V1 Guage cluster option?

[MX184]

You could use a race dash from AIM, AEM, Haltech, but they get pricy.
This the AIM MXG in my build.
View attachment 40518

How hard was that to wire up? I'm thinking of going haltech dash when I turbo my car.

 

[ATMironov]

How hard was that to wire up? I'm thinking of going haltech dash when I turbo my car.

I guess it’s a bit relative.
Getting the ECU data is pretty straight forward, you just tie into the CAN BUS.
Getting all the other lights like turn signals and high beams is a bit more complicated as they are on a different CAN and AIM hasn’t made a program for them. So you need to individually tap into each wire.

 

[PHENDERSON]

I found a brown "assessory" wire on both the C3 and C4 panels of the BCM, they are both already being used for something. Can I tap into one of these to power my AEM wideband gauge?

 

[Ross]

I would look for a spare pink wire on the BCM. Pink wires are usually ignition switched. If the pink wire can handle the amperage the AEM wideband needs, then you could use it. Check a wiring diagram, and see what fuse it uses, and what fuse the wideband needs.

 

[PHENDERSON]

So here's a question. I found a brown wire in the connector for the gauge cluster, figured since I'm not using it why not use one of the wires if it works. When my car is completely off it reads 12v. When I turn the key to accessory it goes to zero. Is that normal? Am I just using my meter incorrectly? I'm just having a very difficult time finding a switched 12v supply for the AEM meter. Seems like everything I try is either continuous 12v or less than 12v or acts like the wire I described above. I'm not good at wiring if you can't tell already. Is there a clear and straightforward way for me to find a switched 12v supply? I finally have the tools to fix my engine and now I just can't figure out how to power it which is supposed to be super easy. I have to be screwing something up.

 

[ATMironov]

So here's a question. I found a brown wire in the connector for the gauge cluster, figured since I'm not using it why not use one of the wires if it works. When my car is completely off it reads 12v. When I turn the key to accessory it goes to zero. Is that normal? Am I just using my meter incorrectly? I'm just having a very difficult time finding a switched 12v supply for the AEM meter. Seems like everything I try is either continuous 12v or less than 12v or acts like the wire I described above. I'm not good at wiring if you can't tell already. Is there a clear and straightforward way for me to find a switched 12v supply? I finally have the tools to fix my engine and now I just can't figure out how to power it which is supposed to be super easy. I have to be screwing something up.

What motor do you have?

 

[Ross]

So here's a question. I found a brown wire in the connector for the gauge cluster, figured since I'm not using it why not use one of the wires if it works. When my car is completely off it reads 12v. When I turn the key to accessory it goes to zero. Is that normal? Am I just using my meter incorrectly? I'm just having a very difficult time finding a switched 12v supply for the AEM meter. Seems like everything I try is either continuous 12v or less than 12v or acts like the wire I described above. I'm not good at wiring if you can't tell already. Is there a clear and straightforward way for me to find a switched 12v supply? I finally have the tools to fix my engine and now I just can't figure out how to power it which is supposed to be super easy. I have to be screwing something up.

Did you have one wire from the electrical meter on 12V-/ground and the other meter wire on the brown wire? This is how you should be using the meter.
If you had one wire on 12V+ and the other on the brown wire, (and the brown wire is actually hot by the ignition key) then you would get the results you got.

 

[PHENDERSON]

I have the LSJ.

I put one terminal on the neg battery terminal and the other on the brown wire. Maybe that's my issue? Should I be using a ground from the frame?

 

[ATMironov]

I have the LSJ.

I put one terminal on the neg battery terminal and the other on the brown wire. Maybe that's my issue? Should I be using a ground from the frame?

No, that will work, but you can also pick up the ground by any bare metal on the chassis.

Look for a red/white wire in the gauge cluster connector. That will be 12v when the car is on

 

[Ross]

Red/white wires are fused, constant 12V+, Pink are fused and ignition switched. I would want the wideband O2 sensor to be ignition switched.

 

[ATMironov]

Red/white wires are fused, constant 12V+, Pink are fused and ignition switched. I would want the wideband O2 sensor to be ignition switched.

Good point.

 

[PHENDERSON]

That helps a lot. Look for a pink wire not a red/white. Thank you!

 

[Gtstorey]

Brown w/ white going into the instrument cluster is the ground controlled wire the MIL light. It’s controlled by the ECM.

You can burn things up trying to use a random wire to carry a load.

 

[PHENDERSON]

Round 2. I believe I have the AEM and prolink+ all buttoned up.

Next is an aftermarket fuel level gauge (since I'm not using the cobalt cluster). Where would a good place be to grab the fuel level sensor signal? Would I just tie in right on top of the sending unit or somewhere downstream?

 

[Gtstorey]

I have to ask, are you trying to do all of this without wiring diagrams for your donor.

 

[PHENDERSON]

No, I have them but they're all Greek to me. I figured it's safer to ask a group that may confidently know rather than try and figure it out and get it wrong.

 

[PHENDERSON]

After staring at some wiring diagrams I found a fuel level sensor signal wire (purple) going from the fuel level sensor to pin 36 of the ECM. Can I just tap this purple wire to get the fuel level signal?

 

[Ross]

I am speculating here... but doesn't the fuel level sensor go to the PCM, get converted to digital, and sent via the high speed can bus to the BCM, then transfered over to the low speed bus to the instrument cluster? Taping into the fuel level signal would not be the same as the instrument cluster is expecting for fuel level signal.

 

[PHENDERSON]

I believe the signal type the gauge is looking for is actually ohms. Here is the wiring diagram for the gauge. They make it look like you connect directly to the sensing unit.

 

[Gtstorey]

Newer models at least use variable resistance sender. Purple wire will be one side. The other side is grounded through the ECM and is a shared ground on the LNF. I would find the diagram for your donor and if it’s not a shared ground, I would try just the purple. If it is a shared ground through the ECM, I would probably isolate the sender ground and chassis ground it. It will probably work without the isolated ground anyway though.