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Ford Duraspark 2 Ignition System

The Ford Duraspark II electronic ignition system will improve your throttle response, horsepower, and gas mileage over a points type system. It is also maintenance free. The Duraspark II system was used on all small blocks starting in 1977. The system is good to about 350+ naturally aspirated horsepower and also works well up to about a 150 HP shot of nitrous.

The ignition system is comprised of four basic components - the distributor, ignition module, the coil, and the wiring harness.

The Distributor

The key here is to get a distributor that is compatible with your cam type, has vacuum advance, and has a decent mechanical advance curve. What this means is if your using a roller cam you need a steel gear - see the Ford Motorsport catalog or just use an ‘85 Mustang 5.0L GT distributor for a 5-speed. Also the ‘85 Mustang distributor has vacuum advance and a great advance curve straight from the factory. If you are using a flat tappet cam your first choice should be an 82-84 5.0L Mustang HO distributor. This distributor also has vacuum advance and a good curve. In the end any 77-84 302 distributor will work with as long as the car was carbureted (NO CFI - throttle body injection), just don’t forget to use a drive gear that is compatible with your cam.

Get your distributor advance recurved as follows: centrifugal advance - 0° @ 1,300 rpm, 11° @ 2,000 rpm, 20° @ 5,000 rpm; vacuum advance - 0° @ 4.5″ Hg, 11.5° @ 8″ Hg, 20° @ 12.5″ Hg. Okay, so what’s the big deal about vacuum advance? How about your gas mileage - with a vacuum advance distributor your gas mileage will be significantly higher than with a mechanical advance distributor alone. If it is a strip only car then it won’t matter - vacuum or mechanical.

Ignition Module

This is really pretty simple - get the one with the blue color plastic where the wires go into the module. When mounting to the fender-well be sure it is grounded good and away from high temperatures (exhaust and motor). Heat is what kills electronics so a little prevention up front will go a long way. The part numbers are as follows:

* GP Sorensen: EL107M
* Standard: LX203
* ECHLIN-Napa: ECHTP40
* Niehoff: FF402

The Coil

Just about any coil will work but stick to the good stuff - Stock, Accel, MSD, Mallory, or Jacobs. Once again, mount on the fender-well away from heat for the longest life.

Wiring Harness

It is always easiest to use the factory harness with the factory connections, but be careful, I have had to chase many problems due to failed factory connections, the best bet is to clip out all connections and solder wires together once you know the wiring is right. Follow the diagram below for hooking up.

Ford Duraspark wiring diagram

Wiring the Duraspark Ignition is pretty much straight forward. Only one new connection is needed. The control box gets its power through the red wire in the 2 pin connector. This MUST come from a ‘hot in start and run’ source. The white wire in the 2 pin connector may optionally be connected to the ‘S’ terminal of the starter solenoid, this provides a cranking indicator to the control box, retarding the timing a few degrees for ease in starting. The rest of the wiring uses the factory harness. The color of the wires in the harness may differ for different years, but the colors on the control box and the distributor are the same. The ‘green’ wire from the control box wires to the negative(-) terminal of the coil. This is where a TACH may be connected. The ‘orange’ and ‘purple’ wires run from the control box to the pickup inside the distributor. The black wire runs to the distributor and is the control box’s only ground. It is a good idea to splice into this wire and run to a good chassis ground.

More Info at these links:

http://www.bzerob1.com/tech2/duraspark1.html

http://www.mustangsteve.com/conversion.html

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/2_8Duraspark.html

http://webpages.charter.net/1bad6t/duraspark.html

D90 Electrical

Blue wires goes to the dist (doesnt matter which is which AFAIK) and G&W

Red wire w/red terminals goes to coil - and C

Red wire w/blue terminals goes to coil + and B

White wire w/blue terminals is coil + from main harness

Black wire w/black terminal is coil - from loom near MAF sensor

Black wire w/red terminal is coil + to the resistor thingy

-Jeff

Edit: the short answer is
W and G: reluctor leads
B (+)
C (-)

D90 Electrical

RRC Install of Lincon MIII here
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More info here and here.

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The Taurus fan works well, but the Mustang folks have been using the Mark VIII for quite some time: http://www.geocities.com/smithmonte/…rkVIII_Fan.htm
…they claim it has the best airflow.

For severe cooling needs, the electric fan from the Lincoln Mark VIII provides the greatest airflow. The part number is F8LH 8C607 AA — I got mine from the junkyard for $15, but they are available new for just over a grand. Fan diameter is 18″ and the fan blades are optimized for low noise but high flow. Outer dimensions of this fan are 22″W x 18.5″H x 6.25″D.

94 and 95 Taurus fans work, as do the SN95 Mustang fans and late-model low-hood T-birds. Pontiac Fieros have pretty good 2 speed electric fans, as well.

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mark VIII and 3.8 taurus are the same part #, same fan

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Mark VII is a puller, 5.5-6″ deep.

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this is for the mark fan..

This info was give to me by Matt W.
part # is F3LY8C607A
93-96 use p/n F3LY 8C607 A @ 245.80
The 93-96 spin 1100 rpmson low and 1850 on highspeed.
97’s use p/n F7LZ 8C607 AB @ 196.23
98’s use p/n F8LZ 8C607 AA @ 140.11
The 97-98 spin 1800 on low and 2225 on high.
They all look the same, all come with a shroud. The 93-96 spin slower according to Ford Motorsport Tech line.

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haven’t read this all but the MKVIII pulls a lot more, not that you need it. I wired mine with a bosch 75 amp relay and an 18ga fusible link similiar to the factory setup with these. Kicks ass..

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88-91+?? Taurus elec. fan (Local junk yard $10-25)
FWIW, fan part numbers are F2DE-8C607-AB and F4DH-8C607-CB for my two fans.

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I’ve used them both. Generally the 2 speeds came out of 3.8l cars, and the 1 speed came out of 3.0l cars. The single speed fan is a smaller fan, and doesent pull as much air as the 2 speed at the low setting (but still pulls a bunch of air… I wouldnt think twice about running one on my 4 runner).
I think what your noticing is that there are ALOT more 1 speed fans at the wreckers than 2 speeds.

If you want to try it, go ahead, just watch the temp gague. From trying all kinds of electric fans (vw rabbit, plymouth FWD, and also seeing a mr gasket fan in action), I would say that the 1 speed taurus fan pulls stronger than them, just not by alot, and a good amount less than a 2 speed.

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All Rovers, D90 Electrical

Battery cut off switch $38 2000A int

D90 Electrical

Basically the ECU gets a signal and then once it adjusts the engine it offer a ground to run the relay or compressor clutch. Comes in on pin #27 to the ECU (power) then comes out as a ground on pin #33.
Same when you shut off the device, it makes sure the stepper doesn’t go bat-shit trying to compensate and keeps the idle smooth and steady.
In a 95 D90 this is wired into your AC at the multi connector near the evap. On 94s it is in the engine bay near the heater (same place on 110s). So you can wire a relay to run the compressor clutch or if you have a 2 wire clutch just use the output for the ground on the clutch.
There are inputs in the 14CUX for the automatic gearbox and the heated windscreen, basically anything that requires the engine to adjust to a load is just putting in the right wires to the 14CUX. It can be done in a GEMS as well but its a little more work.

