VSS Pick up and buffer connection to Dakota dash

[billygeg]

If anyone can help me, I am trying to figure out how I connect the VSS pick up and buffer to the control unit of the dakota dash module..Also figure out what wire behind the dash cluster that was originally the tach wire that connects to the dakota...

You can see the cut wires in the picture..I cut them to get the stock cluster out as they were soldered to it...Does anyone know where the clip is behind the dash so I can just disconnect them and maybe reconnect them to the old cluster incase I ever want to revert back to the old cluster?
Thanks!

 

[Venus]

The green wire out under the hood by the alternator is a tach output. I know several after market clusters connect to it for the tach input so having to splice or cut any existing wire should not be needed.

Unless I'm missing something, the VSS reads your cars speed via the mechanism in the back of the stock cluster that connects to the speedo cable. MOST after market clusters use a VSS that goes inline where the lower speedo cable connects to the upper speedo cable by the powermaster and they then splice into the wiring that connects to the buffer which in turn connects back to the ECM. The VSS is used to engage the TCC so I'm not sure why you are wanting to connect it to the control unit of the dakota dash.

Not sure why you cut wires to get your cluster out, I've had several stock clusters out and never had to cut any wires, as it has just the main wiring connector and the connector for the tach/boost gauge. If those cut wires were for the boost/tach gauge(which I think they are), the connector is usually down by the Radio area. You'll more than likely now need a new tach/boost gauge setup if you ever want to revert back to stock. About 100 bucks from caspers.

Hope all this helps some.

 

[billygeg]

The green wire out under the hood by the alternator is a tach output. I know several after market clusters connect to it for the tach input so having to splice or cut any existing wire should not be needed.

Unless I'm missing something, the VSS reads your cars speed via the mechanism in the back of the stock cluster that connects to the speedo cable. MOST after market clusters use a VSS that goes inline where the lower speedo cable connects to the upper speedo cable by the powermaster and they then splice into the wiring that connects to the buffer which in turn connects back to the ECM. The VSS is used to engage the TCC so I'm not sure why you are wanting to connect it to the control unit of the dakota dash.

Not sure why you cut wires to get your cluster out, I've had several stock clusters out and never had to cut any wires, as it has just the main wiring connector and the connector for the tach/boost gauge. If those cut wires were for the boost/tach gauge(which I think they are), the connector is usually down by the Radio area. You'll more than likely now need a new tach/boost gauge setup if you ever want to revert back to stock. About 100 bucks from caspers.

Hope all this helps some.

The directs from Dakota show the wiring from the supplied speedo cable going under the terminals of the dakota brain (see pics). So what I did was connect the supplied sensor and cable to the stock cable where you mentioned near the power master.. but I am being told I still need that VSS wire (pictured) to send signal to the ecm and I dont know what to do with it..I was told to pull the mechanism that the vss cable reads from the old cluster and seal it inside a box using the old speedo cable, Then take a wire from the green box (I think its called the buffer box) under the dash and connect it to the brain...This whole deal is being a major PITA! If Idda know the directions would be this bad I would have left the stock cluster in..As for cutting the wires on the old cluster for the boost and tach, I did not know there was a clip under the dash for it to disconnect..I should have assumed there was and looked for it but I kinda went cut happy! I did leave some meat on the wires though incase I need to reattach them I can always butt splice them...

 

[RmvBfrFlght]

I think I can help some. First a rhetorical question: currently you have the Dakota Digital (DD) VSS connected under the hood and run to the DD control box? If so nothing else is required for the DD VSS.

Now for the ECM and cruise control: what the others are saying is to use the speedometer from the original cluster. Remove it from the cluster and strip it down some. Attach the little optical pickup back onto it (the little black triangle thing with the green, red, and black wires.

Then insert the speedometer cable end that is at the dash into the speedometer head. Tape it up for protection and tuck it away. Done.

In the original stock speedometer there is a metal bar that rotates with the speedometer cable. The optical pickup is positioned to reflect the light from the LED off the bar to be picked up by the other device (photo-transistor) in the pickup. The lime green buffer box converts that signal to several that can be used by the CC and ECM.

RemoveBeforeFlight

 

[billygeg]

I think I can help some. First a rhetorical question: currently you have the Dakota Digital (DD) VSS connected under the hood and run to the DD control box? If so nothing else is required for the DD VSS.

Now for the ECM and cruise control: what the others are saying is to use the speedometer from the original cluster. Remove it from the cluster and strip it down some. Attach the little optical pickup back onto it (the little black triangle thing with the green, red, and black wires.

Then insert the speedometer cable end that is at the dash into the speedometer head. Tape it up for protection and tuck it away. Done.

