If there is one thing we can all agree on, it’s that engine monitoring is vital. How else are we to know that the mill that moves us is either healthy or quietly crying for help? Over the years, truck manufacturers have changed the instrument clusters in our trucks and engine monitoring is vastly different than it used to be. How many of you reading this are old enough to remember when there were always gauges for oil pressure, volts, and coolant temperature, front and center? Now, computers make engine monitoring almost infinite as there is information available for nearly every aspect of engine function. However, finding all that information can be confusing.
If you are looking for a certain monitored function, you have to change screens in the dash to see all of the various temperatures, pressures, and boost numbers. It can be a hassle, and that is why many truck owners utilize an aftermarket monitor like the Edge Products Insight CTS3.
Connecting the Street Diesel Kit begins with the starter cable. Connect this cable to the OBD cable on the Insight CTS3 and then run it out under the hood. The other end will accept the EAS connections for pressure or temperature sensors. Adding sensors is easy as each EAS connection comes together as a daisy chain connection.
The Insight CTS3 is used by daily drivers and performance enthusiasts everywhere. This is because it makes monitoring multiple engine and transmission functions visible without changing the dash readouts. The Insight offers a multi-gauge touch-screen display, and is an instantaneous and inexpensive alternative to mounting various analog gauges up the length of your A-pillar or on top of your dash.
The Insight CTS3 is also the perfect engine monitoring tool for those who have custom tuning and even those who want to monitor their vehicle’s performance but not add tuning. The Insight monitor not only delivers visual readings about vehicle performance, but it can also be intelligently configured to provide audible alerts to help you protect your vehicle.
As I mentioned, I previously had issues with the OE oil pressure sender so I wanted a backup. One of the Street Diesel Pressure sensors is a redundancy for oil pressure.
The Insight CTS3 gets its information via a cable that is plugged into the OBD-II port under the dash. While this does supply a wealth of information to the monitor for you to see, sometimes you need to watch a pressure or temperature reading that is not supplied by the truck’s ECM. The fix is to get an EAS Street Diesel Kit.
Once you have the EAS sensor connected, it’s a simple process of naming it whatever you want and you’re done.
For instance, with Project WorkHorse, my 2019 Ram, I want to monitor EGTs. Luckily, the CTS3 will monitor any of the five EGT sensors found throughout the exhaust. The first one is located in the downpipe, immediately after the turbo, and the next is at the rear of the Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC). The third one is at the rear of the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), the fourth is at the center of the Selective Catalyst Reduction (SCR), and the final EGT probe is found at the rear of the SCR. All of these can give you a wealth of exhaust temperature knowledge when it comes to the EGTs of a stock engine. However, if you plan to modify your engine’s output, the best place to monitor EGTs is as close to the cylinder head as possible — before the turbo.
The CTS3 monitor has the capability of adding additional sensors as needed, thereby increasing what can be monitored. To expand the monitoring capabilities, simply add the Edge Street Diesel Kit. The EAS Street Diesel Kit includes two pressure sensors and one EGT probe. The EAS system can be built upon by simply adding more sensor harnesses, and with the STreet Diesel Kit, I can add an EGT probe directly at the cylinder head (in the exhaust manifold), plus add two additional sensors (pressure or temperature) as needed.
In the case of WorkHorse, I recently had an experience where the oil pressure gauge went to zero while towing a heavy trailer. I immediately pulled over and found the OE oil pressure sensor had gone bad and I was able to finish the trip home, even though the gauge read zero and the incessant alarm kept chiming. I decided that one of the supplied pressure sensor add-ons would be dedicated to oil pressure so that in the event of another zero-pressure situation, I can see if the CTS3 is showing that I have pressure and know that another OE sensor has quit. The second supplied pressure sensor is still in the box as I have not yet decided where it would best be utilized. But it’s nice to know I have it when I need to install it.
Some say it is okay to drill and tap with the turbo in place. I say better safe than sorry, and unbolt the turbo from the manifold before drilling.
In order for the Street Diesel upgrade to work, it relies on a few easy-to-connect harnesses. First is the EAS starter Cable. This harness (cable) section connects to the CTS3 OBD cable via the plug found on the CTS3 cable. Once that connection is made, the starter cable can then be run to a location under the hood where each EAS “sensor” cable can be attached in a daisy-chain fashion to the starter cable and ultimately, the CTS monitor. This daisy-chaining of sensors means the Edge CTS3 can monitor multiple add-on sensors.
While adding the pressure sensors is a very easy process, adding the EGT probe can be a little more difficult. For starters, adding the EAS EGT probe to the exhaust manifold requires drilling and tapping threads into the manifold. While I have heard of guys doing this with the turbo still in place, I am not comfortable with doing that.
It might take a little longer to unbolt the turbo from the manifold, but it will be way less expensive if you don't and metal shavings go through the turbo.
I have read multiple forum posts where guys say to simply make sure the drill bit and thread tap have a healthy dose of grease on them to contain any metal shards from entering the manifold. Others say they have used a small stick magnet to clean out any shards that have fallen into the manifold. Others have even mentioned attaching a straw to a vacuum and removing metal shavings that way. Personally, I understand that any metal shavings getting into the turbo can cause serious damage, so in my opinion, it is best to remove the turbo and then drill the hole for the probe.
With the new oil pressure sensor installed, I now have a redundant system, just in case. Also, EGTs are onw being monitored where they need to be.
Adding the EAS Street Diesel kit was done in an afternoon, and having the information I want to see at a glance has made the afternoon of easy work worth the effort. Since engine monitoring is a necessity for any truck owner who wants to know about any engine and transmission trouble before it occurs, I can definitely say that the Edge monitor and EAS Street Diesel Kit upgrade is worth their weight in gold.