All Rovers, D90 Electrical, D90 Misc

The fuel pump relay is in the passenger footwell on ’94’s.. that might be it, but the symptoms (hard start, barely ran) sound like fuel filter.. Do you smell gas at the tailpipe? if you smell gas then its the ignition (coil, cap, rotor, wires, plugs) if you crank it for 10 seconds and don’t smell gas then its the fuel system (relay/fuse, pump, filter)
I’d replace the relay and then if not replace the filter. Probably needs a new filter anyway.

There are 2 identical relays for the fuel injection. One runs the pump & o2 sensor heaters, the other powers the ecu and I think the fuel injector circuits. If that second relay dies (black base) the check engine light will work but there will be no voltage at the fuel injectors with the ignition on. The injectors are supplied with voltage and are bank fired when the ECU supplies ground. That would explain why it fires briefly when you spray into the intake.
I just spent the last hour troubleshooting a D90 with the identical symptoms. A relay fixed it.

I did the injector trigger wire disconnect to clear the flood. The trigger wire is a thin wire coming from the area of the valve covers. It actually comes out of a section of wire loom that contains other wires for the injectors but lays on top of the drivers side valve cover near the firewall. That was the only thing that gave it away. All the wires hooked up to the coil have heat shrink on them, not rubber boots.

I have flooded mine in the past and it would never start afterwards with the ‘wide open’ trick. There is a fuel injector trigger wire going from your coil to a bundle of taped up wires near the back of you intake manifold. Disconnect this wire from the coil, turn it over and it will probably give you a sputter and then quit. This wire tells the injectors to shoot fuel into the cylinder. By disconnecting it you are allowing the spark to ignite the excess fuel. Once you have burned out the flooded gas hook the wire back up again and she should start, though maybe a bit rough for the first few seconds. It works for me so well that I am thinking of putting a quick disconnect on the wire.

Basically an engine needs 3 things to run, air, fuel and spark…in your case, only the fuel seems to be in question, so I would start there. You should be able to hear the pump run with the fuel cap off when someone else switches the ignition on. It will run for about 5 seconds to prime the system prior to startup. If the pump is not running, start electrical troubleshooting to the pump. If the pump is running, make sure that you have sufficient pressure and volume at the fuel rail.
The fuel system takes it’s injection trigger signal off of the coil negative side…it is the wire that runs back across the rocker cover…occasionally these connections will become loose and cause either a loss of injector signal or spark..

Check the fuel cut-off swiitch mounted on the firewall. Push in on the top to reset it. You never know, it might have been bumpted to trigger it to off.

One more thing, someone mentioned the wiring to you coil. Double check it to make sure all are tight. I had similiar problem a few weeks ago, and it turned out to be a bad wire to the plus side of the coil. It ran perfect, then it wouldn’t start. After several frustrated days I discovered a bad wire going to the coil.

If you can hear the fuel pump run then the relay and switch are working. You say it tries to almost start but doesn’t? Before you replace any more parts, pull a spark plug and see if it is fuel fouled. It may be that the engine is flooded rather than starved for fuel. To clear a flood condition, disconnect the fuel injection trigger wire from the coil…it comes across from the valve cover and has a black rubber boot on it. After disconnecting it, hold the throttle wide open and crank the engine. If it is flooded, the engine will usually crank for a bit and then fire, sputter and die. By disconnecting the trigger wire you are shutting down the fuel flow but the ignition system is still working allowing you to clear the flood condition. Reconnect the trigger wire and the truck should start. The fuelling map on these trucks is set up to run rich at cold start to help light off the cats. The original fuel map was a bit aggressive and would occasionally result in a flooded engine under certain conditions. Newer PROM chips had a revised map that was less aggressive. Try this before doing anything else…I’ve had these truck flood cold, hot at high altitude (10,000 plus feet), and sometimes for no seemingly fathomable reason.

If doing this does not result in the truck starting and you are sure you have spark at the plugs and fuel at the fuel rail (32psi), then you will have to see if the injectors are firing. I think the injectors are powered all the time and the ecu grounds them to fire them but

There are 2 identical silver relays located near the ecu. One supplies power to the fuel pump and O2 sensor heater circuits. The other supplies power to the ECU, all fuel injectors, airflow meter, and data display. The fuel injectors are supplied a constant 12v by the relay and are bank fired by the ecu by supplying ground. If the truck still won’t run after repriming the fuel system (key on, fuel pump runs, key off, wait 10 sec for ecu to reset–do this 3-4 times) and you verify that it is not flooded, I would unplug a fuel injector and check for power with the key on at one wire and a pulsed ground signal while cranking at the other. Also, the check engine light should come on with the key and then shut off after about 5 seconds…if the check engine light is staying on then there is a code stored in the system…read it off of the data display…it will probably be helpful. If all is well the data display will show 02. Keep in mind that the fuel pump and EFI relays are special in that they have 2 outputs…both pin 87 and 87a are powered when the relay is switched on. A generic 5 pin Bosch style relay from the auto parts store may look the same but probably won’t work as most power pin 87 when switched on and pin 87a when switched off. If you suspect a bad relay and elect to change it, make very certain that you have an exact replacement…get it from the dealer.

D90 Drivetrain, D90 Electrical

There are 3 temp sensors on this engine and I think that we are not all talking about the same ones. There is one mounted vertically next to the fuel rail that has the same type connector as the fuel injector…that is the temp sensor for the fuel management system. There is a 2 wire temp switch mounted in the thermostat neck…this is a switch that opens at 210F to shut off the A/C at high ambient temperatures. The sensor for the gauge is to the left and down from the thermostat neck and is a one wire sensor…the sensor providing a variable resistance to ground for the gauge. Unplugged, this green wire should have 12v with the key on. If you ground the wire momentarily, the gauge should read hot. There should be resistance across the sensor to ground. Too much thread sealant will cause it not to work properly. Also, I think this sensor is 3/8BSP (straight pipe thread). I have done several VDO gauge conversions and have always had to run a 3/8-18NPT tap into the hole to open the threads up to take the tapered pipe threads on the VDO sender. This can be done without removing the intake manifold from the car.

