i actually did search on this, and the only thread i found that was relevant was this:
https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...ift+light+pill

but as you see, no one really had an answer as to which pills u'd use... so if anyone can help me out w/ this, id really appreciate it.

also any comments bout the autometer shift lite would b great...
its the pro shift lite on this web page..
http://procycle.autometer.com/2003_c...iftlights.html

i know "Scrub" said defi makes one, but does anyone know bout this for sure? cuz i couldn't find it on their website, and i do know they make warning lights that u can mount on your A pillar along w/ some of their gauges...but do they make a stand-alone shift light?

thanx

 

Due to the weird nature of the ignition on a rotary, the pill value will be half what you want the light to go off at. In other words, a 3000 RPM pill will illuminate the shift light at 6000 RPM on the tach. When I'm drag racing, I'll use the 3.8 pill (it goes off at 7,600 RPM). When I'm track racing, I use a slightly lower pill (3.4 or 3.6).

I actually use the autometer mini shift light (slightly smaller than their pro light). I have it hidden in the center AC vent. Works quite well for what I need it to do.

I don't have any experience with Defi or any other light, so I can't help you there.


Rob

 

where do you hook up the tap for your shiftlights?

 

negative wire on the trailing coil....

 

that is not completely true. i use the exact pill i want and it does the exact rpm for that pill.


a quick rpm source is in the diagnostic box. the one labled IG- is what you want.

 

<< that is not completely true. i use the exact pill i want and it does the exact rpm for that pill>>

lol c this is why i posted this, cuz when i originally asked two of my friends w/ FDs, one told me about the half value pill, and the other told me u get the exact value u want...

someone help me out here...=)

<<a quick rpm source is in the diagnostic box. the one labled IG- is what you want.>>

bear w/ me man...sorry im not very verse in this stuff. wut exactly do u mean by that? wut diagnostic box?

 

the diagnostic port for FD's is under the hood on the drivers fender side. Look for a black box marked "diagnostic" and inside the cover, you'll find a diagram for the pins....IG is the one u want for an RPM source

-Zach

 

That's really freaking weird! I definately hooked mine up to the same source (The IG connector in the diagnostics box) and I use half-pills.

How do you get away with using the exact correct RPM pill? Did you set something up differently?

 

Why do you people make simple thing harder?

If you understood the basic operation of your engine and other engines, things would make sense.

A 4 cycle 4 cylinder engine takes two revolutions for all cylinders to fire. 4 sparks/ 2 revs = 2 sparks per revoltion. That is the same as the leading coil firing for our engines. Thus you set any electronic controller as if we had a 4 cylinder 4 cycle engine.

You can use the primary ignitor trigger wire coming from the ECU to the ignitor. Either get it inside the car or at the connector to the ignitor.


But this is America, you can do things the hard way if you wish, and you do not have to learn anything!

 

Chuck, tapping into the diagnostics connector, or the trailing coil, is not any more difficult than tapping into the primary ignitor. The way I've set mine up (same way Rob Robinette set his up), works perfectly fine, and it was extremely easy to set up (took a grand total of 15-20 minutes to plug everything in).

Just because we set it up differenly than you would, doesn't make it incorrect.

Rob

 

I did not say it was incorrect, was talking more directly to the uneducated newbie. But since you brought it up.

The shorter the electrical wiring used the better the responce and less interference from outside EMFs.
Thus your location is less desirable than mine.

I only have 1 year of electronics traning in the USAF on radio equipment with 6 years experince. That is with tropo long range communications and ground navaids
equipment. Knew basic electronics and built radios in high school. I will not go further into my education in other fields such as automotive and aviation.

It would help if these beginners did a little studying on their hobbies befire diving in and over their heads. But then this is the "I have to have it now" generation!

 

You're in the AF? Good stuff man, so am I. I'm a Mechanical Engineer up at Wright-Patt AFB in Ohio.

This is true. However, we're talking about a difference of just miliseconds, if not a fraction of that. It takes longer for the filiment in the bulb to start glowing than it does for the electrons to travel down the wire.

We're also talking about a shift light. All it is used for is a reference to gauge a good shift point. If my light goes off at exactly 7,001 RPM rather than 7k, it really doesn't make much difference.

But, I will admit, you are correct. Hooking the light up to the signal from the ignitor actually results in more accurate light timing, due to the decrease in wire length. Its just a question of whether that extra accuracy is necessary or not.

Couldn't agree with you more. But sometimes people just don't have the technical knowledge to know where to begin. I personally think thats what makes this forum so great. Those without much knowledge of a certain system can ask others for advice.

 

I really like that idea. I will investigate...

 

<<Couldn't agree with you more. But sometimes people just don't have the technical knowledge to know where to begin. I personally think thats what makes this forum so great. Those without much knowledge of a certain system can ask others for advice.>>

u know, i couldn't have said it any better myself.

not all of us are as fortunate as cewrx7r1 is to be studying and workin in the field of our hobby (ie FDs) like mechanics, electronics, etc.

i know im not...my field of study has absolutely NOTHING to do w/ mechanics or electronics...so other than the spare moments i mite get to do some research or watch more experienced ppl work on FDs , this forum plays a MAJOR role in helpin me w/ my FD...
back to the topic at hand tho...
so is there a concensus on which pills to use? same value or half? lol
or did it depend on where u hooked up the shift lite to...

 

bump...

 

Depends. Use the correct value pill if tapping into the ecu's ign lead. Use the half value if tapping into the coil.