Gents,
When I do the M42 swap into the e30, I've decided just to do a full set of gauges, since only 2 gauges in my SECOND stock cluster are still working. I'm ok with electricals, but since I don't have an M42 wiring diagram and am not real great on wiring, need to run a few things by you:
Since I have room in this car, I'm just going to install a bunch of VDO gauges. I've been rounding them up cheap/used for the last few months and have almost all of them that I want. This is a street-driven car in addition to rallycross, so I have/need:
- speedo
- tach
- oil pressure
- oil temp
- water temp
- volts
- fuel
- (any others I should think about?)
So a few questions:
- For speedo, can I find the stock speedo wire and just use it directly, or will I need a new sender? The sender comes off the diff, right?
- For tach, same question. On the M10 I can tap into the dizzy (as I have for my shift light since my current tach is shot), but on the M42 no dizzy....so is there a signal line from the ECU or something?
- oil pressure and temp I'm good - the M42 has two M12 sensor ports on the oil filter assembly, one of which has the current dummy light and the other is blanked-off. I figure I can get 1/8" adaptors for both and just run NPT/VDO senders off of those.
- water temp, I would think I can use the stock sender on the radiator, correct?
- voltmeter, easy...no issue there
- fuel - again, can I use the stock sender/wire, or will I need a new one?
I know these are kind of dumb questions and I think I know the answer to all of them, but would rather check with people who REALLY know what they're doing (e.g. YOU).
Thx :)
Sender comes off the differential on the e30. I also remember that if you do not run the cluster, the battery will not charge. You need to rewire something in order to get the alternator to charge the battery when removing the cluster.
J
interesting....I'll have to trace the alternator signal wire to the cluster.
That said, I don't even need to remove the whole cluster. I may just take out the gauges and put in non-standard VDO ones in the holes (since they're the right size anyhow), but leave the SI-board installed - which I assume is where the alternator signal wire runs though....wonder if that will work.
was hoping to do this anyhow so I'd still have my signal and hi-beam indicators in the stock location.
Last gauges I did were on the GT6, and Lucas stuff is pretty straightforward (if not reliable).
irish44j wrote:
interesting....I'll have to trace the alternator signal wire to the cluster.
It is the very thin blue or black one on the screw connector to the engine harness. I have the pin-out diagram for the e30 side here in a doc. I'll send it to you via email - it has the wiring for a few other gauges if you want to try to use the VDO senders with your new gauges.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:
irish44j wrote:
interesting....I'll have to trace the alternator signal wire to the cluster.
It is the very thin blue or black one on the screw connector to the engine harness. I have the pin-out diagram for the e30 side here in a doc. I'll send it to you via email - it has the wiring for a few other gauges if you want to try to use the VDO senders with your new gauges.
awesome. The new gauges are all VDO ones as well (just standalone gauges, not OEM), for what it's worth.
