[JPK]

Can someone tell me which wire I need to tap in to for the tach readings for a shift light?

I got an Auto Meter shift light for free from my neighbor last night so I was gonna install it in the next day or two.

 

[Sp00ner]

Did you get the tach adapter yet?

 

[erikquick]

I didn't need a tach adapter for my Shift Light/RPM Gauge from Stewart Warner. I just picked up the (-) tach signal from the green/white wire at the front of the motor near the supercharger housing. That should work just fine. I can send pics if necessary.

Again, if anyone can help me post them up here (or host them somewhere with a link), that would be awesome. I have done a vac/boost, the tach/shift light, and a full door component set conversion with sound dampening material.

Hope that helps.
Erik

 

[JPK]

Hey erik,

I'd like to see some pics. You can go to www.imgspot.com

They will host the pics for free and give you a link to post here.

sp00ner, why do you need a tach adapter for a shift light? It's just the light, not a tach and light combo.

 

[Sp00ner]

Sorry, I thought it was needed either way...

 

[JPK]

That's cool, man. You jus threw me off for a second.

Do you have to tap that wire in the front of the engine? Seems like you should be able to tap one of the wires running to the gauge cluster.

Tapping the one under the hood would be a lot more wire to run, but if that's the only way...............

 

[erikquick]

Thanks for the infro JPK. I'll get some pics up tonight of everything I have done so far and get the link to everyone from IMGSpot...

As an aside, I did not need a tach adapter either, but my tach is programmable to accept multiple coil/spark configurations. It's a Stewart Warner Ultra Shift Light
www.popularhotrodding.com/hotnews/0412phr_shiftlight/

 

[JPK]

So does anyone know if there is a wire running to gauge cluster that I can tap for the rev readings or do I have to use the one at the front of the engine?

 

[goofyguy]

I wonder if the dash is slow or the signal going to it? Stupid laggy tach

 

[erikquick]

Goofy,
I'd say the tach signal is what's "slow". My SW gauge mirrors the stock tach perfectly, and my feeling is that they both lag a bit. So, I'm wondering what Saturn techs are actually doing when they "recalibrate" the stock tach. Anyone???

I got some pictures last night but I won't get the chance to post them up until late tonight. Sorry about that.

Erik

 

[JPK]

Still need to know which wire to tap for tach reading.

 

[XeroState]

Now I am no tech and won't try to be...ever, but to me it seems you should just be able to splice into a wire that goes to the factory tach. I mean, that would make sense (so that may be why you can't do it ), but again, I am no tech. I would like to know this answer as well as I plan to get one in the far future.

 

[JPK]

That was my thoughts exactly. You SHOULD be able to just tap a wire right there in the cockpit rather than have to run one from the engine bay.

 

[XeroState]

Ya, I mean we have tach which means there is some wire giong to it to give it a reading (unless its wireless...ooo...fancy). So in theory you should be able to, but this is GM we are talking about, they never make anything easy.

 

[Tbone2]

this is GM we are talking about, they never make anything easy.

I see you've either tried to change your oil/air filter.

 

[XeroState]

Lol...not yet, but from seeing what they have posted here about it...wow. And on my cavi, where the oil filter was, it was right above the crossmember of the frame, so your car smelt like burning oil for like 2 days after you changed it. And i hooked up a tach in the cavi as well (base model's didn't come with them..even if it was a 5 spd). That was enjoyable...not.

 

[JPK]

Just found out from my buddy, whose brother is a tech at Saturn, that you have to tap the dark green wire with a white stripe on it that is on the connector to the coil tap. You can't use the one running directly to the cluster because it uses what they call a "secondary reading" for the tachometer.

Guess we'll ave to run the wire from under the hood after all.

 

[XeroState]

*Sigh*, does GM always have to difficult, I mean this car is their answer to the import sport tuner class....TUNER...which means we will tune (upgrade) our cars. Why oh why do they make things as difficult as humanly possible. Guess only God knows why as I am sure that the GM techs don't even know as from my families experience with them (7 GM cars in last 4 yrs), there never seems to be any thinking ahead when they are planning...like where stuff on the engine will be in comparison to the body of the car. Oh well, I'd still rather drive a GM than a Ford or an imported car (unless its like a Ferrari or Lexus, or something of that caliber).

 

[JPK]

Tapped the green and white wire but it does not work.

I have power to it because it lights up when I turn the car on but does not when I get to the RPM.

I thought it was just the crappy wire tap connector I was using so I took it off and went bare wire to bare wire. It still does not work.

Does anyone know or can confirm that the green wire with the white stripe coming off the coil electrical connector is the one I need? It seems that everything is working but it's just not getting a signal to light up at the proper revs.

 

[JPK]

OK, this is baffling.

I took the pill out of the shift light and ohmed it out. It checked out fine. I then checked the voltage going to the plugs for the pill and they checked out good as well but still no light at 6200 rpm (the pill is labeled 6.2).

I'm fucking confused. Everything says that this shift light should work. Am I missing something here??????????