D90 Electrical

VW Connector Colors for Freelander Radio to D90 Harness

pin# - wire color - use - d90 color code - D90 wire color

BROWN CONNECTOR
1 - vio - Right Rear Spkr - BN - brn
2 - vio/blk - Right Rear Spkr - BW - brn/wht
3 - slt - Right Front Spkr - BK - blk
4 - slt/blk - Right Front Spkr - BR - blk/red
5 - wht - Left Front Spkr - BY - blk/yel
6 - wht/blk - Left Front Spkr - BO - blk/orn
7 - grn - Left Rear Spkr - BU - blk/blu
8 - grn/blk - Left Rear Spkr - BG - blk/grn

BLACK CONNECTOR
1 - brn
2 - brn - steering whl ctrls
3 - blu/wht - steering whl ctrls
4 - red - 12vdc - P - purple
5 - blu - amp ctrl out
6 - orn/wht -
7 - yel - Ign sw 12vdc - WO - wht/org
8 - blk - B - gnd

Black Connector
Bottom View
Facing Pins
KEY
[]
1| |2
3| |4
5| |6
7| |8

Brown Connector
Bottom View
Facing Pins
KEY
[]
1| |2
3| |4
5| |6
7| |8

D90 Electrical

See the Land Rover Club of Diego website for the complete Mallory installation story in the Oct/Dec 2007 Newsletter. http://www.lrcsd.com/OctDec2007.pdf

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#4768901 I still have my box. You have to change over the cog gear unless they have updated something. There are a bunch of us on this site successfully running the Mallory and I am certainly not discounting Dennis, but he also says he does not know what is causing his problem. I am confident that the Mallory will do no harm and more likely than not improve things although none of us know what caused your coil to have unsightly discharge ;-). What I am certainly without a doubt recommending is NOT to do that ridiculously expensive ignition module relocation kit piece of wire, but instead upgrade your distributor to the Mallory or suitable alternate. I have not had any failure of the Mallory e-spark ignition module, but if I did, I could get it for $39 from Summit next day air.

Again, not saying it is the route of the problem, but don’t drop $$ on a relocation kit when for not much more you can have all that taken out of the equation.

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I had the same experience. When I bought my truck, it was running like crap! I first thought it was the problem of the ignition module being on the distributor, but when I looked, it already had the relocation kit on it. After a lot of investigation, I determined my distributor was totally wiped out. Accordingly, I ordered a new OEM style distributor from one of the Rover parts houses (no benefit in telling which one). The first one malfunctioned (blew the module). Returned it, and the second one malfunctioned (blew the module) in about half the time as the first one………After a lot of hand-wringing, I, like others on this board, decided the best thing to to was to take any semblance of British wiring out of the equation………I replaced the distributor and coil with Mallory units, and things have been just fine ever since (background sound of knocking on wood). Just like Davis said, you can most likely save yourself a LOT of both time and money by converting to the Mallory setup (I have the same part number as his, and I installed the corresponding Mallory coil….oh yeah, some people recommend the ballast resistor and some don’t - I think it’s a #700 or something like that - but my experience is that you DO want to get the resistor. Without the resistor, my coil would get so hot you could just about light a piece of paper with it…………) Go Mallory. Your head and wallet will be glad you did (also seems to run better than with the OEM replacement…..may be just my imagination, but it really seems like it does)

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Just to add one more thing, I used Century Performance and the owner has a lot of experience with Rovers and Buick 215 set ups. I think his name is Ron, but I get names wrong all the time. 3 letter name, though. If anyone needs advice, he is who I used.

I also used the ballast resistor. I run a stock LR/Bosch coil.

David, are you running your vaccum advance? I disconnected mine since the mech. advance seemed to dial everything right in.

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The most difficult part was realigning the rotor when dropping the distributor back in since it rotates about 30 degrees as the gears mesh.

Drilling the hole was easy. Use the gear as a drill guide and if I recall correctly, you need to make sure you have the spacer installed when you do it.

I got my Mallory from the guys at D.A.P. and they are pretty helpful.

D90 Electrical

Flex-a-lite 220

Replace A/C thermostat with the VW fan switch (Beck/Arnley 201-0809)

Put a piece of 2×4 under the bottom tabs of the radiator and bend/beat them flat. Then rivet a piece of 1×1 aluminum angle to the bottom. Use a 2×2 aluminum angle to make the top mount.

Use 2″ angle for mounting brackets.

D90 Chassis, D90 Electrical, D90 Misc

Success! In fact, this way is just stupid-easy to do. All the parts fit right where you need them, no modifications or re-wiring of existing stuff needed. Allows you to keep the factory speed sensor, which means no check-engine lights. Took me longer to pop the sealing grommet into place than it took to run the cable.

Just for a quickie parts list.

Speedometer cable from any Jeep CJ-7.
Electronic speedometer of your choice. I used an Auto-Meter cobalt, needed some fitting as it’s smaller than the stock 4″ size.
The following Speedo senders will work here.
Autometer #5291
VDO 340-012
Or any other sender that is a pass-thru style, or has the MALE 3/4″ threading on it.

1. Remove the factory speedometer and UPPER speedometer cable.
2. Install Jeep speedometer cable, smaller threaded side goes underneath into the existing rover speed sensor. Large threaded side goes up behind the dashboard. You’ll need to feed it through from the dashboard first, and then down to the transmission area. Only the small threaded end will fit through the dash hole. Make sure to get the inner cable seated into the rover speed sensor properly while you’re down there. Also, the JEEP cable is longer, so make sure it gets routed away from the exhaust, you’ve got the extra length to do it. The original factory cable is shorter and gets pretty close to the manifolds.
3. Install new speedometer sender behind the dashboard, onto the new cable.
4. To get the firewall sealing grommet to fit in, I found it easier to go under the hood and remove the 4 screws on the black rubber panel that the cable feeds through. Gives you access to both sides.
5. Install, wire and calibrate the new speedo as per the instructions that came with it.

D90 Electrical

We’ve been using Ford 5.0 FI for several years with great success. Works great for standard tuning and for modified. Use the same injector for both and allow the engine management to lengthen the injector pulse rather than using a larger injector.

http://www.fiveomotorsport.com/Injector_SetsENGLAND.asp

SET 8 - Brand New
1989-1998
Range Rover
Discovery, Defender
3.9, 4.0, 4.2, 4.6 V-8
Ford Motorsport C302
Set 8/$329.50

All Rovers, D90 Electrical

Here is the low down on the connections to a Gentex mirror (with comp and temp) cut from a late model GM product. The connector pin numbers are found on the wire incursion side of the mating connector.

GM wire harness color function

PIN 1 PINK POWER +12 volts

PIN 2 BK CHASSIS, GND

PIN 3 LT GRN BACKUP LIGHTS

PIN 4 GY TO AUTO DIM OUTSIDE MIRROR

PIN 5 PINK TO AUTO DIM OUTSIDE MIRROR

PIN 6 DR GRN/WT TEMP PROBE

PIN 7 BK/WT TEMP PROBE

Note: Pin 3 is to be connected to the backup lights to turn off the auto dim feature in reverse. If you intend not to use this feature connect the LT GRN wire to chassis ground. If this pin is floating the auto dim will not work properly. Hope this helps.

All Rovers, D90 Electrical

Here is my version of this program.

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How to run up the speedometer with a PC.

Items needed:
IBM type PC running DOS
3 wires w/clips on ends
voltmeter
GWBASIC or BASICA or QBASIC

Open your PC and find a spare power connector. Verify with your voltmeter before making connections the following pins on the connector. Yellow is +12 and connects to pin 4 of the speedo. Black is ground and connects to pin 3 of the speedo.

