vrracing

iTrader: (1)

In both V8Kilr's and RotaryResurrection's AT->MT write-ups, they mention the two red wires on the rear of the MT and tell you to hook them up to other wires but both note that the red wires are completely interchangeable. Anybody know what they do? V8Kilr's write-up suggests they are the reverse light switch and the neutral safety switch. Frankly, I dont know how they could be both the reverse and neutral switches but still be interchangeable. Here's why I ask...

As I noted in another thread, I found that TigerJapanese broke the switch on the MT with the 2 red wires (just to the left of the shifter). I appears there were two rods coming out of the insulator and I'm guessing the red wires were soldered to them. Cant tell for sure. There is also a hole and metal below there and the only time I can get a circuit completed is off of one of the rods and the metal down in that hole and that's when the MT is in reverse. I cannot get a circuit from either rod to the body of the MT regardless of what gear it's in.

So I soldered two new red wires to the rods. But I dont think it will last. Either way, the starter won't go.

So, I'm willing to go without reverse lights until I can source another switch (which seems like a "when hell freezes over" timeframe since I dont want to buy another whole tranny to get one). But what I need to do is get the car to start.

Assuming the MT switch is junk, can I just ground the red wires (my red wires since the MT arrived without any) at the back of the tranny? I'm guessing not the reverse lights (since I wouldnt want them on all the time but the neutral safety switch seems fair game since I can use the clutch interlock switch for the safety aspect.

I followed V8Kilr's instructions (see link above) and connected the two lower leads of the 3 prong white connector together to allow the car to start (RR doesnt mention doing anything with these wires). I'm gonna try the black/red wire RR describes in his writeup (V8Kilr doesnt mention this). See if that'll allow the starter to go.

Thanks guys.

slo

iTrader: (1)

Your issue is the neutral safety switch. Its been a long time since I did this but I believe its in the interior near the shifter.

If you have access to the donor car of the trans you can take the MT sub harness out of it. This is something I have never seen on any of the write ups.

The MT sub harness I am talking about connects the trans reverse lights, nuetral switch, the alternator and the oil pressure and level sensors to 2 plugs above the steering shaft at the firewall. This is also a clean way to get rid of all the extra wires that where there for the AT. S5 and S4 are different in this regard.

HAILERS

The switch on the transmissions left side is for Reverse and over the top or fifth gear switch if you will.

So, what you could do, is put the thing in fifth. Find the two wires that ohm out to close to zero ohms. Then while looking at the meter, put the shifter into neutral. The reading should go open, proving you found the two wires for fifth.

Then go to the other two wires. Meter them out on ohms. In reverse they should show continuity and in neutral they should be open.

Fifth gear circuit has NO 12vdc going to it. It puts a gnd on a pin in the ECU when *made*.

The Reverse should get 12vdc going to it on one wire and the other wire goes to the reverse lights (memory).

The switch on the right side of the transmission is the Neutaral switch.

The clutch interlock switch is where the man above said it is. It interrupts the start circuit when not *made*.

The JDM cars transmissions have but one circuit on the switch on the left of the transmission. Reverse. They do not use the fifth switch because the fifth gear switch is for activating a Split Air Solenoid on the ACV via the ECU, and JDM ACV do NOT have one of those solenoids on their ACV. USA ACV do have that solenoid.

That's one way to tell if the fifth gear switch is working on a USA car. Key ON, engine OFF. Man stands near the solenoid while someone puts the shifter in fifth. Solenoid pulls in on the ACV, proving the fifth gear switch is working. Or put a meter on that solenoids wire that is OTHER than black/white, and meter on ohms. In fifth the meter should read resistance. Out of fith the meter should be open.

I bet too much being written is going to do nothing but mess you up. Oh well.

vrracing

iTrader: (1)

Hailers,

This is a JDM TII 5-speed. So if I understand you correctly then neither V8Kilr's or Kevin's are directly applicable to this wiring exercise. So if I understand you correctly...

1) The big round switch on the driver's side of the gear selector (it faces the rear of the car) is reverse. And there will be two wires coming to it, a hot 12vdc and another going to the reverse lights. So all I need to do to get the reverse lights working is divine which of the plugs are for the reverse lights and I'm guessing it will be one of the white 3-wire plug near the starter, the middle botton wire in the 6-plug near the starter or the wire V8 wanted one of the red wires plugged into black with yellow stripe wire in the 4-pin plug at the shifter.

