Overhead Console prob's

[GoldRanger]

Hey guys.... Quick Question...

I just installed a 98 Overhead Console in my Ranger

Heres my question...

My temp, when i installed it, was 64 degrees. I went for a drive and went to the movies, where it dropped to 48 degrees (which was about right)

The problem is the rest of the next day it was still reading 48 degrees. I disconnected the temp sensor, and reinstalled it and it went back to 64 degrees.

It then dropped progressivly down to around 50 degrees. (average temp) Problem is the next day... u guessed it stayed at 50.

Is my console destroyed? Is it just my sensor?

Anyone have any idea? Any help appreciated

 

[Mike 92 XLT]

Did you connect the Vehicle Speed Sensor wire? Mine did the same thing until I connected the VSS.

peace

Mike

 

[JamminG4Jim]

Hi Gold

Did you calibrate the console after installing it? Mine read wierd temps till I did it. Procedure is in your owners manual.

Jim

 

[GoldRanger]

I followed Quik's directions, and the Compass is working great.

But it just keeps messin up temp wise.

BTW, i didnt hook up my VSS.

Can i just ground it or something to solve the problem?

I really dont wanna splice into my stock stuff

Tks again

 

[Jag]

I spliced into my Explorer's VSS at the radio wiring harness.

Question about calibration, I know how to calibrate the compass, didn't realize you could calibrate the temp. readout.

 

[GoldRanger]

Originally posted by JamminG4Jim
Hi Gold

Did you calibrate the console after installing it? Mine read wierd temps till I did it. Procedure is in your owners manual.

Jim

Jim, is there a way to Calibrate the temp?

I dont have an owners manual, any info or procedure would help me greatly

 

[Stephen S]

My owner's manual doesn't say anything about calibrating the temperature....only the compass. I also installed the console in my truck myself and I have not hooked up the VSS wire yet. My temperature guage would not work at first either. There are some compatability problems when mixing consoles and sensors from 95-97 and 98+ trucks. My console is from a 96 and my first temp sensor was from a 99--it didn't work. I found another sensor from a 96, installed it and it's worked fine ever since. Make sure that the console and the sensor came from the same year range trucks.

Jag, where in the truck is the VSS wire on the radio harness?? I was under the impression that I had to go all the way over to the passenger side kick panel to get to it. That's the only wire I have left to hook up.

 

[JamminG4Jim]

Stephen S is right! Now that I think about it, my temp sensor didn't work right either until I went back to the junkyard and tried a different one.

I DO know that recalibrating the console also resets the input to the compass. Exactly what that accomplishes is still up for debate, but if you haven't done it yet you'll want to just to have your compass accurate. IF you haven't heard how to recalibrate it yet, I'll dig out my manual and e-mail you the procedure, ok?

Jim

ps: I never did hook up my VSS wire.

 

[Jag]

If I remember right, my radio had two wiring harnesses plugged into it. The one large one had probably eight or more wires in it, I assume it was the power, speaker wires, light dimmer wire, etc. The other had a single wire on it, which was the VSS wire. On Explorers, it is gray / black.

Not really sure why the VSS wire goes to the radio, unless it adjusts the volume up and down relative to the speed of the vehicle.

I also spliced into the large harness for my power, ground, and light dimming for the console.

 

[Stephen S]

Thanks for the help Jag. The next time I need to take my radio out, I'm gonna check that out. I'm not sure if my truck is equipped with that option--besides, I have an aftermarket head unit, so it wouldn't work anymore anyway. But I'd rather splice into the VSS that's going into the radio rather than the one that's going into the truck's computer.

 

[gerry]

The radio uses VSS for the (undocumented) auto-volume feature.

Gold Ranger; the temp display has an algorithm based on VSS, it will delay any temp rise inversely to the vehicle speed. No vehicle speed, and the guage will be very slow to show an increase. This is supposed to eliminate false high readings when the car is not moving or moving so slow that engine heat affects the t/c. I'm not sure what max VSS signal is (grounded or +12 volts), but if want to avoid taping into any stock wires, you could fake a max VSS signal to eliminate the reading delay.