Find pin 16 of the 25 pin D connector of the serial port and connect it to pin 8 of the speedo. Power up the PC while holding down the speedo button and release when the speedo display says PULSE. Follow the instructions and set the speedo to 500 pulses per mile. Next, load GWBASIC and type in the following program:

10 T=590

20 INPUT “Steps per mile->”,S

30 S=S/10

40 INPUT “Current odometer reading->”,C

50 C=C*10

60 INPUT “Run till this odometer reading->”,E

70 E=E*10

80 I=0

90 OUT &H3F8,232

100 FOR J=0 TO T

110 NEXT J

120 OUT &H3F8,236

130 FOR J=0 TO T

140 NEXT J

150 I=I+1

160 IF I < S GOTO 90

170 C=C+1

180 IF C < E GOTO 80

190 STOP

The variable T is used to control the pulse duration. Raise or lower T so that your speedo runs at the maximum display speed. My speedo has a top speed of 85 MPH, and on the PC I am using (25MHz 386), the value of T shown gives me full speed ahead. If your PC is faster, make the value of T (statement 10) larger. Start the program and look at the speed and adjust T accordingly. When you are ready to let 'er rip, go read your current odometer reading and use it when you start the program.

I'm not a Basic programmer, so no flames. The reason everything is done in tens is to avoid cumulative round off errors with floating point numbers (I did not want to have to figure out what the error might be, so I just made it not be a problem).

If you have QBASIC, use the following program:

T = 590
INPUT "Steps per mile->“, S
S = S / 10
INPUT “Current odometer reading->”, C
C = C * 10
INPUT “Run till this odometer reading->”, E
E = E * 10
L0:
I = 0
L1:
OUT &H3F8, 232
FOR J = 0 TO T
NEXT J
OUT &H3F8, 236
FOR J = 0 TO T
NEXT J
I = I + 1
IF I < S GOTO L1
C = C + 1
PRINT C / 10
IF C < E GOTO L0
STOP

One additional note: On my PC, the first serial port is 3F8 which can be determined by going into the bios and looking at the port assignments for the serial ports. You can try loading DEBUG and entering D 40:8 and taking the first two bytes and making them a word and adding 2. Remember, it’s in hex. If your machine’s first port is not 3F8, then you will need to change the port shown in the OUT statements from &H3F8 to whatever your is.

I ran up a stock Hummer speedometer. I set T = 500 and steps per mile at 1000. The speedometer read 100 mpg and the odometer ran at around 300 mph. It was running on an old Pentium II celeron 500 using Win ME.

D90 Electrical, D90 Interior

I spoke to a LR mechanic and ,like Jim, he suggested I try to adjust the base idle grossly (without a computer). One I figured out where the protective cap was, drilled a hole in it, I could insert a 3/16 allen wrench. 2 1/2 counter clockwise turns and I could hear the engine rev slightly. I then shut the ignition off, waited for the main relay click, and restarted. The idle was then quite high, around 2000 rpm, but returned to about 1200 in a few seconds. It was kinda cool to think about the computer relearning the new base idle and adjusting for it. I took the vehicle for a spin to warm it up more and noticed that it would idle around 1200 when moving. When I stopped, it idles at 800…perfect! I then tried to reproduce the dying idle after warm up and could not! Idles right at 800 rpm when warm. Time will tell but i think I’m good. Will report back if the problem returns.

D90 Drivetrain, D90 Electrical

I’ll go a bit more in detail on the speed sensor theory as well for you, just to make sure I have it right for you. It can get a bit confusing sometimes with so many interrelated systems and sensors. This is going to get wordy, but I figure that the more of how things work…. the better you can try and track down where the problem might be. I’m also going to go into detail for future readers too, just because I know the topic comes up from time to time. (Plus, I just feel like babbling today, I’m in a good mood).

Basically, what happens with it is that when you take your foot off the throttle a few things happen. One is that the throttle closes off air flow to the engine, and the throttle position sensor confirms this to the computer. Plus you also have the mass air sensor which shows reduced air flow. So the engine thinks “No air, no throttle, cut off the fuel too”. However, the tricky part is that it still gets the ignition signal every revolution of the engine, which is spinning much faster than an engine with no fuel and air should be doing, which causes the computer to cut down on the fuel even further.

This can be especially pronounced when you are going at decent speeds, then suddenly take your foot off the gas and press the clutch. The computer will see a 3000rpm engine, 0% throttle and little air flow. Not your normal highway cruise situation. So it will really cut out the fuel supply fast. Sometimes it can cut it off so fast that the engine stumbles or dies before the computer notices that the RPM has dropped below idle settings and compensates for that. If you keep the truck in gear, the engine will still be getting rotated by the forward momentum, which will keep the RPM from dying too fast.

That is where the VSS sensor comes into play. It tells the computer that the truck is still at speed, not stopped. So the computer will open up the stepper motor a bit more to keep the air flowing a bit, and the idle speed a bit higher, to prevent that stalling at a sudden stop. Since air is also flowing, and the computer still sees the sparking ignition, it will also keep some fuel flowing to maintain a safe fuel/air ratio and prevent all the issues of an overly lean mixture.

Now, I don’t know for sure if it really cares how fast you are going or not. Meaning that I don’t know if it will do anything different at 60mph than at 5mph. What I do know though is that this is the specific area that the engine has a learning algorithm of some type built into it. You’ll notice this right away in a truck that has been running fine for a few months, and you reset the computer. You will notice that after you come to a stop the idle speed will be really high for 5-10 seconds, and will come down in a series of steps. Over time this will go away, as the computer learns how the truck is performing. Kinda neat once you become aware of it actually.

Now, in your case something there isn’t working as planned. Unfortunately, there are a lot of possibilities that we have thrown out there. For some reason, the engine isn’t getting enough fuel or air in this situation. Realistically, it may also be one specific big problem. But it may be variety of small issues that would be meaningless individually…. but add up to enough. For instance, if the fuel system is dirty and you have reduced flow rates in your filter and injectors, with a tired pump. Maybe your regulator isn’t keeping enough pressure in the rails. Add a dirty air filter and stepper motor, and a slightly wonky signal from a mass-air sensor that is known to have been commonly mis-manufactured…….

Normally, if a component failed it will throw a trouble light. But if it’s still functioning, albeit marginally, you may not get that trouble code. So I’m thinking at this point that we may want to try and dig you out some values to get in there with a multi-meter and testing some sensors. I’d also poke around a bit to see if any more routine stuff such as filters need to be changed. Unfortunately, diagnosis is hard to do in situations like this. But I figured the more info I toss out there, it may spark you to have the urge to look at something you haven’t seen before, and thus find the problem.

D90 Drivetrain, D90 Electrical

I replaced the temp guage and sender on my 93 NAS 110 with a new VDO ‘Vision’ series about two weeks ago. The sender I used is a M16×1.5 thread. The sender went on smoothly with no problems, and no leaks. The sender did not come with a ‘washer’ so I used the original from the OEM LR sender I was replacing.

I purchased the guage and sender form ‘eguages.com’. The part numbers are:

#310-105 VDO Vision guage (250 degree)
#323-417 sender 250 degree m16×1.5

I hope this helps.
————————-

I was in the process of doing this myself. A friend of mine had already installed a VDO sender in his 95 D90 and he told me he had to use a sender that measured 1/8-27 NPT, which is VDO P/N #323 095 for my VDO temp gauge. However, when I went to install it I didn’t have the correct bushing so it was a no go. I hadn’t thought to measure the OEM sender first just to make sure that I had the correct thread count, but when I did measure it out to be M16×1.5, which is VDO part number #323-416.

