You fit a Link or a Haltech, and within a month the factory cluster starts to annoy you. It shows a temperature needle that sits in the middle no matter what, and none of the channels the ECU already knows. The fix is either a small CAN gauge or a full digital dash, and the gap between those two decisions is bigger than most people expect.
The short answer
- Factory cluster still working and you want two or three channels you can trust? Fit a Link CAN Gauge OLED 52mm in a pod and stop there.
- Replacing the cluster on a street or club car: the Haltech iC-7 colour dash kit or a Link MXS Street Edition both do the job well.
- Want a bigger screen with room for more pages: the Haltech uC-10 or the 10 inch MXT Strada.
- Add a keypad before you add more switches. A Link CAN keypad with labelled inserts beats a row of unmarked toggles under the dash.
- Budget for the boring parts. Brackets, adaptor looms and a sensor pack are what turn a display into an install.
What the Link displays do well
Link's display range starts small and stays flexible. The CAN gauge fits a standard pod and pulls its data straight from the ECU, so there is no second sensor to fit for a channel the ECU already reads. For a lot of street cars that is the whole job done.
Above it sit the Strada dashes. The MXS Street Edition and its Race Edition sibling suit a car where the factory cluster is coming out, while the MXG Strada 7 inch steps up in screen size, again with a race version. The MXT Strada 10 inch is the big one, and it also comes in a race edition. If you want GPS speed or lap timing on any of them, the GPS09 module is the add on.
The other half of the Link story is the keypad. The eight button CAN keypad puts ECU functions on labelled buttons, and the insert range is deep enough that the labels match what you actually assigned: launch, anti lag, boost up and boost down, fans, wipers, start and stop, even defrost. On a car with a stripped interior that is the difference between a tidy console and a mystery.
What the Haltech dashes do well
The iC-7 has been the default colour dash in a lot of NZ builds for years, and the support parts around it are the reason. There is a standard mounting bracket, a bracket with an integrated visor for cars that see sun through the screen, and a 1.25 inch tube mount if it is going on a cage or a bar.
The uC-10 is the larger option and it takes the install further. There is a moulded panel mount for a proper flush fit, and a reverse camera kit that turns the dash into a screen for the camera as well, which is more useful than it sounds on a wide car with no rear visibility.
Haltech also makes the display work on cars that are not fully Haltech. The OBDII to CAN cable lets a dash read a factory ECU through the OBDII port, and the adaptor looms cover other brands, including one for Link plug in ECUs and one for dual connector Link ECUs. If the dash is going into a car with no CAN source at all, the semi terminated harness and the iC-7 sensor pack let the display read its own sensors.
Where they differ in a real build
Wiring is the first difference. If the ECU and the display are the same brand, it is usually one CAN cable and a configuration file. Mixing brands works, and Haltech clearly expects people to do it, but you need the right adaptor loom and a bit more setup time.
Screen size drives the mounting job more than anything else. A 7 inch dash generally drops into the space the cluster left. A 10 inch screen often means fabricating a panel, and it wants to be far enough away that you can read the whole thing without moving your head at 100kph.
Software is where people have preferences rather than facts. Both brands let you build pages, set warnings and change what shows in different modes. The one you will use well is the one you have already spent time in, which usually points back at your ECU choice.
Then there is the car itself. A road car with the factory cluster gone still needs a working speedo and the warning lights the vehicle was built with, and an inspector will look for them. Plan that into the install rather than working it out on the hoist.
| What you need | Link answer | Haltech answer |
|---|---|---|
| A few channels in a gauge pod | CAN Gauge OLED 52mm | Multi function CAN gauges |
| Cluster replacement, 7 inch class | MXS or MXG Strada | iC-7 colour dash kit |
| Bigger screen, more pages | MXT Strada 10 inch | uC-10 |
| Labelled buttons on CAN | Eight button keypad with inserts | CAN keypad range |
| Reading a non matching ECU | CAN connection cables | OBDII to CAN and adaptor looms |
| Reverse camera on the display | Not offered in this range | uC-10 camera kit |
Our pick by build type
Street car, factory cluster staying: the CAN gauge, in a pod, showing the channels you actually watch. Oil pressure and coolant temperature save more engines than a big screen does.
Club and track car: a 7 inch dash from whichever brand matches your ECU, with a visor bracket if the sun gets under your screen. Add the keypad when the switch count gets out of hand.
Drag car: keypad first, then the dash. Being able to arm launch and change boost with a labelled button is worth more between rounds than another page of gauges.
Show or street build with the interior redone: the larger screens earn their place here, especially the uC-10 with the panel mount and the camera kit if the rear vision is poor.
Where NZ Performance fits
We stock both ecosystems, so we are not steering you. Browse the Link driver displays, the iC-7 dash range, the uC-10 range and the wider Haltech gauges and display adapters. The Link accessories hub and the Haltech digital displays page are the quickest way to see the whole picture.
It ships from Palmerston North, with the common brackets and looms held here so an install does not stall waiting on a cable.
If the ECU behind the dash is still undecided, read Link vs Haltech first, because the display decision follows it more often than not. The wideband gauge guide covers getting a proper lambda channel onto that screen. And if the factory cluster is coming out of a road car, will it pass cert and WOF is worth reading before you cut the dash.
FAQ
Do I need a full digital dash or will a CAN gauge do?
A CAN gauge covers you if the factory cluster still works and you only want a few channels you can trust. Go to a full dash when you want warnings, logging and a screen you can rearrange for track days. Plenty of street cars never need more than the gauge.
Can a Haltech dash run on a Link ECU?
Yes. Haltech makes CAN adaptor looms for Link plug in ECUs and for dual connector Link ECUs, so the display reads the ECU over CAN. Check which connector your ECU uses before you order the loom.
What does a CAN keypad actually do?
It gives you labelled buttons on the CAN bus for functions the ECU controls, such as launch, anti lag, fans, the fuel pump or boost up and down. The inserts are sold separately so the labels match what you assigned. It replaces a row of unmarked toggle switches under the dash.
Is a race edition dash worth it over a street edition?
It depends on how the car is used and what you need logged. The street and race editions are aimed at different jobs rather than one being better than the other. Tell us what the car does and we will point you at the right one.
Does replacing the factory cluster affect a WOF or cert?
Removing the factory instruments changes what an inspector sees, and the car still needs a working speedo and the warning lights it was built with. Plan the install so those functions still exist rather than sorting it out at the inspection.
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