Big Blue's Transformation

[grumpin]

Thanks, Scott. I was pleased with how it turned out, and I highly recommend doing the wiring under the right side of the dash cover. Sure made it easier than upside down.

And for completeness, here's a link to the thread on Installing A Code Alarm ca1155e Security System.

Looks great!

[Gary Lewis]

Looks great!

Thanks, Dane! Another milestone.

Janey asked me today what's next. And after the air conditioning on Saturday it'll be the air compressor and tank. But with the A/C working I think we'll go drive the GOAT and then tackle the compressed air system. Since we now have a bed cover and security system we feel fairly safe taking it places.

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks, Dane! Another milestone.

Janey asked me today what's next. And after the air conditioning on Saturday it'll be the air compressor and tank. But with the A/C working I think we'll go drive the GOAT and then tackle the compressed air system. Since we now have a bed cover and security system we feel fairly safe taking it places.

Well, the security system is D.O.N.E. Done & dusted as the Brit's would say.

I got the pin switches installed on the toolbox as shown below, and then went through the setup on the shock and tilt sensors. Now a hard slap on the cab with the palm of your hand gets a series of warning beeps & flashes, and a stronger impact triggers the full alarm. And bouncing on the rear bumper causes the tilt function to trigger.

Tomorrow I want to take it out on a short jaunt to ensure everything is ready for its trip to Kansas on Saturday, during which the A/C system is to be made functional. I've had a whole lot of things apart for the security system installation so want to check it out before heading out of town.

One thing I want to test, which is something that Bill hasn't noticed, is the Taurus speed control module that I installed. I was already "in there" to put the Bosch relay in for the horn so thought I'd swap that module in and I was sure he'd pick up on that red module peeking out in the pic a few posts back.

Also, I've been having a whole lot of speedometer bouncing, especially at low speeds, so while I had the instruments out to tap into the tach circuit I took the opportunity to re-lube the speedo cable. It was still coated with the graphite and Teflon I sprayed it with, but it sure came out of the casing easily - like it was too small for the casing. So I lubed it with Mobil synthetic wheel bearing grease, and while it did slide in nicely it had some resistance. Hopefully that will dampen things and the speedo will smooth out.

Beyond that I plan to put together a binder with schematics, owner's manuals, etc for what I've done to the truck. I'm hoping it can slide under the driver's seat and be available should I need to refer back to how things are wired. And I'm going to try to make a printout of the fuse uses and attach it to the fuse box cover. We shall see.

[grumpin]

Well, the security system is D.O.N.E. Done & dusted as the Brit's would say.

I got the pin switches installed on the toolbox as shown below, and then went through the setup on the shock and tilt sensors. Now a hard slap on the cab with the palm of your hand gets a series of warning beeps & flashes, and a stronger impact triggers the full alarm. And bouncing on the rear bumper causes the tilt function to trigger.

Tomorrow I want to take it out on a short jaunt to ensure everything is ready for its trip to Kansas on Saturday, during which the A/C system is to be made functional. I've had a whole lot of things apart for the security system installation so want to check it out before heading out of town.

One thing I want to test, which is something that Bill hasn't noticed, is the Taurus speed control module that I installed. I was already "in there" to put the Bosch relay in for the horn so thought I'd swap that module in and I was sure he'd pick up on that red module peeking out in the pic a few posts back.

Also, I've been having a whole lot of speedometer bouncing, especially at low speeds, so while I had the instruments out to tap into the tach circuit I took the opportunity to re-lube the speedo cable. It was still coated with the graphite and Teflon I sprayed it with, but it sure came out of the casing easily - like it was too small for the casing. So I lubed it with Mobil synthetic wheel bearing grease, and while it did slide in nicely it had some resistance. Hopefully that will dampen things and the speedo will smooth out.

Beyond that I plan to put together a binder with schematics, owner's manuals, etc for what I've done to the truck. I'm hoping it can slide under the driver's seat and be available should I need to refer back to how things are wired. And I'm going to try to make a printout of the fuse uses and attach it to the fuse box cover. We shall see.

That is slick. I like the tool box being in the alarm system.

Curious to how the speedo does, mine still gets a little bounce and noise when it’s cold.

[Gary Lewis]

That is slick. I like the tool box being in the alarm system.

Curious to how the speedo does, mine still gets a little bounce and noise when it’s cold.

Thanks. I couldn't resist installing pin switches on the toolbox. I was already running wires 'twixt the cab and the bed, so adding an extra was no biggee. And the pin switches I ordered came as a set of three - one for the hood and two for the toolbox. Perfect!

On the speedo, this is a brand new cable, both inner and outer. And it isn't kinked nor does it have a tight turn. So I don't understand why the speedo jumps the way it does, especially since it was smooth when I ran it on my lathe.

All I can assume is that the cable is chattering in the sheath. And the way it slides in and out so easily suggests that is possible, like it is too small. If so, the wheel bearing grease should make a big difference. I hope.

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks. I couldn't resist installing pin switches on the toolbox. I was already running wires 'twixt the cab and the bed, so adding an extra was no biggee. And the pin switches I ordered came as a set of three - one for the hood and two for the toolbox. Perfect!

On the speedo, this is a brand new cable, both inner and outer. And it isn't kinked nor does it have a tight turn. So I don't understand why the speedo jumps the way it does, especially since it was smooth when I ran it on my lathe.