So I beleive you can either purchase the M16×1.5 or the 1/8-27 NPT WITH a bushing kit. I had niether the bushing kit nor the M16×1.5. I went with the M16×1.5 and should be installing it later next week. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
—————————

Oil Pressure

I bought my #5 o-ring boss to 1/4″ NTP adapter from http://www.fittingsandadapters.com/

———————–

D90 Electrical, D90 Interior

btate May 20th, 2006 08:09 AM
VDO speed sensor, can you install to cable?

Ok,
Doing the full VDO vision gauge swap as discussed frequently.
(94 d90 r-380)
I saw a post that linked ECU problems (throwing codes and check engine lights) to lack of factory speed sensor input. This tells computer what speed the truck is driving. From what I can figure the speedo cable goes into a sensor housing that sends this info.

My question….is there a problem with simple placing the speedometer end of the old speedo cable into the VDO speed sensor??
It will take some rigging, but the factory plastic connector is not the best setup anyway, I could get it at least that strong??

It seems that it would elimate some problems and be alot simple install????
Thanks
Bryan

Follow-up Post:

Maybe I am missing something.
Does the new sensor install to t-case (maybe it doesn’t bypass the old sensor)?
or does it install to back side of the vss?

souza May 20th, 2006 08:33 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by btate
Does the new sensor install to t-case (maybe it doesn’t bypass the old sensor)?
or does it install to back side of the vss?

bryan

The ‘new’ sensor you’re talking about is the hall effect sender, right? I just did this install last week on my truck. The hall effect sender is installed after the vehicle speed sender, which you must keep. That is, you’ve got a cable from the transfer case to the little box on the frame (VSS). Out of that box some wires go to the ECU, and another cable runs up into the engine bay then through the bulkhead to the back of the stock speedo. This is your ’speedometer cable’ and the one that you’ll modify in option 1 below. You do have to keep the factory vehicle speed sensor else you’ll have the code issues, etc., that you mention. So to install the VDO, you have two options:

1, have a speedo shop cut down the long cable to the speedo into a small cable with the stock end for the vss and a ‘new’ 7/8″ GM end which is screwed into the ‘new’ hall effect sender. The hall effect sender has 3 wires that run to the back of the VDO speedo (12v, signal, Grnd). This seems to be the standard route, and is what I did, but it cost more than expected for the cable modfication ($50)

2, I just found out today there is another option, less expensive because you don’t need the hall effect sendor or the cable modification, but also seems easier. You can simply tap into one of the wires coming from the vss (little box between speedo cables) and run a wire directly to the VDO Speedo for a pulse signal. I think I read that the vss has 2 wires, a green and yellow, both go up to the ECU. There may be another wire, but either way it’s the yellow wire that sends the speed pulse signal to the ECU (Green is 12v power). Apparently this signal can also be read by the VDO speedo, you just run it straight to pin 8 on the back of the VDO.

I found this new option looking back at some old posts to the D90 yahoo group. I wish I had read this before buying the hall effect sender and sending out the speedo cable! I’d be interested to see how it works if you go this route. It seems the simpler way for sure.

Good luck, let me know how it goes.

-Dave

btate May 21st, 2006 05:08 AM
great,
your approach sounds simple.
I will try it this morning if time allows.
I also saw this from a buddy Tom Peacock….

As for the new VDO cable, it has the wrong fitting to sinc up to the OEM cable and can’t plug directly into the TC. I read a the thread on this site in the FAQ’s about switching to the VDO programmable speedo, and it said to go to a speedometer shop and:

1. Tell them you will bring in the new VDO sender/cable and your old cable.

2. Ask them to install a 7/8″ x 18 male end onto your old cable. This new male end gets installed on the speedometer end of the cable, and this (newly shortened) cable only needs to be 3-4″ long. The existing female end of your original cable is retained.

3. Using this new short cable as an adapter, screw the original female end into the little frame mounted box right where it used to go, and screw the new male end into the female end of the VDO sender/cable, and zip-tie the sender box (which is a cube about 1-1/2″ on each side) to the frame so it doesn’t bounce around.

4. Hook up the speedo end of the sender/cable to the VDO speedo.

5. Calibrate per directions.

6. Drive around in complete confidence that your speedometer is accurate for a change.

btate May 21st, 2006 07:35 AM
Ok,
I found the yellow wire and taped into ready to hook up to speedo
The Hall effect sender installation shows to connect to pin 6 & 8 (not just
Do still recommend going to pin 8 only?
Thanks

souza May 21st, 2006 09:04 AM
What I read said pin 8 only. I’d try that first, then if it doesn’t work, try 6 & 8. I just 2x checked the speedo instructions, it says 6 & 8 for the hall effect, 7 & 8 for the inductive, and just 8 for using an ‘electronic’ transmission. In this case, that’s you
loykd May 30th, 2006 10:16 PM
Dave, where did you get your speedo cable modified?

souza May 31st, 2006 04:39 AM
Don’t bother Ken, just hook it straight up to the VSS like Bryan did. Right to Pin 8 on the speedo. I’m pretty sure he got it working, we were emailing offline. Last I know he just needed to calibrate it.

But if you still want to send it out, I got mine done at Hartford Speedometer in Connecticut (check yahoo yellow pages). Cost like $65 with shipping, and took several conversations to explain what I wanted. Of course, I didn’t send them the new hall effect sender b/c I already had it installed and wired-up.

btate May 31st, 2006 05:00 AM
Correct,
I taped staight into the VSS and sent the Hall effect unit back to e-gauges.

BUT…. I haven’t calibrated yet. I have adjusted the pulses so I am close. But I just got the 33’s on and haven’t gotten out yet to make sure I can dial it in. I feel confident it will work, I had the pulses to high and the needle shot around quickly….ran the miles up fast also.
I lowered the pulses and got the needle to move smoothly, just shows my speed way low now.

I will get the truck back from the stereo store in a few days and will try to find a mile marker or 2 to calibrate by the end of the week.
Bryan

Backstay July 20th, 2006 01:41 PM
I have done this now as well. Hooked up the yellow wire to pin 8, everything calibrated well and works perfectly except for one thing. …. I come to a stop and occasionally the speedo does not. It will read 30 mph or so and will increase like a tach when the truck is stopped and I rev her up. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

John

btate July 20th, 2006 02:34 PM
Ignore it? Just kidding. Mine needle tends to bounce around a bit also. I was thinking my VSS was weak/wearing? But I guess that’s the limit of the VSS. I wonder if your pin settings are correct.
I had to flip the small switches different than the original write-up by DJ. Mine does go to zero and stays once stopped. But bounces around 10-15 just before stopping. It seems to be reading a bit low now also. I am going to recalibrate and see if it improves. I may try the Hall effect method if it gets annoying. I assume you have a good ground?

Backstay July 20th, 2006 04:03 PM
I believe my ground is good. My only issue with it continuing at a stop is the odometer also continues to tick over. I suppose I shouldn’t be worried getting all those extra miles per gallon. Thanks for the input.

