Ignition Power Source to digital dash? Swapping to Retrotech Dakota Digital and need constant and Ignition Power

GoldHawg

Active Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2007
I'm getting rid of my digital dash cluster and going with Dakota Digital's RTX-84 system, and I need a constant battery 12v and an ignition switched 12v. Sometime in the car's history the dash cluster was out for repairs and whoever did it broke of the tab to remove it, and I think they glued it back on. There was no way to get it off (fought for over 3 hrs total) so I ended up cutting the connector off. I'm now in the process of getting the necessary wires from the original dash cluster over to where I'm going to mount the dakota digital brain box (attached to the back of the glove box) and I need a constant 12V and ignition power. I know I could get down at the fuse box, but it would be exceptionally nice if there were those two available in the wires at the dash, since I'm already extending wires from there to the glove box. There is a PNK/BLK wire that I'm hoping might be an ignition power, per the cluster wiring diagram (3rd pic below) it's labeled "Battery Voltage to Display Enable--See 8A-11"/ Then there is an orange line "Battery Voltage to Display (memory) that I'm pretty certain will give me my 12v constant. My car is torn apart with a frame off in progress so there is no battery or electrical power going thru the system to verify, so I'm hoping you all can give me feedback. TIA.
 

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I was able to hook up my battery to the wiring harness and activate the ignition key, and my suspicions based on the written description are right--the pink/black wire is ignition power activated only, and the orange line is 12v always. I have already extended the lines and this will be a clean way to power the new dash cluster, using only wires from the old dash cluster (plus the new sensor wires coming in from the engine bay. Now I need to decide were I want them to come thru the firewall (temp, oil pressure, speed).
 

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The Orange wire to the digital cluster comes from the 20A Cig/Clk fuse.
The Pink/Blk wire to the digital cluster comes from the 20A Gages fuse.
It's a good idea to check the load of the new electronics and fuse the lines now going into it accordingly.
 
The Orange wire to the digital cluster comes from the 20A Cig/Clk fuse.
The Pink/Blk wire to the digital cluster comes from the 20A Gages fuse.
It's a good idea to check the load of the new electronics and fuse the lines now going into it accordingly.
Instructions say the new dash cluster only pulls about an amp. good to go.
 
By chance what are your plans for your old cluster? I'm looking for a known working Digital dash.
 
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