wiring a rev counter

An alchemy of sparks, copper wire and earth

Moderators: User administrators, Moderators

User avatar
ScienceBoy
Registered user
Posts: 275
Joined: 14 Sep 2012, 18:56
80-90 Mem No: 11736
Location: New Forest

Re: wiring a rev counter

Post by ScienceBoy »

Well, let's see what the weekend brings ;)
1988 Hightop
1.9 DG Petrol

User avatar
ScienceBoy
Registered user
Posts: 275
Joined: 14 Sep 2012, 18:56
80-90 Mem No: 11736
Location: New Forest

Re: wiring a rev counter

Post by ScienceBoy »

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1393070465.562856.jpg
Dash pod off and looking for connections. Found them all including the green one indicated above. The flexi nature of the connections is a bit of a pain.
1988 Hightop
1.9 DG Petrol

User avatar
ScienceBoy
Registered user
Posts: 275
Joined: 14 Sep 2012, 18:56
80-90 Mem No: 11736
Location: New Forest

Re: wiring a rev counter

Post by ScienceBoy »

So it didn't go quite to plan. I connected up as below so I can test before siting. Before switching on I tested the lights, and the back light came on. However, when I started the engine the backlight came on (even though the light weren't on then) put the needle didn't move. Therefore I think my connections might not be correct (I'm assuming at the unit is in fact ok). Mind you, the instructions leave something to be desired.

Does anyone have a list of the pod socket connections?
Anyone suggest how I can confirm the green in the pod is indeed the pulse from the coil?

Image

Image
1988 Hightop
1.9 DG Petrol

User avatar
1664
Registered user
Posts: 8746
Joined: 30 Mar 2006, 15:20
80-90 Mem No: 3299
Location: Coventry Member

Re: wiring a rev counter

Post by 1664 »

VW wiring to Rev Counter is Green 0.5mm cable according to the Haynes and a couple of other sources.

Here's all the information I have at my disposal, apologies for handwritten scrawl :oops:

Image

Image

Image
Vorsprung Durch Technik my ar$e!

User avatar
ScienceBoy
Registered user
Posts: 275
Joined: 14 Sep 2012, 18:56
80-90 Mem No: 11736
Location: New Forest

wiring a rev counter

Post by ScienceBoy »

You're a saviour 1664. I thought the black wire to 8 would be ground. Doh! Let's hope I haven't screwed it.
So I've got the dash light feed and the tacho ok. I just need to "refine" my power and ground. :s

Looks like 12v feed on 6 and earth on 3?
1988 Hightop
1.9 DG Petrol

User avatar
itchyfeet
Registered user
Posts: 12425
Joined: 23 Jul 2007, 17:24
80-90 Mem No: 12733
Location: South Hampshire

Re: wiring a rev counter

Post by itchyfeet »

Get yourself a haynes manual, having a go at wiring with no wiring diagrams is going to get you into trouble sooner or later :shock:
1988 DG WBX LPG Tin Top
itchylinks

MidLifeCrisis
Registered user
Posts: 566
Joined: 20 Nov 2011, 19:07
80-90 Mem No: 10519
Location: Bagshot, Surrey

Re: wiring a rev counter

Post by MidLifeCrisis »

ScienceBoy wrote:Looks like 12v feed on 6 and earth on 3?
You don't mean pin 6 do you (that's the coolant sensor wire)??
12v looks like it's on pin 8!!!
1987 Westfalia Van, Petrol 2.0 AGG

User avatar
ScienceBoy
Registered user
Posts: 275
Joined: 14 Sep 2012, 18:56
80-90 Mem No: 11736
Location: New Forest

Re: wiring a rev counter

Post by ScienceBoy »

MidLifeCrisis wrote: You don't mean pin 6 do you (that's the coolant sensor wire)??
12v looks like it's on pin 8!!!

