Tripminder Installation

[Kodachrome Wolf]

Nice find! Sometimes those buttons get picky for when they want to work when they get older. With my old basic electronic clock, I really had to mash on the buttons to advance the time. So far my Tripminder hasn't been that bad. A firm push was needed for the reset function, but the rest works with the simplest press.

Here's a quick excerpt from coolcats.net for their cleaning/installation instructions for the Tripminder.

This is how you fix the buttons: take apart the computer (when turned off, in a static electricity-free area) and clean the metal contacts of the buttons with the sandpaper. The Tripminder comes apart pretty quickly. A flathead screwdriver inserted into the four slots on the sides will separate the case into a front and a back side. Pull the back from the front and unfold the computer's circuit boards. It unfolds like an accordion.

The last board is bolted to the front of the Tripminder via four 4mm bolts. Unbolt these and pull the circuit board free of the Tripminder. You will now see the other side of the circuit board: seven little push buttons (metal, not the plastic ones) that surround the vacuum fluorescent display of the Tripminder. Fold a small piece of the sand paper (sand on both the top and bottom) and GENTLY slide it between each of the seven buttons. You should be sliding the paper between the metal you see and the circuit board. Push down on the button and move the sandpaper up and down a few times. This will clean both sides and remove all corrosion/oxidation from the contacts. When this is done blow off any sand or residue with compressed air. Reverse the disassembly process.

I'm sure you'll like that feature. It's such a simple, yet reasonably informative device.

[Birdofprey]

Thanks for that link. Easy upgrades like this are always fun.

[Birdofprey]

I did a quick test of the Tripminder in the Wagon today, The wire colors on the tripminder are different than what I've found, but I was able to wire up the power to light it up. It just sat on '12:00 RESET' maybe without any speed or fuel consumption data it can't do its 'startup' I was trying to see if I could just get it to display the time.

[Kodachrome Wolf]

I did a quick test of the Tripminder in the Wagon today, The wire colors on the tripminder are different than what I've found, but I was able to wire up the power to light it up. It just sat on '12:00 RESET' maybe without any speed or fuel consumption data it can't do its 'startup' I was trying to see if I could just get it to display the time.

Sometimes those buttons can get picky. I only confirmed mine powered on, then went about wiring in the speed and fuel inputs. I know I kinda have to push on the reset to get it to work.

Making sure it powered on is probably the most important thing. Not sure if they're a unit to go dead, but some of them are pushing north of 30 years old.


Also, just in case anyone needs the instructions on how to program/use a Tripminder, here's the owner's manual pages:

[Birdofprey]

Thanks for posting those instructions, thats cool to read through.

These are the wire colors on the 'mider I got out of that 86 CP.




Compared to the info online:

• Pin 1: EMPTY
• Pin 2: EMPTY
• Pin 3: Ignition Power (light blue/black stripe)
• Pin 4: Dimmer (light blue/red stripe)
• Pin 5: Power (light green/yellow stripe)
• Pin 6: Fuel Flow Input (light blue/pink stripe)
• Pin 7: Ground (black)
• Pin 8: Speed Input (dark green/white stripe)
• Pin 9: Ground (black)
  

Its weird that there are two blue with violet stripes on this one, I suppose you could call one light blue.

Now I just need to track down the Speed and fuel wires and get this thing soldered and shrinkwrapped in.

is finding the speed wire under the dash just as easy and finding a Green & white wire hanging out somewhere?


Thanks,

[Tiggie]

Maybe. Look for an unused connector around the parking brake and flasher.

Something in my brain is recalling a difference in CFI vs SEFI and that ground jumper from 7 to 9. I may be totally off base but somewhere, sometime like ten years ago, I read of someone having to add the jumper to make a CFI harness work with SEFI or vice versa. I'll go check my EVTM's if no one can confirm or deny my very cloudy memory.

[Birdofprey]

Is one of these ones the fuel usage?




I was able to get the buttons cleaned, I used small strip of folded 400 wet dry sand paper dipped in rubbing alcohol and worked it back and forth under the metal button contacts. worked great.



Funny that the photo turned out blue, its green in real life.

[Kodachrome Wolf]

Those connectors in the picture are for the ODB I tester, or of course a test light and a paper clip if you don't have a tester.

I've got a large harness that runs along the backside of the firewall. It was behind that cylinder shaped device for the cruise control. However, that's on an SEFI car. Kishy's '85 wagon has Tripminder, as he's mentioned previously. Maybe he'll chime back if he knows where that feed is, or at least the connector. I've don't have any current pictures of that side of the engine bay. Maybe next time I'm out at the wagon I'll take pictures where I tapped in at.

[kishy]

Kishy's '85 wagon has Tripminder, as he's mentioned previously. Maybe he'll chime back if he knows where that feed is, or at least the connector.

It's on my to-do list, as it happens...but I'm not entirely convinced that car's dash doesn't have things living in it still so I shy away from ripping it all open. Soon.

There is one wire I can think of under the hood on an 85 harness that I don't recall the function of. That wire did not exist on 84 if I recall correctly. But the wire has to exit the ECM and then go into the body somehow, somewhere for the Tripminder cars so it's gotta be somewhere.

[DerekTheGreat]

OOo, you must have a bench top power source. Me too. I love testing stuff.

[Kodachrome Wolf]

Since I was under the hood today, this is where the connector was on my '87 for the fuel feed. You can barely see the factory wire colors due to how grungy it was after 30 years of being tucked in a corner.

[Birdofprey]

I put the TripMinder instructions together in a PDF for ease of reading:

Tripminder manual.pdf

[Birdofprey]

Since I was under the hood today, this is where the connector was on my '87 for the fuel feed. You can barely see the factory wire colors due to how grungy it was after 30 years of being tucked in a corner.

Awesome, thanks. I anxious to check mine now.

[sly]

ewww... vampire taps...

[Kodachrome Wolf]

ewww... vampire taps...

It works, for now. I'll likely find a correct connector and clean that mess up later.