In the original stock speedometer there is a metal bar that rotates with the speedometer cable. The optical pickup is positioned to reflect the light from the LED off the bar to be picked up by the other device (photo-transistor) in the pickup. The lime green buffer box converts that signal to several that can be used by the CC and ECM.

RemoveBeforeFlight

Yes that is exactly what I was told to do..Here is the piece (pictured) I am going to mount inside a little grey plastic box I bought today..I was also told there is a brown or green wire off the green buffer box that needs to be conneced to the dakota speedo connection..Right now I have the supplied Dakota speedo connection hooked into the original speedo cable near the master cylinder but I was told not to use it
and just revert back to the old cable which connects to the unit from the cluster that I took out

 

[RmvBfrFlght]

Not sure why you wouldn't use the DD VSS. It is designed for the unit and runs at 16K PPM.

As it is, the DD box outputs a 2K PPM signal that could be used for the ECM and cruise control.

Running the gutted speedometer head for the VSS buffer is easier then doing re-wiring.

RemoveBeforeFlight

 

[billygeg]

Not sure why you wouldn't use the DD VSS. It is designed for the unit and runs at 16K PPM.

As it is, the DD box outputs a 2K PPM signal that could be used for the ECM and cruise control.

Running the gutted speedometer head for the VSS buffer is easier then doing re-wiring.

RemoveBeforeFlight

Not sure what you mean? I have the gutted unit from my stock cluster in a box ready to install.. I was planning on installing that and the VSS cable under the dash and running a wire (I think its green or brown from what I was told) from the green buffer box to the DD brain...Are you saying I can do it another way? If so how?

 

[RmvBfrFlght]

Not sure what you mean? I have the gutted unit from my stock cluster in a box ready to install.. I was planning on installing that and the VSS cable under the dash and running a wire (I think its green or brown from what I was told) from the green buffer box to the DD brain...Are you saying I can do it another way? If so how?

There are two ways of doing this and you are combining them.

Retain the DD VSS that is under the hood and add in the one you are building. No need to do anything else.

Or, you can retain the DD VSS under the hood and not use the one you are building. This is when the brown wire from the green buffer box is connected to the DD box "SPD OUT" terminal. That will (or according to the install instructions, at least should) provide a 2K PPM signal to the ECM. Note that the brown wire is no longer connected to the green buffer box.

If you have cruise control that too needs to be connected to the SPD OUT terminal. It may be a red wire on the green buffer box.

Look at the top of page 9 of the install guide. It states that "SPD OUT" can be configured to either a 2K PPM or 4K PPM signal. And it is scaled to the speedometer correction so that it is correct.

RemoveBeforeFlight

 

[billygeg]

There are two ways of doing this and you are combining them.

Retain the DD VSS that is under the hood and add in the one you are building. No need to do anything else.

Or, you can retain the DD VSS under the hood and not use the one you are building. This is when the brown wire from the green buffer box is connected to the DD box "SPD OUT" terminal. That will (or according to the install instructions, at least should) provide a 2K PPM signal to the ECM. Note that the brown wire is no longer connected to the green buffer box.

If you have cruise control that too needs to be connected to the SPD OUT terminal. It may be a red wire on the green buffer box.

Look at the top of page 9 of the install guide. It states that "SPD OUT" can be configured to either a 2K PPM or 4K PPM signal. And it is scaled to the speedometer correction so that it is correct.

RemoveBeforeFlight

Just to be clear the DD stands for dakota digital correct? I just want to make sure we are on the same page....The problem is, If I keep the dakota digital cable attached to the speedo cable connection by the power master..The original speedo cable is not connected and will not spin the mechanism from the old cluster I have mounted inside the box... So how will the stock VSS cable know the speed if that unit is not spinning?

Here is what I am planning on doing, Tell me if this sounds correct..
Right now the speedometer is working with the dakota wiring from the speedo cable attached to the brain...So I am going to go under the dash and find the green buffer box..I am then going to connect the brown wire and a red cruise control wire to speed out.... Then just disregard the old VSS cable that plugs into the back of the original cluster..Is that correct?

 

[RmvBfrFlght]

Just to be clear the DD stands for dakota digital correct?

Yes, DD = Dakota Digital.

I just want to make sure we are on the same page....The problem is, If I keep the dakota digital cable attached to the speedo cable connection by the power master..The original speedo cable is not connected and will not spin the mechanism from the old cluster I have mounted inside the box... So how will the stock VSS cable know the speed if that unit is not spinning?

So the DD VSS isn't a pass through design? If not then can't do it this way.

Here is what I am planning on doing, Tell me if this sounds correct..
Right now the speedometer is working with the dakota wiring from the speedo cable attached to the brain...So I am going to go under the dash and find the green buffer box..I am then going to connect the brown wire and a red cruise control wire to speed out.... Then just disregard the old VSS cable that plugs into the back of the original cluster..Is that correct?

