http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmRe2nQElSE
just curious to how this could be done? I know the earlier stock models came with them, but they were far from accurate if they worked. Ive never seen this before, but it seems to have some type of control module for it. Any ideas?
Build something to read the voltage from the tach?
Strip the upshift indicator from an earlier cluster?
Build a custom tach like this one: http://www.tach.rexlantz.com/ and use it's LED driven single shift light.
I dunno.
Build something to read the voltage from the tach?
Strip the upshift indicator from an earlier cluster?
Build a custom tach like this one: http://www.tach.rexlantz.com/ and use it's LED driven single shift light.
I dunno.
Another option would be to buy a stand alone LED shift light, pull it apart and stick it in there.
wow! thats a cool idea!
of course, I think I would want a kill switch for it, since the bright lights would probably get annoying.
I could design that. the cluster already has room in it for that with the long row of dummy LEDs.
the circuit itself would be really simple. when I get some free time Ill build one and write a DIY for it.
wow! thats a cool idea!
of course, I think I would want a kill switch for it, since the bright lights would probably get annoying.
I could design that. the cluster already has room in it for that with the long row of dummy LEDs.
the circuit itself would be really simple. when I get some free time Ill build one and write a DIY for it.
You do this and let me know what size plastic housing you want to make it fit!!! I was going to do a little sign face with 16V or somthing that would light up knocking some fo the brightness down and adding a personalized touch. You want VW or SCIROCCO or what ever on yours let me know on that also!
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
sounds like a plan http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif Just for thought, I dont think a kill switch would be worth it for whatever setup he had. The stock one usually turns on around 2000rpm. whatever that guy had started at about 6000 and only started getting brighter as he went deeper into redline. but if you can build one
I can build that. the circuit is easy. in fact, I already have the diagram for a comparable circruit. it would just take some adjustment of a couple resistors to adapt to the signal coming from the tach.
all you need is a LM3914 LED driver chip, and a voltage regulator. then 4 yellow Leds and a red one. you put a pot on the ref out of the chip (basically the common ground for your leds) and you can adjust your brightness with that, or use individual resisors with each led to set the brightness individually.
Ive seen this type of circuit used in home brew 02 sensors too.
the cluster in the video has this installed in the 5 dummy LEDs in the cluster, right under all the actual warning leds. that makes for a really easy install, and it would look pretty damned stock too. those dummy leds come right out too. as soon as I get a free moment, I will whip one of these up and write up a nice how to. - I just got a new camera (thanks Josh) so my pics will be a lot nicer than they have been in the past.
sweet...I would probably do this if you guys come up with the schematic. I'm in a circuits class right now, and I hate the stuff, but when it comes to my car, current and voltage are a necessary evil.
I don't think I'd do it in my car though. I shift by the sound of the motor, and I tend to watch the road and not the cluster. In fact, I have a soft limiter set at 6000 rpms, and a hard limit at 6500, becuase in my stock 8v, there's no reason to go that high!
thanks to my transmission being geared so low in my 16v I regularly hit the rev limiter. especially in 1st and 2nd.
check out the specs on this chip here http://www.national.com/mpf/LM/LM3914.html
here is a quick mockup of the circuit required. its not complete, but it will give you an idea of how this works.
the important thing is how do get the signal from the tach to the signal input on pin 5 in a useable form. it might be as simple as hooking it up the tach signal line coming into the cluster - (T7b/4 R/BK) - sort of like a dwell meter, but it could require a bit more finesse than that.
the first step is go go hook up an analog volt meter to the pin 4 of the cluster connector T7b, and run the car to see what kind of signal you get there. since my engines in peices right now, someone else will have to do that for me.
either way, I will work on this more later when I have some time.
in the mean time open your bentleys to the Main wiring diagram pages and look at these pages for some light reading.
