allfourmotion
New member
Just finished installing my new Podi electronic stepper motor boost gauge package and I’ve got to say, wow! These guys nailed it. Everything fits perfect, almost like it was designed specifically for the VW MK6…oh wait, it was 
I am not mechanically inclined by any means, but this install took less than an hour and a half, and if you really know your way around the car, you can probably complete this in less than an hour.
Items needed:
T20 Torx
13mm socket
Metal coat hanger
2 add-a-circuits w/ 4 20A fuses
To remove OEM steering column cover, pull up with force. It will be tough to pull off, but rest assured it will pop.
Remove trim piece that attaches fabric to cluster and steering column cover. This piece is in pretty tight. There are two tabs on either side that can be pushed out along with the clips as pictured. This piece can be replaced if damaged. Reattach trim piece to fabric. Podi includes a new vinyl piece, but it is GTI specific, so you will not be using it.
Sidenote: Pay special attention to the vinyl to make sure that it isn’t ripping. Keep a close eye on the spot where the vinyl sandwiches into the cluster, and make sure not to pull it out.
Pull out the yellow clips from the OEM steering column top and pop them into the Podi pod. Connect gauge harness to gauge, pull wires through pod, and insert gauge.
Connect vinyl trim piece to pod. Run the gauge harness into the driver’s side foot well through the open space next to the steering wheel tilt adjuster. I taped the wires to the plastic near the fuse box to hold them in place while I attached the pod.
Use the included butt connectors to connect approx. 12 inches of the supplied wire to the red, yellow, and black wires on both the gauge and sender harnesses. The orange wire from the gauge harness connects to the white wire on the sender harness. Brown and green will not be used.
Harness one attaches at the gauge and has six wires coming off it.
Red (switched 12V) Black (ground) Yellow (constant on 12V) Orange (to white wire on second harness) Brown (unused) Green (unused)
The second harness connect at the pressure sender, colors are as follows.
Red (switched) Black (ground) White (connects to orange wire on harness one)
I chose to ground the setup at a bolt straight above the clutch pedal. There are two bolts and I used the one on the right, since it was easier to access. Use your 13mm socket. You can now attach the ground wires to the bolt above the clutch pedal.
Splice the two red wires and together and connect them to the supplied red tabbed prong. Then push it into fuse slot 33 (switched power). Do the same for the yellow wire. Connect to supplied red tabbed prong and push into fuse slot 43 (constant power).
While Podi does supply the necessary pronged adapters to plug into the fuse box, I opted to upgrade to their add-a-fuse circuits. I don’t think these are absolutely needed, but they provided me with a little extra peace of mind knowing the gauge now has an inline fuse. The add-a-fuse circuits were plugged into the same fuse slots as mentioned above.
To connect the boost tap, squeeze the PCV pipe connector located in the photo below and pull the hose apart. Using the supplied aluminum boost tap, turn it so the three black rubber o-rings are pointing to the left and insert the boost tap into the open hole. The brass fitting for the vacuum line will be facing down. The boost tap has a groove that will slide over a ridge on the intake manifold. Lightly grease the blue o-ring area on the PCV line and push it into the boost tap.
Attach the clear vacuum line to the boost tap, since it’s high temperature hose, and secure with a zip tie. Route clear vacuum line as desired. Using the supplied inline filter as a coupler between the clear tubing and black tubing, install with the arrow pointed towards the cabin. Connect end of black vacuum line to the other end of the filter (pictured below). Use zip ties to secure the hose on both sides of the filter.
In order to leave plenty of space to run vacuum tubing through the firewall, I chose to remove the battery.
The 13mm socket is needed to remove the plate that holds the battery. This was tricky to access so I also removed the top half of the airbox, MAFS, and intake tube.
Use T20 torx to remove the 8 screws that attach the airbox top, 2 screws at MAFS, and pliers to remove any additional clamps.
Unbolt battery plate, remove battery, and plastic battery box.
Get your straightened coat hanger, find a rubber grommet in the driver’s side footwell (located almost directly behind and above the fuse panel), and push coat hanger through the grommet until you see it exit into the engine bay.
Attach the black vacuum tubing to the metal coat hanger and slowly pull the boost line into cabin. I had a second pair of hands pull the hanger from the cabin while I fed it from the engine bay. Once you are through the firewall, attach the black hose to the boost sender and secure with a zip tie.
Double check all your wiring to make sure everything is good to go.
Turn car on (without starting the motor) and test gauge. Gauge will light up, sweep from -30 to +30, and should finally rest at 0 (this sequence means the gauge is calibrated). If the needle does not stop at 0 (with the motor off), then you should contact Podi.
