Drewtech DashDAQ Review

November 24, 2008 | Reviews

Every once in a while a cool product comes along that actually works as advertised.  Recently, I had the chance to try out a new product that is advertised to do the same thing that so many other products claim to do, but the DashDAQ actually does the job of datalogging well.

The DashDAQ from Drew Technologies is a dash mounted data logger. It has a full color touchscreen  that looks great, and does a great job of displaying data.  There are a handful of gauge layouts that you can assign parameters to.  In my testing, I found that using the layout that graphs the data was the easiest for looking at a lot of data at once.  This layout allows you to look at a lot of data at once.

The data can be saved on a SD memory card in a variety of formats, such as .CSV, or .LOG which can be opened in Innovate’s Logworks software.  The data can also be played back on the DashDAQ itself. Although the DashDAQ does not list every dataloggable parameter, it does have the important ones that we all like to log, such as Inlet Air Temp, Short Term Fuel Trims, RPM, Spark Advance, Throttle Position, etc.  There are many enhanced Ford specific parameters as well as Generic PIDs, which work on all OBD-II equipped cars.  As a test, I hooked the device up in a friend’s Lexus and the DashDAQ worked equally as well as it does on my Mustang, making this device useful on ANY OBD-II vehicle. For a small license fee, you can purchase enhanced parameter lists for some of the major manufacturers, and even add the ability to connect it to some aftermarket ECUs such as FAST and AEM.

For a complete list of supported parameters, click here.

If you want to log your car at the track, the DashDAQ is a much better option than having a laptop hooked up.  The suction cup mounting arm holds the DashDAQ firmly to the windshield and it will stay in place during the hardest of drag launches.  I used it in a friend’s Cobra, and it stayed in place during his mid 10 second pass.

Besides datalogging, there are performance calculators that are user definable such.  As a test, I setup a 60 – 100 MPH test for my car.  The DashDAQ can also check and clear DTCs.  It also has analog inputs so that you can monitor and log wideband readings, EGT, or any other 0-5v source. If you have a check engine light, you can use the DashDAQ to check and clear the code.

Finally, the DashDAQ is customizable.  If you do not like the way the gauges look, design your own!  Drewtech offers the DashDAQ toolkit available for download, so if your creative, you can make it look any way you want.  User’s on DrewTech’s support forum have already gotten very creative, and some have even made the gauges match the factory gauges. Below are 3 user submitted skins that can be found on the DashDAQ support forums.  From left, a Ford F150, Roush F150, and Suburu STi.

Recently, DrewTech added the option of GPS and Turn by Turn direction software to the DashDAQ, shown below.

The DashDAQ sells for $549, or $695 with GPS option.  For more information, check out www.dashdaq.com

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