97-2541 coil and ICU
97-2544 tach + upshift control
97-2552
and under electronic engine controls for 16v rocco 87-88 page 4 of 4 (97-2367)
have fun!
this could be rigged up to run bicolor diodes too, so first the lights would light up yellow, till it got to the middle, then they would turn red in succession... but they would need to be common anode bicolor red/yellow leds.. and I just spent an hour looking for some and couldnt find any....
doesnt have it? or it doesnt work?
because they came with them in 88. if you dont have one, I am 95% sure your cluster has been replaced. probably the odometer crapped out and they just replaced it.
I know the 87 16v had a shift light on the top center, but did the 88 16v have a shift light at all?
Quote, originally posted by Rannoch »
My '88 doesn't have the shift light.
The 'upshift' light did not come on the '88 16V's. The 1988's came with a 2Y transmission that doe not have the proper 5 gear switch to support the up shift indicator.
2Y/other style switch that does not supports Up Shift Indicator
The 1987 and 1986.5's came with the AGB transmission (identical gearing to the 2Y) which has the multi-gear switch... same switch the 4K's use.
AGB/4K/other style switch that supports Up Shift Indicator
As stated above this is not a performance shift light but an upshift light for fuel economy... Based on Vacuum/RPM and current gear this light comes on when you can shift to the next higher gear and get better fuel economy.
-Raffi
the important thing is how do get the signal from the tach to the signal input on pin 5 in a useable form. it might be as simple as hooking it up the tach signal line coming into the cluster - (T7b/4 R/BK) - sort of like a dwell meter, but it could require a bit more finesse than that.
the first step is go go hook up an analog volt meter to the pin 4 of the cluster connector T7b, and run the car to see what kind of signal you get there. since my engines in peices right now, someone else will have to do that for me.
The part you should look into is an LM2917 Frequency to Voltage Converter... The signal at the tach is pulsed and this LM3914 is looking for DC levels... The LM2917 will take the pulsed input and give you a DC voltage as a function of RPM
-Raffi
The 'upshift' light did not come on the '88 16V's. The 1988's came with a 2Y transmission that doe not have the proper 5 gear switch to support the up shift indicator.
The 1987 and 1986.5's came with the AGB transmission (identical gearing to the 2Y) which has the multi-gear switch... same switch the 4K's use.
my 88 came stock with the AGB trans, the upshift indicator and the correct plug for the tranny...
heres my dealer tag with the trans code right on it.
The part you should look into is an LM2917 Frequency to Voltage Converter... The signal at the tach is pulsed and this LM3914 is looking for DC levels... The LM2917 will take the pulsed input and give you a DC voltage as a function of RPM
-Raffi
good tip. Ill check that out. I cracked open one of my tachs tonight and I was looking into the same circuit it uses to convert the signal to voltage. it uses a SAK215 pulse shaper to convert the tach to a 0-2v dc voltage. I think this is an obsolete part tho. on the bright side, there is one in every tach....
of course... you might be able to just piggy back on the signal going to the tach dial "motor"...
my 88 came stock with the AGB trans, the upshift indicator and the correct plug for the tranny...
I stand corrected... yours is one of the only (or only) 88 I've seen with an AGB,
Just curious, what was the build date of your car?
I'll bet it was early.
-Raffi
doesnt have it? or it doesnt work?
because they came with them in 88. if you dont have one, I am 95% sure your cluster has been replaced. probably the odometer crapped out and they just replaced it.
Doesn't have it. Came stock that way with the 2Y tranny. Odometer just crapped out actually, 169k on the clock.
My 83 shift light doesn't work cause I broke the connector on the cluster.
.....As stated above this is not a performance shift light but an upshift light for fuel economy... Based on Vacuum/RPM and current gear this light comes on when you can shift to the next higher gear and get better fuel economy.
-Raffi
Raffi,
I think "transmission switch" main purpose is to "turn off" the upshift indicator if your on 5th gear (there's no 6th gear to upshift to). I also have "modified" the upshift relay with a small potentiometer to "move" the OEM shift indicator to a higher point (not stuck to the 2000 RPM upshift point on the "OEM stock"). I don't have the bottom LED hooked-up, but the OEM upshift LED works flawless. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
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