John

souza July 20th, 2006 05:31 PM
John it sounds like it only either be the VSS itself or the small cable that runs from the xfer case into the VSS. Do you also have trouble with the idle of the truck while that’s happening? Not throughing and codes is it?

scoloco July 30th, 2006 08:26 AM
VDO - VSS hookup?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Backstay
I have done this now as well. Hooked up the yellow wire to pin 8, everything calibrated well and works perfectly except for one thing. …. I come to a stop and occasionally the speedo does not. It will read 30 mph or so and will increase like a tach when the truck is stopped and I rev her up. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
John

Ok so I *finally* got around to hooking up my new VDO. I tapped into the yellow wire, went to pin8 (very small guage wire). Calibrated via auto-calibration (came to around 10310 pulses if I read it correctly). Speedo is all over the place. I’ll be chugging along at something slow (20mph?) and the needle will go up to 30, and/or 40mph, for a bit before coming back to 20. When I stop it again sits at 20 or 30 before dropping to 0. Once at 0 though, it stays there.
Any thoughts? Or is it just a really dirty signal. Different, or bigger guage wire going to make a difference?
FWIW, I tapped it in the engine bay, top rear right corner where the wire comes up to a plug.

btate July 30th, 2006 09:02 AM
This is sounding like a pattern. Mine Jumps also. Seemed to work initially but it wasn’t even close to calibrated so that may have dampened the bounce.

My bet is the Factory VSS is not a reliable signal for the VDO swap.

I just got used to it. Seems like a good way to get out of a speeding ticket?? Kidding
If I find a speedo shop I may reorder the Hall effect sender and go that route.

Someone else mentioned that the 97 and 94 were different and that maybe a 97 would be smoother?
But I have not looked up part numbers to verify. Something about it plugging into the transfer case directly.
But I don’t have a 97 close by to verify.

Bryan

souza July 31st, 2006 07:12 AM
What a disappointment. I’m pretty sure the info I got of the old Yahoo groups archives was for the pre-97 trucks though. Of course, those trucks were 5 years newer then. I will say that mine bounces a bit, even using the hall effect and modified cable. Not bad, but cruising along steady it will move up and down 1-3 MPH sort of regularly.

I’ll tell you, you’ve got to wonder what kind of info the ECU is getting with the signal bouncing around like that. My truck idles too high for a few seconds when coming to a stop, I’ve thought it was a bad VSS.

Scott I didn’t know this wire went to the top right of the engine bay, I thought it when only from the transfer case to the ECU…. ?

scoloco July 31st, 2006 04:28 PM
I wasnt sure it would work. Wire is really thin small guage stuff and I suspect there is a lot of noise between the VSS and the speedo at this point. I was hoping for the best. Fortunately I still have the hall effect sensor that I got with the speedo (before I found out about trying the VSS wire). Guess its time to go get my cable adapted (good thing I didnt throw it out - its buggered but enough is still good to adapt).
ECU is likely just looking for a signal to know the car is not stood. With a signal that noisy I doubt it really cares too much. Besides after putting bigger tires on and regearing, no one seems to have much problem w/ the ECU, even though this would throw the signal off a bit.

As for the idle deal, I’ve had a number of cars that would do that - idle high (~1100) until it came to a dead stop and then the idle would drop to 800 or so. (This is what my speedo did - go figure). My truck used to do that but stopped not too long ago. I figured something got out of whack, but I havent dug yet and it hasnt affected anything yet.

VSS wire goes over to the right frame rail, along it for a bit, up into the engine compartment along the firewall to the upper corner where there is a plug before it goes in to the ECU. I tapped in just after the plug. (joys of having the factory manual - for once it was useful!)

loykd August 25th, 2006 10:44 PM
Is the verdict then to modify the speedo cable rather than just do the wire mod?

Scott, once you made that change (presuming you did), did the needle jumpiness go away?

btate August 26th, 2006 04:15 AM
That’s what I would do. The wire is quick and easy, but pretty much makes the speedo worthless for any accurate reading

efournier August 26th, 2006 02:33 PM
I used a brass 3/8 - 1/2 NPT adapter to mount the hall effect sender directly to the VSS. I shortened the threaded end of the adapter by a 1/8″ or so. Both senders secure well enough to the pipe thread of the adapter. I used RTV when I was assembling them and simply used the short square peg drive that came with the VDO sender. Works great.

BTW, I was not able to get the yellow wire trick to work reliably… Accurate speeds below 30-40 MPH, but would never read over 40 no matter how fast I went. Needle bounced al the time as well.

scoloco August 27th, 2006 01:10 PM
I still have the yellow wire hooked up. Needle appears steady at highway speeds (but its a bit slow right now - pulses thing in the vdo set at 5010 if I remember). On the trail (when I’m not paying attention) its still up and down whenever it feels like it.
I have the old speedo cable (its buggered) that I could cut and adapt. Still have the hall effect converter box somewhere. The speedo shop I called wanted ~$80 to fix my speedo cable …. needless to say I’ve not done it yet. Erics method of hooking the hall effect directly to the vss looks interesting… might try that next time I feel motivated.

D90 Electrical, D90 Interior

Odometer Repair Procedure HERE

D90 Electrical, D90 Misc

Does anyone have an online source for the 5 - 1/8 F50G-S Adapter fitting from Parker Hydraulics?
Thanks.

I got mine from http://www.cincinnatihose.com/

I bought my #5 o-ring boss to 1/4″ NTP adapter from Capitol Bearing, www.capitolbearing.com, in Round Rock. Then I bought a 1/4″ to 1/8″ bushing. The part number for the straight adapter is 2216-4-5s. The FAQ indicates they will ship parts.

D90 Chassis, D90 Electrical, D90 Misc

Installing Mirror Heating to a Land Rover Defender

by Espen S. Johnsen

Original article is here.

I recently bought a Heated Mirror Kit for my Defender through eBay. The kit contained instructions for a quick and easy installation, but I wanted something that looked less “aftermarket”. So I spent a few hours trying to achieve this, and in the end the result turned out pretty well. The following is a summary of what I did, and could be used as alternative fitting instructions. If your car is not a LHD or not a 2001 MY some deviation from the described procedure may be needed.

Preparing for cable inside cab

• Remove instrument pack and wiper motor cover
• Optional: Remove crash pad and upper fascia trim
• Optional: Remove lower fascia panel (I did not do this)
• Drill a 9 mm hole through the firewall a few millimetres inside the upper screw securing the wiper cover. If the lower fascia panel has been removed, drill a similar hole on the right hand side. If not, drill a hole through 2 layers of steel plates between the upper screw securing the lower fascia and the outer edge of the firewall. See photos further down on the page.

Removing door hinges and mirrors.

This is easiest done by removing the stud securing the trim casing in the top front so that a half moon ring spanner can be inserted.

• Open the door, wind down the window and unscrew the screws from the outside. Use a helping hand to hold up the door while doing this. When done carefully close the door and lock it so you don’t open it accidently. Finally unscrew hinge from the firewall and separate mirror from hinge.
• Repeat the procedure for the other door.

Drilling and feeding cable through arms

• Align and fasten the mirror arm in a column type drilling machine and drill a 5.5 mm vertical hole through the outer part of the arm. This will of course weaken the arm slightly, but there is still plenty of metal left so it shouldn’t be a problem.