All I can assume is that the cable is chattering in the sheath. And the way it slides in and out so easily suggests that is possible, like it is too small. If so, the wheel bearing grease should make a big difference. I hope.

Well, two out of three isn't bad. The shakedown cruise proved the security system is fine. And the grease on the speedo cable helped a whole bunch - while there is still some nervousness to the needle it is much improved and the noise is gone. But, the speed control doesn't work.

However, having now taken a closer look at the EVTM I think I know why the speed control doesn't work and it isn't the Taurus box. In the schematic below ignore the Bosch relay for a bit. What I did the other day was to replace the horn relay with the Bosch. But remember the difference in the amount of current it takes to pull in the horn relay (.6A) vs the Bosch relay (.1A)? My guess is that the resistance of the horn relay's coil allows just the right amount of current to pass through to provide just the right voltages to the speed control module to turn on, set speed, etc. But the higher resistance of the Bosch relay messes up the voltage divider circuitry and the speed control module never detects the command to turn on or set speed.

So, now what I'm going to do is to put the horn relay back, which will make the speed control happy, but I'll also have the Bosch relay there which will make the security system happy. And to do that I'll just have to make two wye jumpers, with one 1/4" male connector on one end to go into the factory plug, and two 1/4" female connectors on the other to go to the horn relay and the Bosch relay. I already have the male/female jumper for the Y/LG H wire and the female-to-ring tongue jumper for the ground, so it should be easy.

Thoughts? (And do you like my depiction of the Bosch relay? Just a modified version of the horn relay. )

[grumpin]

Well, two out of three isn't bad. The shakedown cruise proved the security system is fine. And the grease on the speedo cable helped a whole bunch - while there is still some nervousness to the needle it is much improved and the noise is gone. But, the speed control doesn't work.

However, having now taken a closer look at the EVTM I think I know why the speed control doesn't work and it isn't the Taurus box. In the schematic below ignore the Bosch relay for a bit. What I did the other day was to replace the horn relay with the Bosch. But remember the difference in the amount of current it takes to pull in the horn relay (.6A) vs the Bosch relay (.1A)? My guess is that the resistance of the horn relay's coil allows just the right amount of current to pass through to provide just the right voltages to the speed control module to turn on, set speed, etc. But the higher resistance of the Bosch relay messes up the voltage divider circuitry and the speed control module never detects the command to turn on or set speed.

So, now what I'm going to do is to put the horn relay back, which will make the speed control happy, but I'll also have the Bosch relay there which will make the security system happy. And to do that I'll just have to make two wye jumpers, with one 1/4" male connector on one end to go into the factory plug, and two 1/4" female connectors on the other to go to the horn relay and the Bosch relay. I already have the male/female jumper for the Y/LG H wire and the female-to-ring tongue jumper for the ground, so it should be easy.

Thoughts? (And do you like my depiction of the Bosch relay? Just a modified version of the horn relay. )

Good to know on the speedo cable.

Looks like a plan Stan!

Good catch on the relays.

Edit: your Bosch relay depiction is the bees knees!

[Gary Lewis]

Good to know on the speedo cable.

Looks like a plan Stan!

Good catch on the relays.

Edit: your Bosch relay depiction is the bees knees!

Well, it is all theory on the relays at this point in time, but it makes sense. We don't know the resistance in the speed control module, so we can't calculate the voltage the two different relays would present. But it would be a whole lot less due to the 1/6 less resistance of the coil. So I think that throws the voltage off so much that it won't work.

As for the Bosch relay, I'm learning how to use Paint better. Just copied the left end of the horn relay and then the right end of it and put them together. Copied a bit of the blue background to cover the connection w/in the relay between the coil and connection 30. And used a bit of the vertical lead from elsewhere to take the coil out to 86. All just to see what I could do.

[85lebaront2]

Well, it is all theory on the relays at this point in time, but it makes sense. We don't know the resistance in the speed control module, so we can't calculate the voltage the two different relays would present. But it would be a whole lot less due to the 1/6 less resistance of the coil. So I think that throws the voltage off so much that it won't work.

As for the Bosch relay, I'm learning how to use Paint better. Just copied the left end of the horn relay and then the right end of it and put them together. Copied a bit of the blue background to cover the connection w/in the relay between the coil and connection 30. And used a bit of the vertical lead from elsewhere to take the coil out to 86. All just to see what I could do.

Gary. look at the 1996 EVTM, the speed control switches and resistors are the same, but the 1992 up trucks use a Bosch relay for the horn (1992-93 models still have the vacuum cruise). Obviously it must have worked at some point.

[Gary Lewis]

Gary. look at the 1996 EVTM, the speed control switches and resistors are the same, but the 1992 up trucks use a Bosch relay for the horn (1992-93 models still have the vacuum cruise). Obviously it must have worked at some point.

Good point, Bill. I can't explain why that would work. Here's my take on what is happening.

Those values are calculated using the voltage divider formula and the resistances for the horn pad switches shown in the EVTM. But the resistances for the relays are my guestimates based on the current they pulled. And the On Voltage resistance is also a guess of what the input impedance is for the module.

As you can see, Set should be 13.6 volts but it is probably 11.9. So while the module may be turning On it won't Set.

So I'm going to redo things, hopefully this afternoon as we have errands to run this morning. And during the night it occurred to me that there was no reason to have the Bosch relay put the Ford relay in. Instead I'll just have the relays in parallel and either can honk the horn, as shown below.