The finished product.
Big thanks to Greg and Winston at Podi for developing such a great product that truly does provide a factory look and perfect fit.
I am not mechanically inclined by any means, but this install took less than an hour and a half, and if you really know your way around the car, you can probably complete this in less than an hour.
Items needed:
T20 Torx
13mm socket
Metal coat hanger
2 add-a-circuits w/ 4 20A fuses
To remove OEM steering column cover, pull up with force. It will be tough to pull off, but rest assured it will pop.
Remove trim piece that attaches fabric to cluster and steering column cover. This piece is in pretty tight. There are two tabs on either side that can be pushed out along with the clips as pictured. This piece can be replaced if damaged. Reattach trim piece to fabric. Podi includes a new vinyl piece, but it is GTI specific, so you will not be using it.
Sidenote: Pay special attention to the vinyl to make sure that it isn’t ripping. Keep a close eye on the spot where the vinyl sandwiches into the cluster, and make sure not to pull it out.
Pull out the yellow clips from the OEM steering column top and pop them into the Podi pod. Connect gauge harness to gauge, pull wires through pod, and insert gauge.
Connect vinyl trim piece to pod. Run the gauge harness into the driver’s side foot well through the open space next to the steering wheel tilt adjuster. I taped the wires to the plastic near the fuse box to hold them in place while I attached the pod.
Use the included butt connectors to connect approx. 12 inches of the supplied wire to the red, yellow, and black wires on both the gauge and sender harnesses. The orange wire from the gauge harness connects to the white wire on the sender harness. Brown and green will not be used.
Harness one attaches at the gauge and has six wires coming off it.
Red (switched 12V) Black (ground) Yellow (constant on 12V) Orange (to white wire on second harness) Brown (unused) Green (unused)
The second harness connect at the pressure sender, colors are as follows.
Red (switched) Black (ground) White (connects to orange wire on harness one)
I chose to ground the setup at a bolt straight above the clutch pedal. There are two bolts and I used the one on the right, since it was easier to access. Use your 13mm socket. You can now attach the ground wires to the bolt above the clutch pedal.
Splice the two red wires and together and connect them to the supplied red tabbed prong. Then push it into fuse slot 33 (switched power). Do the same for the yellow wire. Connect to supplied red tabbed prong and push into fuse slot 43 (constant power).
While Podi does supply the necessary pronged adapters to plug into the fuse box, I opted to upgrade to their add-a-fuse circuits. I don’t think these are absolutely needed, but they provided me with a little extra peace of mind knowing the gauge now has an inline fuse. The add-a-fuse circuits were plugged into the same fuse slots as mentioned above.
To connect the boost tap, squeeze the PCV pipe connector located in the photo below and pull the hose apart. Using the supplied aluminum boost tap, turn it so the three black rubber o-rings are pointing to the left and insert the boost tap into the open hole. The brass fitting for the vacuum line will be facing down. The boost tap has a groove that will slide over a ridge on the intake manifold. Lightly grease the blue o-ring area on the PCV line and push it into the boost tap.
Attach the clear vacuum line to the boost tap, since it’s high temperature hose, and secure with a zip tie. Route clear vacuum line as desired. Using the supplied inline filter as a coupler between the clear tubing and black tubing, install with the arrow pointed towards the cabin. Connect end of black vacuum line to the other end of the filter (pictured below). Use zip ties to secure the hose on both sides of the filter.
In order to leave plenty of space to run vacuum tubing through the firewall, I chose to remove the battery.
The 13mm socket is needed to remove the plate that holds the battery. This was tricky to access so I also removed the top half of the airbox, MAFS, and intake tube.
Use T20 torx to remove the 8 screws that attach the airbox top, 2 screws at MAFS, and pliers to remove any additional clamps.
Unbolt battery plate, remove battery, and plastic battery box.
Get your straightened coat hanger, find a rubber grommet in the driver’s side footwell (located almost directly behind and above the fuse panel), and push coat hanger through the grommet until you see it exit into the engine bay.
Attach the black vacuum tubing to the metal coat hanger and slowly pull the boost line into cabin. I had a second pair of hands pull the hanger from the cabin while I fed it from the engine bay. Once you are through the firewall, attach the black hose to the boost sender and secure with a zip tie.
Double check all your wiring to make sure everything is good to go.
Turn car on (without starting the motor) and test gauge. Gauge will light up, sweep from -30 to +30, and should finally rest at 0 (this sequence means the gauge is calibrated). If the needle does not stop at 0 (with the motor off), then you should contact Podi.
The finished product.
Big thanks to Greg and Winston at Podi for developing such a great product that truly does provide a factory look and perfect fit.
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