wouldnt be reliable long term.

The reason why its an important feature IMO is that ignoring shonky old fords with cable speedo's and a seperate lot of sensors for the dash; most cars of the last 15 years and newer have one set of sensors for both dash and ecu functions and the newer you get, the more integrated to the ECU the dashboard becomes.

Switching to an aftermarket ecu then becomes a problem. even for cars like focus mk1 which a lot are getting modified, engine swaps into focossies etc and even the early mk2s etc are game.

Not everyone wants to retrofit an older mechanical fed dash,

and also not everyone wants a racelogic or stack dash either, and even then often they need sensors of thier own to run.

So a dash feature integrated into or available as a bolt on option to your ecu gives the full package in one hit.

Also lets be honest, monchrome black on green digidashs are hardly revolutionary in "display" technology terms. Something colour and with customisable screeens and switchable screens (except say speed for legal purposes) would be bang on with modern technology, offer everything a technopetrol head could want in customisation and also would look cool as fuck!!

Also warning light implementation is dead easy for simple car circuits, a simple earthed input from say indicator, head lamp, brake fluid etc can switch on a logo displayed on the dash.

You could even add in oil pressure sensors, fluid sensors, etc with setable alarms and maybe for oil pressure an emergency "engine kill" threshold that makes the dash go skitzo and engine cut in 5 seconds unless you push alarm override.

The ECU could really then live upto the term "engine management".


Also i imagine such a one stop system would appeal to elements of the lower level motorsport arena, custom car scene and lot of the track day and kit car scene.