tripminder

[NATEHAWK]

Is it possible that you can take one out of a crown vic or grand marq and put it in one that does not orginally come with it? Like all the other stuff on my car i noticed the wiring is always there you just have tyo hook it up. And to describe what im talkin about it goes where the clock is and shows miles, fuel economy stuff like that. Any help on this would b appreciated. I want to get one the next time i go to a yard.

[85crownHPP]

you sure the wiring is there? wheres it at? whats it look like? I couldnt find mine.

[NATEHAWK]

It was more so of a question.. A guy with a thunderbird told me he didnt have one but the wiring was there for itway back in the dash or whatever..

[85crownHPP]

I looked around the clock wiring and I found a 194 bulb socket that comes on with the parking lights, so I guess that was for the analouge clock.
I didnt see any other wires, BUT Ive heard the wires are supposed to be there for us too. I just might not have had the option, becuase my box has dealer added power windows and locks, so maybe I have a base model vic??? I dunno.

[The LT]

I tried this very thing, I got it to light up, the calender working, the timer working, and those basic operations, but in order to get the fule mileage and such to work I was told I'd have to splice into wires near the tranny if I remember correctly. But it still looks better than the old analogue clock!

Hope that helps, I'm sure some electronic wiz wil answer the question better.

B.J.

[gadget73]

Is this the same tripminder that comes in a Mark 7, or is it different ?

[Pablito]

I'm going to do this very thing to my GM. As far as the wiring already being there... it's possible, but I haven't really spent a lot of time looking for mine.

I did quite a bit of research on installing the tripminder already, and here's what I came up with:

Existing wiring harness
I found a flat, 10 pin connector under my dash just above the brake pedal bracket, but it didn't fit onto the tripminder I pulled out of a CV from the junkyard (it was keyed differently). This connector had enough slack in the harness to where I could see it being able to reach the center of the dash.

T-Birds and other cars use a completely different harness for the tripminder than panthers do (theirs has a "box" 10-pin connector that you have to modify, or make an adapter harness to the flat 10 pin connector). I could be wrong about this tidbit because I didn't really look that much into it because I don't own a T-bird, but from what I've found by searching that's what I think.

Does it matter if you have the harness or not?
No.
4 of the 6 wires needed for the tripminder are already there. All you have to do is add two more wires.

One wire should be spliced in to the existing wire that resides in pin34 to the ECM. Pin34 is used for monitoring the fuel system. The wire is Light Blue with a purple stripe.

The second wire splices into one of the 2 wires that come off the speed sensor at the end of the speedo cable at the transmission. That wire is Dark Green with a white stripe.

The actual colors of your wires may be different, but Ford typically keeps the color codes pretty much the same throughout the years unless they have a damn good reason to change them. The diagram I have for an '87 5.0 box is pretty much identical to what I've seen so far on my '86 5.0 GM.... colors and all.

Now on my '86 MGM I didn't have a speed sensor because I didn't have cruise control. So I picked up a speed sensor from the yard.

Here's a diagram for the tripminder I cropped from a wiring schematic for an '87 box with a 5.0.


Without the two additional wires connected the tripminder will still work, but the functions associated with fuel economy/remaining will not.

There's 2 things I still don't know.

-The 10 pin connector in my car may be ok, but I have to spend a little quality time with it and a meter to verify it.

-I don't know if I need to install a cruise control amplifier to work with the speed sensor. I don't think I'll need do, but until I actually try it on my next day off I can only take an educated guess.

I plan to install cruise control on my GM, and so far I have all the parts necessary except for a clean, blue steering wheel with the buttons. So until I find the wheel I need I plan to install the tripminder anyway.

Hope this helps!

My next day off will be tuesday so I should know more then after I play around with it for a while.

-Paul

[85crownHPP]

thanks pablito!

[Grand Marquis GT]

he speaks!

[Paul_]

^^^^^^ :lol: :lol: :lol:

according to my evtm for an 84, the harness is indeed back there. you have to lift off the upper dash to see it tho, i've heard if your car doesn't have one. for us, it should be plug and play. if i can get a hold of a flatbed scanner i'll scan the orresponding pages

[NATEHAWK]

Has anyone on the forum succesfuly installed on fully working in a cv or gm that didnt originally had one if so give me the details if you please..I know the fuel economy wire is number 34 on the EEC-IV harness its suppose to be light blue with a pink stripe. The speed sensor wire is suppose to be located behind the speedometer and color dark green with white stripe. If i missed anything let me know i found a tripminder at the junkyard and i got the harness.. So the power and all the basics i got squared away just the last two wires.


Also check this out http://www.coolcats.net/tech/advanced/tripminder.html

[Paul_]

i **think** the tripminders came out in 83. i know they were discontinued after the 89 model year because if the dash redesign in the 90-91's

[Pablito]

i **think** the tripminders came out in 83.

You could be right. The part number on my tripminder is E3AF-BLAH-BLAH-BLAH.

The speed sensor wire is suppose to be located behind the speedometer and color dark green with white stripe.

The green / white wire from the speed sensor plugs into the cruise control harness that comes through the firewall right near the brake booster.

Inside the car that harness plugs into the cruise control amplifier that has it's own bracket right next to the ECM. In that harness the colors are still the same for that wire (green/white).

-Paul

[Pablito]

Oh yeah... if you don't have sruise control from the factory you won't have a speed sensor so you also won't have the dark green / white wire needed.

So take a peek under your car to see if you have the speed sensor or not.

-Paul

[NATEHAWK]

Yes i have cruise control and i will get workin on it tomorrow