NEED HELP! Hooking graphical cluster back up.

[Fiddler's Gold]

Hiya,
Yeah, I want to rehook the electronic "arcade" cluster back up.
I have manually gauges currently for:
TACH (doesn't work since last owner didn't install properly) -
BATT VOLTAGE
OIL Pressure
Engine Temperature

Electronic Cluster:
GAS (which works just great on the electronic display) ---
Speedo & Tach and all other gauges light up but stay at 0 since
obviously there is not input feeding them.

Any book, schematic, DIY, or anything else I can investigate to help me figure out how to rehook up the electronic setup? I would probably like to have TACH set for both manual and electronic at same time.

Thanks for any and all help.

Fiddler

 

[Ken]

Man, there are a bunch of us currently going through this, eh? Maybe we should consolidate all of the threads? :L

_ken

 

[Fiddler's Gold]

hehehehe

Like you, if I had a nice neat analog layout and the skills to put it in etc, then I would do that. I it hard to feel like hooking up a 85MPH speedo and a 6000RPM tach.. hehe --- but it just looks so darn bad with everything at 0 all of the time when I drive around.
Let me know if you have any other info, Ken and thanks a million.
Will this guy that wrote the article make us some custom layouts?

That would be cool.

Fiddler

 

[Ken]

Re: hehehehe

Will this guy that wrote the article make us some custom layouts?

I might be looking into that.

_ken

 

[vigman]

Fiddler

I can help... but we gotta go SLOW tell me what gauge you want to do first.

AND

Do you have a Volt -Ohm meter?


Pick one

And we will start!


Vig!

 

[Fiddler's Gold]

Ok let's start with TACH first and then speedo

START WITH TACH THEN SPEEDO.


Thanks so much, Vig!!!!



Fiddler

 

[CorvetteArchives]

MMMMM.....custom layouts! Man ....I can only guess how much that would cost

I've wondered for years why some enterpriseing person with the appropriate skills and equipment hasnt developed new colored filters...it was annoying changing ours......overlays would be so much easier!

 

[-=Jeff=-]

Re: hehehehe

Like you, if I had a nice neat analog layout and the skills to put it in etc, then I would do that. I it hard to feel like hooking up a 85MPH speedo and a 6000RPM tach.. hehe --- but it just looks so darn bad with everything at 0 all of the time when I drive around.
Let me know if you have any other info, Ken and thanks a million.
Will this guy that wrote the article make us some custom layouts?

That would be cool.

Fiddler

I really don't think doing a custom Analog gauge would be that hard...

Then again i did take a perfectly good 89 interior and swap in a 1991 dash

I *think* I could do something like that done by George Crouse

 

[vigman]

Ok let me see If I have this right

You are RE -installing the factory dash... and removing the "Custom" stuff.. right?

I assume that no wires were CUT...

The TACH should have a White line on the side of the Distrib ( next to the red BATT line) OR there should be a round filter cap ( bolted to the intake) in series with this white line... take a look.

Report back

Oh I'm assuming the ( digital ) dash is bolted into place.. or is it halfway hanging out?

Vig!

 

[Fiddler's Gold]

Vig

Yeah the white wire is there coming from the distro from the connector labelled TACH --- The genius fool (previous owner)
decided to try and just connect this wire to a new manual tach but that didn't work since he didn't connect any 12v power leads for his new tach etc. I guess I will need to locate the existing tach gauge wiring (digital I mean) and see if I can hook it back up..

The digital cluster is there, in place, with voltage. all of the gauges work and illuminate fine, looks like someone just disconnected the input leads for them for some reason.
currently using the digital fuel gauge on the cluster.
Would like to get the speedo and tach gauges to work if possible.

hope this helps.
Fiddler

 

[vigman]

Ok ... Digital cluster pinouts

There are 2 connections into the cluster
The "A" connector is a DUAL 16 pin
There are 2 rows
C & D

C1 would be oriented correctly with the latch on your left

Which would make the bottom row pin 1
"C1" on your left
"D1" on your right
so you would count UP to 16

For example C1 is a TAN wire which is the oil pressure sender.

The "A" connector has the external inputs on it...


The "B" connector is for all the switches in the center DIC panel.

