Thank you for using our product.
Recently, package-copied products and fake products which our trademarks (Defi logo and others) and address are put in are sold in the marketplace around the world. And we receive inquiries from people who purchased those by mistake.
Those counterfeit products infringes our intellectual property rights.
Please be careful enough because those may disadvantage a person who purchases those.
Please note that we, Defi, do NOT accept liabilities when the following troubles occur:
When those fakes are purchased by mistake.
When Defi products or vehicles break down by installing those fakes.
There are also many kinds of imitations sold in the marketplace.
Please beware of those products.
We have applied to several auction and video sites for deleting over 750 fake items in the last 10 years.
(As of February, 2025)
If you find fake products for sale, we would appreciate it if you could give the information to our official distributor near you or send it to us via the following form.
If you find fake products, please give us the notice..
Defi, Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.
November 6, 2010
Following pictures are samples of fakes.
For the details of sensor specification, please refer to “Sensor Specification.”
As a part of environmental measures, we have changed the color of meter wires for ADVANCE series from shipments of December, 2017. Please pay attention to fake wires of similar colors.
Parts：Meter wires for ADVANCE series (25cm, 50cm, 1m, and 2m)
One of the 4 lines has been changed from orange to blue.
*The picture is Defi’s genuine meter wires. (not fake)
*There are distributors’ stock which includs the old color wires in the market.
This picture is our genuine gauge’s backside (80mm, 60mm, and 52mm). The manufacturing information is printed on the label stuck on a backside of gauges.
*genuine gauge backside
We obtained a DIN-Gauge imitation. It is a Style98 Hommage (DF14405) model. The model we were able to obtain this time was a left-hand drive model. Defi’s official product is currently only available in right-hand drive models, and there are no left-hand drive versions. Another major difference is the accessories.
At first glance, you can’t tell the difference, but the gray areas are slightly faded.
The main body is also very similar, but the inner case, which is not visible when installed, is white on the Defi, while the counterfeit product is black. Defi products always have a two-dimensional barcode label with the manufacturing date, but the counterfeit product does not have this. The counterfeit product also does not have the raised letters “MADE IN JAPAN.”
The metal stays on the sides of the main unit are yellowish on the counterfeit product.
The genuine product is only available for right-hand drive and has the logo in the upper left corner, while the one we obtained this time was for left-hand drive and had the Defi logo in the upper right corner. Please be aware that there are also counterfeit right-hand drive products available online.
The connectors on the back of the device were almost identical in shape and color. The counterfeit product had a button on the far left, while the genuine product had a sticker on it.
The accessories included were easy to identify, including the sensor, harness, mounting parts, and instruction manual. Defi currently does not include instruction manuals with its products, but instead includes a warranty card and a start guide. Users can access the instruction manual page on the website by using the 2D barcode on the start guide, and check the data.
This is a comparison of the sensors and sensor wires. This is also easy to distinguish.
This is an image with the lights on. This model has dark lighting set to match the old car, so the genuine product is darker and the counterfeit product is brighter. The counterfeit product also has features such as color change, which the genuine product does not have.
The counterfeit Defi Sports Display F (DSDF) product we obtained is a set that includes a control unit and sensors. The set (DF15902) was discontinued in February 2023.
The front of the DSDF unit and its display are difficult to distinguish.
However, the shape and color of some of the connectors on the back of the unit and the control unit are different. The counterfeit products also did not have a QR code.
Compared to the units, the sensors and accessories are easier to distinguish. The mounting brackets, in particular, are notable for containing parts that are not included in the original package.
The display has been nearly copied, with the design and font almost identical.
One thing that makes it easy to distinguish is that the “PEAK” display and the “HIGH” and “LOW” letters are normally a color other than white, whereas on the counterfeit product they are white. The counterfeit product also had English, not Japanese, as its system settings language, and the system update version displayed was Ver. 1.67, which does not officially exist.
There were also many other differences, such as the transparency of the background pattern and other fine details.
It has been confirmed that there are fakes of the Defi Sports Display F and ADVANCE FD. Although we have not been able to obtain the actual product, we have confirmed that it exists online. Please be careful.
It has been confirmed that there are fakes of the Racer Gauge N2.
We found a video on YouTube showing a counterfeit of the Racer Gauge N2. The numbers and scales on the dial of our real gauges are lit in white (US models are lit in red), but the counterfeit seems to be able to change the color of the lights. Also, the Racer Gauge series (except 80mm tachometer) does not have a warning or peak indicator function, so there is no LED indicator display on the bottom right of the dial, but the imitation had one.
We have not been able to obtain the fake product, so we cannot post a picture of it, but we would appreciate your attention.
Edit: July 16, 2019
The shapes of the connectors are the same as genuine connectors. Be careful not to connect genuine wires to fake control unit.
ADVANCE ZD Club Sports Package（CSP） is a set of ADVANCE ZD, ADVANCE Control Unit., 1 pressure sensor, and 2 temperature sensors. A boost sensor is not included in CSP, but it’s included in a fake CSP.
*The following is genuine.
*The following is fake.
ADVANCE ZD doesn’t display boost, but the fake includes a boost sensor.
Regarding the color of the meter wire
ADVANCE ZD fake is going around in the market now! Please be careful when you purchase ADVANCE ZD.
Differential point is
Regarding the color of the meter wire
The sensitive part is shorter than original and its color is different.
*There is no temperature sensor in original package “DF09701 AVANCE ZD”.
Note: In this case, we compared fake sensor with original sensor in CSP package.
It is too difficult to identify fakes from its package.
Fake package is completely copied.
We have confirmed fake ZDs so far, but most of them have a whitish cover of the 8 sequential indicators at the top and left DIM (light control) sensor. In addition, there were differences in the connector shape, color, and labels on the back.
The ZD display is an amber (orange) organic OELD, and sequential indicators are red. On the other hand, the fake was not OELD but LCD, and the fake display and indicators’ colors could be changed. It is not Defi’s ZD if the display color can be changed. The fake has functions that ZD doesn’t have, such as turbo display and odometer value change.
Regarding the color of the meter wire
The fake is a volt gauge and doesn’t include any sensor. The Defi’s picture is a boost gauge’s. We don’t manufacture volt gauges of ADVANCE series.
Regarding the color of the meter wire
The fake is a volt gauge and doesn’t include any sensor. The Defi’s picture is an oil pressure gauge’s. We don’t manufacture volt gauges of ADVANCE series.
Regarding the color of the meter wire
Regarding the color of the meter wire
