I pulled my logicon to prepare for a relocation to below the radio. I might order demonspeeds gauge panel that replaces the whole radio surround. Gives me a place to put the microtech dash, gauges, switches, radio and logicon.....COD through them of course

Anyway I decided to resolder all the joints and everything works still except I fixed the AC indicator light but now the foot vent selector won't light up (switches the vents though). So gained one and lost one...grrrrr.

Another thing I did while it was out was extend the wires about 6-8 inches and solder in one of painless wirings 15 pin connectors. This way I can pull the logicon anytime I want without taking apart the front half of the interior

BTW the part number for that connector is PRF-40012 through summit racing..special order though. It's 10 bucks.

 

Cool on the A/C light. I've been thinking about fixing that as well.

My clock gets dim sometimes & slapping the dash fixes it, so I'm assuming another sauder joint or slight short.

Another nice mod is relocating the fog light/security light switches under the arm rest and adding a miata cup holder where the switch panel was. That requires moving the arm rest back 3/4" by notching the seatbelt holes on the arm rest and taping new mounting screw holes in the armrest storage compartment bottom. If you don't have auto-belts it's even easier.

 

i moved mine down below the radio, can show pics if you want to see it. you have to extend the harness tho ( its like 12-15 wires or somethin like that) i added 18"s so that its easier t take out the dash etc. i prefer it that way since i have a custom guage set where the logicon used to be with the vents.

 

Bad solder joint or broken ribbon cable internally in the clock/idiot light panel.

I have those already rebuilt on my website you know?

 

remember when re-soldering joints for cold solder problems, you must remove the old solder first with a solder sucker or braid.

If you don't remove the old solder, you just leave the old joint in there and heat up the surrounding solder, so the joint fails again in 6 months or a year.

This is why your foot indicator. You didn't remove the old solder, and only flowed enough in to look clean, while the whole middle of the joint is corroded and bad.

 

I used a solder sucker and alcohol to clean the board. I'll just have to pull it apart again and check that joint.

On a side note: My car has been sitting for quite some time now and if you've read any of my other posts you will have noticed that I redid my entire fuel system. Well the manifold and all that assorted BS is still pulled off the car and sitting on the shelf. Today was the first time I've been home and it's been above 50deg so I figured hell, better put the interior pieces back in while I've got the chance (don't want to snap pieces in the cold).

I have the reverse indiglo gauges, addition blue leds for aux front lighting and the regular old autometer backlights for the gauges on the pillar. Well I didn't retest this stuff because it had worked a few months ago and nothing had changed. Put everything back together and volla....the leds and the autometers didn't light up and the reverse glows now wanted to dim with the factory dimmer switch which I had wired not to do that.

Busted out the DVM and found that power wasn't going through the system although if I grounded out to the door catch I got 12v. Okay..bad ground. I had grounded the autometers, the leds and the reverse glows to the peg right by the gas pedal that appears to be spot welded to the firewall. Pulled all three wires off and ran a clip lead from them to the shifter cover over the trans and volla...everything worked and the reverse glows will turn on but can only be dimmed with the dimmer that came with the gauges.

I just wonder how the hell the ground that had worked so good months ago is now bad. It's the weirdest thing. The only thing I can possible think of is with the manifold off, a ground loop has been cut short of disconnected. Perhaps with all that stuff back together that ground will work again...but I'll run a wire from the know good to that peg since all the wires have been cut to go to that spot.

I love electrical systems..wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

use a little conductive grease on the ground connections and they won't fail like that.

They failed because of corrosion building in the connection.

 

I was wondering if you can expand on this... What are the Blue LED's for and where are they located?

Thanks

 

if you pull the gauge assm out of the car you see a piece of cardboard on the bottom. Pull that off and you'll find a clear piece of plastic. The stock lighting came from the back, through the clear plastic that puts the lighting on the front of the gauges so that the needles can be seen. What I did was on the side closest to the printed circuit board was drill a hole in the clear plastic perpendicular to the edge but parallel with the assembly. Read: drilled hole into thin edge so light points sraight through long ways. Put about 4 of the super bright leds (found on ebay) and it throws enough light up in blue that the needles I painted dayglo orange look like they're almost under a black light. I'll try to post a pic tomorrow.

As for the ground. I don't know how it could be corrosion, it's inside the car and the nut and stud look factory new. Maybe a film of corrosion, but hell I've got connections on my old *** oldsmobile that look dull gray if not rusty and everything works there. I honestly think it might be a false ground that was linked to one of the wires that bolted to the UIM that's disconnected right now. That's the only thing that has changed.

 

here's the finished result. The camera was set for night mode...so the light is way more intense than is normally seen. That being said, those hot spots are in the location where the LEDs are, but it spreads evenly under normal viewing. Also the dash bezel isn't installed in that pic so you won't see the light bleeding out the edge

 

I spent 17 years doing car stereo, and the number one causes of engine noise was a ground loop caused by a poor ground connection.

The fact that you moved the connection and it works fine, right there points to either the surface was not cleaned properly before mounting, or there was corrosion after wards.

and the cardboard of the cluster is only found on the S4 gauges. On the S5 gauges the plastic of the panel went all the way back.

 

You should do a little write up on where to drill and how to do the leds b/c this looks like a really good looking mod.