iDash Helps Enthusiasts Make Better Parts
Although Banks products are primarily intended for the US and Canadian markets, the iDash and Sensor Modules transcend distance and are effective tools that can be used globally. Take for instance Joël Selder who lives in the Netherlands and drives an Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.2L diesel. Joël’s appetite for more information started when he came across a Banks video which led him down a rabbit hole. “I saw an episode of the Building a Monster Truck Engine, which led me to the series and then the Killing a Duramax series back in 2021,” recalls Joël. They changed the way I looked at automotive performance. I was super impressed with the information. I must have watched each of those videos about 10 times!
“A few years later I’m working on my car and I think to myself that I need that iDash DataMonster that Gale used in those videos. The stock engine sensors were just not enough for me. The iDash is the only device that is expandable, so it was perfect for me. I emailed Banks and got in contact with a sales rep named Eric and told him what I was looking for. He made it easy, and I got everything that I wanted.”
Joël’s Alfa Romeo is a diesel, and the car is not sold in the United States. The iDash DataMonster had no problems reading the data from the OBD port. “It reads a ton of stuff, but I want more. I ordered the 4 Channel Thermocouple Module, 4 Channel Analog Module, the AirMouse weather station, and I also picked up three pressure sensors and two thermocouples.”
Joël’s iDash DataMonster and sensors aren’t just used to satisfy his curiosity. It serves a bigger purpose. “My car is used as a development vehicle for the performance products that I sell from my own automotive aftermarket company. There aren’t many performance products available for this car, so I decided to develop some with the help of this Banks system. For instance, I found out that I had quite a loss in the intake system that I was developing. I thought it was a good design, and even though it had few bends and was a much simpler design, I saw a pressure drop and a higher temperature when datalogging with the iDash DataMonster, sensor modules, and AirMouse. So, it was back to the drawing board, with added insulation so that the aluminum pipe would not absorb the engine heat.
Above, you’ll see the AirMouse ambient weather sensor mounted to a structural support between the grille and the radiator.
After I perfected the intake, I turned my attention to the turbo and saw that the stock turbo had a lot of backpressure. I’ve developed a performance turbo and custom manifold with a 3D-printed merge section. The results are powerful and very efficient, and it’s due to knowing what everything was doing and not guessing like so many product developers out there.” Below, you’ll see his upgraded turbo and custom exhaust manifold on the left, and stock turbo with cast “log” style cast manifold on the right.
“Gale’s Duramax videos were an inspiration. I have a bachelor’s degree in automotive engineering, so all of it is kind of nerdy for me. It all makes sense, and it is super cool to see the performance improvements in the form of data. The parts that I design for my car will benefit from Gale’s instruments. I couldn’t be happier.”