• Drill horizontally a 6.5 mm hole from the groove and into the base of the arm. The distance from the flange facing the plastic cap and to the centre of this hole should be 63 mm. To do this, a drill bit that is at least 145 mm long is needed. Align and fasten the arm on its back as shown in the picture.



• Make a 6 mm slightly oval hole in the side of the plastic cap as low as possible.



• Dismantle about 20 cm of the cable and feed it through the 5.5 mm hole from the groove side. Feed the other part through the hole in the base and then through the cap. Use some lubricant to make the cable glide smoothly. Solder or crimp 6.3 mm female blade terminals to the wires.



• Repeat the procedure for the other arm.

Mirror housings and glass

• Carefully remove the glass from the housing.
• Drill a 10 mm hole through the centre of the loose plate and if necessary, the housing it self. Feed through the wires from the arm.
• Attach housing to arm. Optional: replace that rusty M5×20 socket screw with one of stainless steel grade.
• Peel of the paper protecting the adhesive and apply the heating element to the back of the glass. Connect the wire terminals to the element (be very careful as the elements are very fragile).
• Remount glass into housing.
• Repeat the procedure for the other housing.

Mirror Housing

Remounting mirrors and hinges

• Make a groove for the cable in the stationary half of the hinge, as seen in the picture. Apply some paint to prevent the hinge from rusting.

Hinge Groove

• Mount mirror to hinge. Make a clamp on the lower screw to secure the cable to the hinge. Optional: replace the UNF1/4×1 screws with similar screws of stainless steel grade.



• Feed cable through the holes in the firewall and attach hinge. Make sure that the cable lays in the groove and that there is enough slack so it doesn’t get stretch when the door is fully opened.



• Carefully open door and remount hinge
• Repeat the procedure for the other side.

Completing the wiring

• Feed the cable from the left hand mirror up through the dash and across the steering column.
• If upper fascia trim has been removed, feed the cable behind lower fascia and through the cable duct and then in behind the instrument pack. If not, feed the cable as described in the original fitting instructions.
• Add switch as described in the original fitting instructions and connect to 12V feed.
• Remount fascia, wiper motor cover, crash pad and instrument pack

D90 Electrical, D90 Exterior

Sorry about the delay, while I don’t have any working pictures available (D90 is in the shop) I do have some of the installation. I have left a list of the part numbers for the VDO gauges below. As for swapping out the lights I guess you could do that but I’m not sure where to find a bulb that possesses a higher wattage nor am I aware of the listed wattage. Personally the VDO’s are far superior and less expensive in the long run as any accessory or part is easy to find.

I purchased all of my senders and gauges from egauges.com. Also all of the gauges are VDO Vision Black Series and are 2 1/16” in diameter except for the Speedometer which is 4-in.

Electronic Speedo: 85MPH (#437 154), however these might be out of production by now so you’ll have to use the 120MPH (#437 155)
Speedo Sender: GM Sender (#340 011)

Temp Gauge: 250F/150C Range (#310 105)
Temp Sender: 250F/150C Range (#323 095). The thread is 1/8-27 NPT for most 95 D90’s. The others are metric and I’ll have to double check which one, but I believe mine was M14×1.5 (#323 416).

I went through the two listed Senders and ended up having to get the VDO 323-417 one. My sender is the m16×1.5.

Tachometer: 6K RPM (#333 158) Just use the same wire from your alternator.

Fuel Gauge: Vision (#301 105) Again just use the same wire from the sender in the tank. There is no need to swap that out.

Electrically the only modifications that you’ll have to perform are to establish new connections for the programmable speedometer and exchange the OEM light sockets for the VDO sockets using the same wires. The other issue is the Speedo sensor. You can do it yourself or take it to a speedometer-shop and have them install it. I had a shop do it for about $50.

I’ll post some of my install pictures later tonight.

Regards

DJ

No problem. Here’s how I did my gauge swap. First a couple of notes; I wanted to ensure a good connection without soldering so all the connectors are crimp only with adhesive lined heat-shrink. The latter is something I regret doing because the chance of moisture build-up on the terminals is slim, thus the typical Nylon or PVC barreled connectors should suffice. Plus, if I wanted to be that anal about it I could have just used dielectric grease to prevent water ingress. Also, I did this about two years ago some my memory of the install isn’t precise so be aware that I may have neglected some steps.

Some of the tools and supplies you’ll need are listed below:
• Number 2 Pozidrive (I recommend the ACR version from Snap-On)
• needle nose pliers
• wire stripping/crimping tool and/or diagonal cutters
• 0.250” 10-12 AWG female spade connectors; typically blue (for doubling grounds)
• 0.250” 14-16 AWG female spade connectors; typically blue (for all other connections)
• 0.025” 12-14 AWG adhesive lined heat shrink (only if connectors aren’t insulated; optional)
• Butane Torch (only if connectors aren’t insulated; optional)
• Metric open ended wrench (I’ll have to check the size)
• 50:50 water/antifreeze solution
• Shop towels and a basin to catch & clean up antifreeze

Ok, the first thing you want to do is remove the gauge cluster. With the #2 Pozidrive remove the two screws from both sides of the fascia and the two on the bottom. Gently pull the cluster out and immediately reach behind the speedometer and remove the mechanical Speedo-cable. Its really in there so give it a good pull and don’t worry you won’t break it as long as you pull it directly away from you. If you pull to the side you risk snapping the drive flange.

Now that you have it out you’ll noticed that the cluster is tethered in three spots. Two directly plug into the idiot light cluster and the other is for the gauge cluster. Remove all three (harness plug pic 1). Now you should be able to remove the cluster. If not make a note of any remaining connections and label them with tape (main pic 1).

Speedometer : Removing the speedometer is easy. Just unscrew the threaded nuts and disconnect all wiring. The directions that come with the Speedo are self explanatory. Since there are a few different ways to install it you should follow the directions that illustrate the “Hall Sensor.” It’s pretty easy. Just remember to leave some slack from the sensor cable so you can remove the gauge cluster with ease in the future.

Speedometer Sensor : I didn’t do this and instead had a local Speedometer shop do it. But you will have to affix 0.250” 14-16 AWG male connectors to the wires from the Speedo sensor.

Fuel and & Water Gauge : The fuel and water gauge are the easiest to swap out since their electrical configurations are the same (pic 1). First thing you need to do is find the green wires attached to both gauges. There should be two per gauge; one with a clear PVC boot and the other with a clear rubber boot. The connector with the rubber boot is male and must be swapped out for a female connector (water & fuel pic 1). Remove the male spade from the black on green wire (rubber boot) and replace it with a female. Do this for both gauges. Next remove the plug from the light socket on both gauges and replace each wire (two per socket) with a female spade connector. Lastly you need to replace the main ground. Since you have a ring terminal on the OEM connection you’ll have to replace it with the larger 10-12 AWG female spade connector.

Now that you have the proper connectors you must reinsert them into the new gauges. With the gauge loosely in the cluster (with screw-loc) attached the wires to the following positions. The solid green wire (PVC boot) is positive terminal and the black on green (Rubber boot) in the “negative” terminal (fuel pic 1 & 2). The same goes for the water gauge (water pic 1 & 2). The main ground is the terminal on the bottom. The light merely snaps into the back of the gauge.

