says their stuff is junk - he should know, being in the business for many years.

 

Have you checked to see if you somehow got different bulbs in each gauge?

There are different wattages available for instrument lights.

Shawn

 

DOH!..yer right..no mammal gauges...my mamories..going..i mean memory

 

It's not just dolphin, there are also TPI-Tech, Daytona, there all the same gauge with different faces.

Basically if you find a set of guages for $149 your getting what you pay for, there terrible.

 

According to TPI their units are not the same as Dolphin. They noted theirs is made in the USA to their own patent. The Dolphins were the only reasonablity priced units out there that accomodated a 0-90 ohm fuel sender. I have since upgraded the tank so any aftermarket sender can be used. Dolphin only provides a 90 day warranty while TPI provides a three year according to their tech guy. The cheaper units fill a niche in the market. The pricer instruments look nicer but to some the price is the governing factor as was my case. Now that the mortgage is paid off maybe I can afford some Autometers.

 

A voltage resistor to the OEM gauges...problem solved, looks better.

 

So, basically.. If they're ugly as sin don't buy em.

SW or Factory for me.

 

I wouldn't buy them because they have those gay dolphins on them anyway. Sux that happened to you though.

 

hmmm.
my car had those in there when we bought it and there has never been a problem with the lighting. i wonder if its a late production problem..

 

I have boat gauges from Teleflex hiding in the glove box. I'm not sure what I'll end up with for my cluster.

 

Even if the dolphin guages looked super sweet, and worked super sweet, they still got that stupid dolphin in the middle. Stupid, I mean stupid. That dolphin is stupid.

 

I have an extra set of stock gauges I may look at having rebuilt but the last time I checked the fuel gauge was still limited to the original 0-30 ohm range.

As for the stupid fish emblem you can order these with or without. Mine just have "Dolphin" on the face.

I am sure happy there are so many people on this site that made the right choice on every aspect of their build from the get go. Makes me feel somewhat inferior to be in the midst of such talent.

 

I think people agree the dolphin guages are not that great, nothing personal Im sure. I think Ive done everything on my ride two or three times before I was satisfied, hell Im still changing alot.