Yes, that will work, this is the 2nd method I outlined above. Be sure to save the green buffer box and the pigtail for it. They are hard to get and someone may need one down the road.

RemoveBeforeFlight

 

[billygeg]

Yes, DD = Dakota Digital.



So the DD VSS isn't a pass through design? If not then can't do it this way.



Yes, that will work, this is the 2nd method I outlined above. Be sure to save the green buffer box and the pigtail for it. They are hard to get and someone may need one down the road.

RemoveBeforeFlight

No its not a pass threw connection.. You are either using the Dakota unit or the old, Cant use both with this setup they sent me...This is my first experience with a dakota dash so Im guessing maybe the older ones were pass threw?...One last question..I read on a few threads that the signal for our car is 2200 ppm..The DD unit can run on either 4000 or 2000 ppm..Obviously Im not going to run it on the 4000 but will the 2000 ppm be good being people are saying it runs on 2200ppm?
Thanks for the help!
Once I am done with this I am going to do a nice write up on here to help people with this unit! I have it pretty much down pat now and Im sure there will be dozens of people who run into the same issue with the Tach needing the extra part from DD and the VSS cable deal..What a PITA! It is definitely a challenge! lol

 

[RmvBfrFlght]

No its not a pass threw connection.. You are either using the Dakota unit or the old,

I think the confusion for this is from folks not using the DD VSS, but using the stock VSS setup with a gutted speedometer head. You can then tap into the green buffer box brown wire and use that as the VSS input to the DD box.

I assumed that the DD VSS was a pass-thorugh design as you were going to use both.

One last question..I read on a few threads that the signal for our car is 2200 ppm..The DD unit can run on either 4000 or 2000 ppm..Obviously Im not going to run it on the 4000 but will the 2000 ppm be good being people are saying it runs on 2200ppm?

It is 2000 PPM, not 2200 PPM.

RemoveBeforeFlight

 

[billygeg]

I think the confusion for this is from folks not using the DD VSS, but using the stock VSS setup with a gutted speedometer head. You can then tap into the green buffer box brown wire and use that as the VSS input to the DD box.

I assumed that the DD VSS was a pass-thorugh design as you were going to use both.



It is 2000 PPM, not 2200 PPM.

RemoveBeforeFlight

I wasnt trying to use both, I was confused because I was told that the VSS from DD would not work due to the ppm being wrong..At one point I had the DD sender in then removed it because of this info and started to build the box..I then removed it and went with the VSS from DD..I actually still have the old cluster speedo head in a box under the dash but its not being used as it cant be connected to the speedo cable while the DD sender is plugged in there....Crazziness! I just did a detailed write up with pics explaining this whole deal..Its not hard to inderstand once its figured out..Figuring it out is the PITA because you have different info from different members who did it different ways...lol

 

[RmvBfrFlght]

Yes, welcome to the confusion, I was there earlier in this thread. But it is good that it has been hashed out. The issue now is the lack of a picture! (edit: how does that dash look!).

RemoveBeforeFlight

 

[billygeg]

I am still waiting for the SIG-17 part from Dakota to put it all back together..I mounted everything behind the cluster..Once its all back in one piece I will definitely post pics!

 

[billygeg]

Yes, welcome to the confusion, I was there earlier in this thread. But it is good that it has been hashed out. The issue now is the lack of a picture! (edit: how does that dash look!).

RemoveBeforeFlight

The only other issue I am having right now is to find a spot to install the boost sender and I have a engine light that I did not have before..I just want to tweak everything before I put it all back..I gotta get the boost sender installed also before I close up the dash..There is a button on the boost module which I also mounted behind the cluster that I will probably need to get to to set it so I would hate to put everything back and tear it all out again just to get to a button to set it!

 

[billygeg]

Yes, welcome to the confusion, I was there earlier in this thread. But it is good that it has been hashed out. The issue now is the lack of a picture! (edit: how does that dash look!).

RemoveBeforeFlight

Finished product! Im so glad I got the blue carbon fiber, It matches nice with my alpine radio...Check it out

 

[billygeg]

Yes, welcome to the confusion, I was there earlier in this thread. But it is good that it has been hashed out. The issue now is the lack of a picture! (edit: how does that dash look!).

RemoveBeforeFlight

Finished product! Im so glad I got the blue carbon fiber, It matches nice with my alpine radio...Check it out

 

[RmvBfrFlght]

Looks good, gives a whole different look to the dash/interior. Nice job.

RemoveBeforeFlight

 

[Brandon706]

how does the boost display look?, I'm thinking about getting rid of my gauge