Would you guys buy a wireless oil temp sensor?

[Dave_Reagan]

Hey guys, I am thinking of making a wireless oil temp sensor. The probe would be epoxied into a drilled drain plug and wired to a transmitter that can be placed in the least harsh spot with two feet of the drain plug. The receiver is 3/4" x 2" x 3", about the size of a pack of Marlboro and can be put anywhere the driver wants it inside the car. It has a digital readout and can display the oil temp in Celsius or Fahrenheit. It also has a temp alarm that can be used a couple of ways. One possibility is setting it for the minimum temp a driver wants to reach before running at full throttle for guys who want to be sure the engine and oil is warmed up before they push their engines, especially turbos. Another possibility is setting it much higher, signaling danger. I am thinking a lot of guys would like to see how their oil temp rises as they drive and where it is in the city vs highway and in summer vs winter. This is not a sales pitch, but just trying to measure interest. If I could make this for $35-40, how many of you guys would consider buying one?

 

[Pablo]

Sounds like a nifty idea, but you might want to check patents.

 

[Jim 5]

I would definitely consider buying one, as long as the readout wasn't cheezy. Have you seen the gauges by spa design?

 

[Jaymus]

Wireless is fast. I'm sure it'd be responsive. Go for it, man!

 

[Dave_Reagan]

It's actually a conversion of a bbq thermometer, but it looks pretty generic. I'll get it made and link you guys to some pictures. I know guys who spend many hours doing patent searches before they even know if they have a customer.

 

[pzev]

Don't need a customer to steal an idea, especially since you just posted it publically here....
Do a patent search and file for a patent if your serious about this idea.

I would love such a device, but I would want the readout to be easy to see/read, and I would want it to be accurate. It should also last a long time on the batteries or at least be easy to turn off when not in use.
I don't think BBQ thermometers were designed to handle the constant heat and vibration associated with car engines. You might run into a durability wall...especially with the sensor.
You might want to look at modifying an electric guages sending unit to your transmitter. At least this way to know its going to last...


Also, price is important. Such a device could be slightly more expensive than a typical electric guage, but not much.

 

[UNC017]

Its a neat idea, but I'm not sure I see the motivation. Its a fixed installation where the sensor and readout never move relative to each other, so why wireless? Ease of installation? Running a wire is pretty simple. Or I suppose you could put sensors on multiple cars and move one readout from car to car. Or make it Bluetooth.

My next "toy" is going to be one of the OBD-II-to-Bluetooth adaptors so that I can monitor my Jeep engine on my iPhone:

http://devtoaster.com/products/rev/index.html

 

[Donald]

You have already publicly disclosed it, good luck at a patent.

 

[ViragoBry]

What powers the probe? Do you have to crawl under and replace a battery periodically? Is there a low-battery warning system?

How often does it send a message to the receiver? Or is it a constant send?

 

[mechtech2]

If you are racing and have to send continuous information to the pits, this may be good idea.
But otherwise, it is over complication with no benefit.

 

[Tosh]

No, because of two reasons: I'm not that interested in the temperature of the oil at the bottom of the sump, and I'm not willing to add a potentially leaky joint at the lowest point of the system (which is a reason for avoiding a 'Sure-Drain' thing).
Plus, couldn't I accomplish almost the same with a Scan-Gauge-type OBD reader?

 

[The_Jeff]

A scan gauge would only show you oil temp if there was a sensor for it, typically euro cars. On a VW I saw you could scroll through that kind of info on the odometer panel anyway.

What happens if someone passes you on the same frequency and you get his data? Or for that matter someone's 400'F barbecue???

 

[HTSS_TR]

If you can make an oil temp sensor/display, wire or wireless, for $50 or less and easy to install, I'll be interested.

 

[Dave_Reagan]

Maybe I should be flattered, but I've been through this before. Patents are a great way to waste $10,000 on a niche product with a limited market. My approach is to be cost competitive so there is no patent necessary. A lot of people think a patent is some kind of license to rake in cash. What am I gonna do? Sue a guy when I see he drilled a hole in a drain plug just like me? Is it even worthy of a patent? I'm an engineer. I'd be embarassed filing the things most people file as patents. Thank you guys for the input. I will see how long it runs on a set of batteries. It uses 2 AAA's on each end. Of course you wouldn't want to pop the hood each time you turn on the car, so I'm hoping the transmitter, which has no display consuming power will last a couple of weeks on a set of batteries. The display is constantly updated and can read up to 400 degrees F. If your oil got that hot in the pan, I think you'd have no motor left. As far as vibrations and exposure, we'll see. It will be fun to watch the warm up cycle for the oil.

 

[Gary Allan]

Well, Dave ..I hope you're ready for the unintended consequences. Our beloved engineers have been moving us toward drive by wire more and more. Now one of them is going to get the drive by wireless notion all because of you ..and we can add even more complexity to the wheel.

That said, I'd say that there would be a decent market for even hard wired conventional sensors with wireless to the display. For all I know they already have this, but passenger compartments aren't end user modifier friendly. Something like a GPS mount for any variety of sensor inputs ..battery powered, would probably sell.

 

[Dualie]

for the price point you mentioned i would buy one

 

[Kestas]

That money would be better spent on a built-in self-diagnostic system for the car, instead of using a scan gauge. For $50 I think it could be mass-produced and installed in vehicles. It would be markedly more useful than keeping tabs on oil temp.

 

[oilyriser]

I'd buy a bunch of barbecue thermometers and place them in various places under the hood so I can tweak my grille blocking cardboard to the limit.

 

[chevrofreak]

Do I want an oil temp sensor that's easy to install? Yes. Do I want one that needs batteries? No.

 

[Dave_Reagan]

Ok guys. I did it and it's working great so far. It's interesting to watch the temp as I drive. On a cheap set of Walmart zinc batteries, I have had it on all week and no sign of them dying. Even without changing the oil, I was able to install it without losing more than ~4-8 ounces of oil. I did have the advantage of a lift. Cost is $40 shipped. If interested, just search "wireless oil temp" on Ebay and it's the only thing that comes up. I just need to know the vehicle year, make, model and engine so I know which threads the drain plug are. I make all three: M12 x 1.75, M14 x 1.5 and 1/2"-20 for older engines.