No you're right. I mean 8 (and that's where I've put it). Strange but the 6 doesn't go anywhere, even though there is a red/yellow wire in the plug. The temp gauge is run from 4?
1988 Hightop
1.9 DG Petrol

User avatar
ScienceBoy
Registered user
Posts: 275
Joined: 14 Sep 2012, 18:56
80-90 Mem No: 11736
Location: New Forest

Re: wiring a rev counter

Post by ScienceBoy »

Image

SUCCESS!
Now to drill a hole and mount it...
1988 Hightop
1.9 DG Petrol

User avatar
ScienceBoy
Registered user
Posts: 275
Joined: 14 Sep 2012, 18:56
80-90 Mem No: 11736
Location: New Forest

Re: wiring a rev counter

Post by ScienceBoy »

itchyfeet wrote:Get yourself a haynes manual, having a go at wiring with no wiring diagrams is going to get you into trouble sooner or later :shock:

I think I'm fairly handy with electrics and electronics, but I hate Haynes circuit diagrams with a passion. The proper one 1664 supplied was much more to my liking. My problem yesterday was assuming black was earth, which is where the Haynes comes in handy, if you understand German words for colours! See I was thinking ac neutral as earth. Silly boy. Everyone knows grown is earth. Except in ac where it could be live...

:s
1988 Hightop
1.9 DG Petrol

User avatar
1664
Registered user
Posts: 8746
Joined: 30 Mar 2006, 15:20
80-90 Mem No: 3299
Location: Coventry Member

Re: wiring a rev counter

Post by 1664 »

ScienceBoy wrote:
itchyfeet wrote:Get yourself a haynes manual, having a go at wiring with no wiring diagrams is going to get you into trouble sooner or later :shock:

I think I'm fairly handy with electrics and electronics, but I hate Haynes circuit diagrams with a passion. The proper one 1664 supplied was much more to my liking.
That IS a Haynes wiring diagram :lol:

bl blue
br brown
ge yellow
gn green
gr grey
li violet (lilac)
ro red
sw black
ws white

E D I T: penny has just dropped, you meant the schematic diagram. I have a pdf of a VW instruction manual "How to read Wiring Diagrams". Even if you don't actually learn from it, it's a good reference. PM me your email address and I'll email it you if you like?
Vorsprung Durch Technik my ar$e!

User avatar
willpom
Registered user
Posts: 40
Joined: 04 Dec 2013, 13:06
80-90 Mem No: 13043
Location: Bristol

Re: wiring a rev counter

Post by willpom »

Once you 'get' the Haynes wiring diagram it is a piece of 'Fosters'. Admittedly it took me a couple of days studying and faffing behind the fuse/relay board and various switches to finally 'get' it!

User avatar
itchyfeet
Registered user
Posts: 12425
Joined: 23 Jul 2007, 17:24
80-90 Mem No: 12733
Location: South Hampshire

Re: wiring a rev counter

Post by itchyfeet »

Nothing wrong with haynes diagrams imo, some people have difficulty reading them but thats probably because they dont understand electrics
i would have difficulty reading a book in a language i didnt understand

if you look at the hanes everything at the bottom is chassis ground and they are all brown
everything at the top are the power rails in the fusebox, you dont get told but its easy to see where they connect
30 is 12v
15 is ignition 12v
x is powered by the x relay that gets turned off during cranking to help starting
31 is ground

there are some others like
61 alternator charge light
1 tacho
b starter trigger wire
etc

every item has a code which you can find out what it is in the key
every wire has a colour which you can find out what it is in the key
where a wire goes to another page it stops with a box and you look for the number in the box at the bottom ground rail, these are in order so thats easy
1988 DG WBX LPG Tin Top
itchylinks

MidLifeCrisis
Registered user
Posts: 566
Joined: 20 Nov 2011, 19:07
80-90 Mem No: 10519
Location: Bagshot, Surrey

Re: wiring a rev counter

Post by MidLifeCrisis »

Main problem with Haynes is that it is often just plain wrong!!
Much prefer the Bentley diagrams - much more likely to be correct, their wiring colour code abbreviations make more sense, and they name the items on the diagram (so it says 'Ignition Switch' rather than Haynes saying 'F31' and you have to go search to see what F31 is!!) :ok
1987 Westfalia Van, Petrol 2.0 AGG

Tufty_B
Registered user
Posts: 117
Joined: 12 Jul 2013, 20:05
80-90 Mem No: 13025
Location: Petersfield

Re: wiring a rev counter

Post by Tufty_B »

itchyfeet wrote:...
30 is 12v
15 is ignition 12v
x is powered by the x relay that gets turned off during cranking to help starting
31 is ground
...
Not wanting to hijack the thread, but I'm also looking at fitting a tacho, can you explain in simple terms the difference between the rails 15 & x, I thought that 15 went dead during cranking?
Mike

The robots are coming.

(1990 Westy Syncro 2.1 DJ - Converted from a Caravelle)

Locked