2) There are two wires coming out of a switch on the right side of the tranny, I believe they were light blue. So those should be for the neutral safety switch, but neither Kevin nor V8 mention them. In fact, V8 says he's dealing with the neutral safety switch but doesn't give any indication which wire is for what. Here's step 5:

Step 5: Reverse Lights and Neutral Safety Switch
Locate the two red wires on the manual transmission, keep them in mind.
Look for a white three pronged clip that used to plug into the automatic transmission, cut all three wires and connect the bottom two together "this will allow you to start the vehicle" and connect the top of the three to one of the red wires on the manual transmission "doesnt matter which one, you will need to add some wire to complete the connection".
Now take the other red wire and run it into the inside of the vehicle through the shifter hole " you will need to add soem wire to complete the connection" locate the wiring harness in the shifter area that used to connect to the automatic shifter assembly.
Locate the 4 pin clip, now locate the black with yellow stripe wire and attach it to the wire you ran inside the car from the transmission "this will allow your revers lights to work".

Here is how Kevin describes the wire-up. Note that he never mentions the neutral safety switch in his write-up.

11)

wire reverse lights. Find the 2 red wires on the switch on your 5sp transmission.

If working with an 89-91 car, find the 6 wire plug near the starter, and the 3 wire plug near that. ON the 3 wire plug there are 2 pins together and one offset; run a wire from this pin to either of the red wires on the trans. On the 6 wire plug, locate the bottom row, center pin; run a wire from this pin to the other wire on the trans.

If working on an 86-8 car, there should be a 4 wire plug by the starter. Connect the 2 right side pins to the 2 red wires on the trans.


I was surprised to find that when we turned the key for the starter that there was no voltage coming thru the black with red stripe wire going to the starter. So since I last posted I went back and did Kevin's clutch interlock switch step.

17)
if you wish the clutch interlock switch to operate (car wont start without pedal being pressed) then locate the plug for this switch; it is the black box at the top corner of the pedal assembly with a white plastic pin that contacts the clutch pedal arm. This is a simple normally open switch that closes when the pedal is pushed. Run a wire from the IGNITION SWITCH side of the black/red wire, to this switch, then out of this switch, through the firewall, and down to the starter. Connect it to the small terminal on the starter. If you don’t wish the clutch switch to operate, run your wire straight from the ignition to the starter.


That did the trick as it does turn over now. Doesn't have any spark (checked with timing light) but it did turn over.


Would the neutral safety switch be the culprit here?

The other theory I have on why no spark is what V8 calls the "nuetral lockout plunger". I think it is the Park lockout switch because one of the things it does it make it so you can't remove the keys without the car being in Park. Kevin doesnt mention this beasty at all. We're going to try to unflood the car (I think we may have flooded it after getting Kevin's clutch interlock working) and then hold this plunger thing in the unlocked position (like the car was in Park) and then try to start it.

Thanks for the help!

vrracing

iTrader: (1)

I assume the donor car is at best a little cube of steel in a Japanese junkyard. but thanks!

vrracing

iTrader: (1)

Serendipity! I was reading the "trouble with reverse lights" thread that just started up and I figured out the reverse lights wiring sequence. The black w/yellow wire near the shifter if the 12vdc power supply. That flows to the switch on the left rear of the tranny. If that's working, it allows current to flow when in reverse to the odd man out wire on the 3-wire white plug above the starter.

Still don't know about the neutral safety switch nor the effects of the Park plunger key lock.

vrracing

iTrader: (1)

We did the simple fuse unflood procedure and tried to start it again with the Park plunger on the steering column pulled all the way up so you can take out the key. But we're not getting any spark.

V8Kilr said "Look for a white three pronged clip that used to plug into the automatic transmission, cut all three wires and connect the bottom two together "this will allow you to start the vehicle" so we're gonna try that tomorrow. I'm concerned though that Kevin (RotaryResurrection) didn't mention anything about it because he seems to be incredibly thorough and wouldn't miss something like that in his write-up.

Any ideas on what we have have inadvertantly disconnected while removing the auto tranny that would keep the ignition from firing?

oh btw, I pulled both of the plugs going into the ETA N351 AT computer.

TIA

vrracing

iTrader: (1)

I reviewed the wires that connected to the AT and all seems in order. The only odd one that I cant find a mate for is from a little black box - may 1" x 1" attached to the block right between the oil filter and the slave cylinder. It has a single black wire ending in a white connector. Looks like a ground. I connected the ground from the MT to the same male spade the AT attached to on the passenger side firewall.