The "B" connector is a DUAL 12 pin
There are 2 rows
A & B

A1 would be oriented correctly with the latch on your left

Which would make the bottom row pin 1
"A1" on your left
"B1" on your right
so you would count UP to 12

All that being said.....
Remove any BOGUS wiring from the TACH line ( spliced in after market CREEEAAAAAAAP)

Unplug the white line from the Distrib..

Get your Ohm meter out

Disconnect the car batt

Unplug the Dash A connector
Hook one end of the ohm meter to pin C-5
and then hook the other end to the white wire under the hood... reading "0" ohms?

Good...If not.. follow the white wire under the hood back into the loom... you might find the inline Tach filter.. looks like a round piece of pipe with one wire going to the TACH line on the distrib... and the other line going to a single connector... remove the single connector.. and grab the side going to the wiring harness. Now Ohm this out

Now do you get "0" ohms?

If so ... hook that line into the tach DIRECTLY.

Hook the dash "A" connector back up

Hook the car batt up.

Start car

Tach reading?

If yes.. then the little tach filter is BAD!

You should replace it!


Try all this....

Vig!

 

[vigman]

Also

I need a sence if the wiring is REALLY hacked up... or what?

Vig!

 

[vigman]

Speedo

Pin C-15 Purple
&
Pin D-11 Yellow

These home run (Via the firewall connector C-237)
Down to the tranny to the VSS . This is a little DC generator.

Most of the time the problem is:

a) The wiring is shot, corroded melted or unplugged.

b) The coupling between the VSS & the tranny mechanicals is broke. If you turn the key on.. and the wiring looks good remove the VSS from the tranny & spin it by hand... ( try both directions) and have an assistant see if the speedo now works.. If it does you have a mechanical problem.. If not... it's electrical.



A foot note on the Tach problem

The Tach line off the HEI would be the same point as the NEG terminal on a standard point ign. If you have access to a dwell meter.. you should make sure that that line is actually switching...


Vig!

 

[vigman]

C-237

Is a 15 way connector under the pass side where all the ECM wiring junctions.

FYI


Vig!

 

[vigman]

Confuse about these gauges!( More sender info )

Do any of the functions work?
Oil temp? maybe... or what do they read?

BATT VOLTAGE If the Instrument panel lights up & partially functions.. this should WORK!

Pin C&D-16 Is IGN power from cluster fuse in fuse box ( Pink/Black )
Pin D-5 Is BATT voltage from LCD fuse
(Pink/Black)

OIL Pressure"A" connector (Tan)Pin C-1 single wire ( sender gets ground from block.. resistive sender) to near rear of distrib & windsheild wiper motor, drivers side... Large silver bullet looking thing is the sender. If you ground this line Oil pressure will go to "0" if the line is OPEN 80psi all the time!


Oil Temp ( Dark Green/ White )
"A" connector" Pin D-6 (Dark Green/ White)
The sender is located on block just above oil filter. Ground this line.. the oil temp will go to MAX open it.. and LO will read.


Engine Temperature ( AKA coolant temp )
"A" connector" Pin D-4 (Dark Green) a single wire to the side of the head on a female spade lug( flat ) SHOULD be on Pass side between cyl 6&8.


Is your head spinning yet?

Vig!

 

[Fiddler's Gold]

Wow! I am confused! hehehe

Vig,

I just played around with the switches and actually all of the rest of the dash works great! hehe Oil Pressure, Voltage, Fuel, Trip Economy, etc. Just not the speedo and tach.

Ok, I guess I will have to find out where in the heck that tach gauge is again. I have a feeling that when they dropped in the T56 tranny, they didn't run the proper speedo gearing nor the sends for the pulses. I am more concerned with the tach at this point and thanks!!!

Let me go reread and take some aspirin first. :crazy

Fiddler

 

[vigman]

The Tach Filter

Not sure on 86 but on earlier models this is what the tach filter looks like ( never mind the blue connector on the left.. it SHOULD be like the connector on the right... but single)

I assume the Tach ( when Key is first turned on) goes thru self test & all dash light segments light up.

Now you mentioned something
"Trip Economy" that can ONLY work correctly if there is a speedo input... does the trip meter work?

But if they put a different tranny in ...it's a good bet they didn't get the speedo driver in correctly.



Vig!