gsracer

It's been a while since the electrical system has given me some hell, so I guess it was about time. The problems:

1. I have a hks turbo timer. If I roll up both windows and close the sunroof at the same time, the turbo timer will begin counting down. Cool, huh?

2. Both greddy guages (EGT, boost) are acting entirely messed up. A little background on the guages; they were recently re-wired. I bought these guages a couple of years ago. They are the 52mm elec. ones. Since they did not have the peak hold/memory function I didn't see the point in providing it with a constant 12volt source.

In my superior wisdom, I spliced the ignition and 12volt sources from both guages together. Everything seemed to work relatively fine, although the EGT guage would act screwy occasionally. (I'll make another thread in rp about that one)

Then I saw on greddy's website, that even the 52mm guages need to have the ignition and constant 12 volt source hooked up. I took the wiring apart and re-wired it correctly. Now the problems:

With the key in the on position, the boost guage is reading .1-.2 kg/cm^2.

The EGT guage is really cool. It's reading extremely low. I'm getting temps of only 4-500 degrees when I'm cruising on the highway. When I go WOT through 4th gear, the needle actually drops a couple hundred degrees, then shoots back up to where it was before I hit the gas.

If I hit both window buttons at the same time, I can make the needle in my boost guage jump up about 100mm of HG or more.

I hate electricity.

Matt

shiftnmadkwik

do you have a voltmeter?
isnt one built into the turbo timer? keep an eye on your input voltages.
also make sure if your sending units require grounds that they have good ground signal.

i am fond of the "increase boost" window buttons...

gsracer

Yes, the turbo timer has a voltmeter. In hindsight, I really only use it as a fancy and expensive voltmeter. It seems that whenever the voltage dips below 12 volts the turbo timer begins countdown.

I believe the guages and turbo timer are grounded solidly. I've moved the grounds around a few times, with similar results. I'll experiment a little more though, since that seems to be a logical place to look.

WAYNE88N/A

The turbo timer countdown problem sounds easy enough- the triggering voltage must be around 12...

Now the hard part- why are you hitting 12v while running? Got one of those 2 million watt sound systems?

Ever figure the boost gauge is actually working right? When you put an electrical load on the car (such as the two window switches), your manifold pressures will change as the ECU tries to maintain an idle via bypass air & fuel corrections. Either that, or the electrical load from the switches is causing the system voltage to drop below the gauge's operational "happy point"...

Then again, you may have permanently screwed the gauges with the wiring setup you had, and just didn't realize it until the rewire job. Granted, that theory sounds kinda flaky though...

gsracer

Yeah, that's what I figured for the turbo timer. I've never run the a/c, and I just have a small amp. (the sub hasn't even been in the car for a couple of months)
It's not when I'm running, but usually at a stop with the car at idle. Obviously, the prime spot for the alternator. It's really more of an annoyance.

I have datalogged my e-manage boost values against the pillar guage, and it seems like the boost guage is accurate, just about .6-.8 kg/cm^2 higher than the actual value.

I am getting the ignition switched power from the ecu. I was already upside down in that area while installing the e-manage, so I tapped in a couple of wires that have been used as power sources for the wideband and the gauges.

The EGT guage is still jumping around, although not as much. I think it's a viable thought to think that my initial wiring of the guage might have screwed something up. Guages aren't entirely complex.

dr.jones63

By looking ot your signature it looks like you have a nice car. The electrical on my 87 sucks also. I had to have the logicon, wiper switch and warning display rebuilt.
I have a EGT and turbo timer on my 89 and they are really just decorations. Indication only. You don't need either one. EGT's drop rapidly under light load due to the fact that your turbo is water cooled, unlike a bolt on turbo.
I think a mechanical boost gauge would be alot simpler. Does your elecrical boost gauge piggyback off the ecu?
The only electrical on my EGT gauge is for the light. Its a westach calibrated type k thermocouple hooked to a mechanical gauge.
Good luck sorting it out