Position the gauge and tighten the screw-loc to secure the gauge in place and you’re done with these two gauges.

Water Sensor : The water sensor must be replaced in order for the VDO gauge to read the temperature correctly. The OEM doesn’t support the OHM range required so you’ll have to pop the hood and swap it out for a new one (water sensor pic 1). The sensor is located at the engine block terminus of the upper coolant hose. Follow the upper hose down to the block and you’ll see the sensor to the immediate right (facing the vehicle) of the passenger side rocker cover (water sensor pic 2 & 3). Prepare to remove the sensor by placing a basin at the bottom of the sump along with some towels to prevent antifreeze from making a mess. You’ll also want to insert a dry rag under the sensor so that you may plug the hole to prevent too much antifreeze from escaping you coolant system.

Remove connection from the sensor. Now with a XX-mm wrench (I’ll have to check on the size) remove the sensor and quickly insert the rag into the outlet. Replace with the new sensor until snug (water sensor pic 4). The new sensor will require a 14-16 AWG ring connector. Remove the female connector and apply the new one. Unscrew the black nut on the new sensor and install the sensor wire. Now is a good time to apply any dielectric grease to the post. Screw the nut back on and you done. Clean up the antifreeze and top off your coolant system with the 50:50 mixture or other desired proportion.

Tachometer : The tachometer requires more adjustments than the previous two. First remove all the wires from the OEM tach. There should be one grey on white & one green both with black PVC boots, two black (one is has ring terminal and the other a black PVC boot) and the other two are from the light and should be red and white on red both connected to a black PVC boot (tach pic 1). Remove the black PVC boot from the red & white on red wires & the black wire. Also remove the ring terminal from the other black wire. Replace both the red and red on white wires along with the 14-16 AWG female connectors. Combine both black wires with the 10-12 AWG female connectors. Only the green and grey on white wires should remained untouched (tach pic 2).

With the gauge loosely in the cluster (with screw-loc) attached the wires to the following positions. The ground wires (dual black) should plug into the negative terminal (pic 2). The green wire with black PVC boot should go into the positive terminal (pic 2). The grey on white wire with black PVC boot should insert into the terminal marked “2” (pic 2). There shouldn’t be a terminal at position 1. Plug both of the red and red on white wires into the new light socket and insert the socket into place and you’re done (tach pic 3).

Now you’ll not in my pictures there is no screw-loc to keep the gauge in place. I ultimately swapped in a screw-loc, but originally went with the OEM fasteners as seen. Either is fine. The last thing you need to do is tell the tach what engine you’re monitoring. On the back you’ll have to select the keys according to the directions that are provided with the gauge (pic 3). I think (but am not sure) it goes up, down, up. I’ll have to double check.

With everything installed simple plug the three harnesses back into their positions and attach the gauge cluster. Turn on the engine to make sure everything is operational. If you’re tach isn’t working then it’s probably because you didn’t configure the three switches in the correct orientation. Other issues might arise from a poor ground connection or you’ve mistakenly swapped a terminal. If you still can’t troubleshoot the issues just email me at medaniel@msn.com and we’ll try to figure out the issue.

VDO #437 155 is the 120MPH version
VDO #437 157 is the 85MPH (with kph markings sorta similar to stock) in 100mm size but I’ve only found one website that lists them. Getting ready to start a phone hunt coz this is what I want if I can find one.

I think only a speedo shop can do it. As you look at the back of the VDO speedo, on the left side, remove the light. Look in the hole. On the right edge of the hole on the PCB there are three spots onto which your local speedo tech will solder some leads, hook up to a computer, and use a proprietary computer program to adjust the odometer.

D90 Electrical, D90 Interior

Here is my gauge installation write-up. It was a fairly easy job. One of my goals was to make the install look as “stock” as possible. I found that the VDO Black Cockpit Series gauges are very close “appearance wise” to the stock gauges and are “back lit” as well. The only difference I found was that the VDO Cockpit Series have red needles and the stock gauges have white needles. Also, a BIG THANK YOU goes to Mike H. for the radio insert!

Below is the parts list:

Parts:

VDO Oil Pressure Gauge

Source: egauges.com

PN:310 041

Range: 0 ~ 80 psi, 0~180ohm, 7psi warning

Price: $25.75

VDO Sender:

Source: egauges.com

PN: 360 009

Range: 10~180ohm, dual contact for sender and warning lamp

Price: $33.54

Adapter Fitting:

Source: Parker Hydraulics

PN: 5-1/8 F50G-S

Price: $11

VDO Voltmeter Gauge

Source: egauges.com

PN: 332 041

Price: $25.74

Panel:

Source: egauges.com

PN:PAN001

Price: $16

Radio Housing:

Source: Rovers North

PN: RNH512

Price: $38

License Plate Inserts

Source: Pep Boys

Cost: $3

Green Dash Bulbs

Source: Pep Boys

Cost: $3

1) Removed pressure switch.

2) Assembled adapter fitting to sender. Do not use tape. Be sure that it’s tight.

3) With the o-ring (on the adapter) lubed with oil, fasten sender to oil pump housing.

4) Run a 16gage wire from the sender to inside the cabin. I used the wiring loom that runs along the passenger side of the engine that passes through the bulkhead near the fuse panel. Refer to pic.

5) Fasten warning light wire and gauge wire to the sender.

6) Fasten ground wires to the fuse panel plate (16gage).

7) Run the ground wires and the sender wire up through the dash. (I used a snake…works well)
For power, tap into cigarette lighter, for the gauges and the lights. The dash light wiring (18gage) was “Daisy Chained”. Just follow the wiring diagram that comes with the gauges.

9) Press the licenses plate inserts into the vent slots (I did this to avoid drilling into the dash)

10) Drill the holes in the radio insert for mounting

11) Drill a hole into the cluster cover for the wires. (I hated to do this, but I did not know how to route the wires otherwise.)

12) Replace the clear bulb in the gauges with a green bulb to match stock gauges

13) Assemble gauges and wiring

14) Enjoy your favorite alcoholic beverage while admiring your hard work!

Added notes:

The radio housing was trimmed because of interference with the cluster cover. I installed only two gauges and I pre-wired for the third gauge. All wire connections are made with shielded connectors and applied with dielectric grease.

D90 Electrical, D90 Interior

I just installed a VDO oil pressure gauge and sender on mine, although I have a 3.9L. I had to buy a special adapter from Parker Hydraulics to installed the sender. The sender has 1/8NPT male threads and the oil pump housing has 1/2-20 (#5 O-ring) female threads. Refer to my write-up in the “Small Projects” section.

#5 O-ring to 1/8NPT

You can take an old pressure sender, break out the top plastic part, drill it out and tap it, slam dunk.

D90 Electrical, D90 Interior

> > Remove the signal lights and the headlight trim and
> > headlight.
> > Follow the wiring from the turn signal that is in
> > the bumper. It will go through a grommet in the
> > lower fender. Follow it until you find where it
> > plugs into 2 black barrel like fittings (called
> > Lucar connectors). Unplug the bumper lamp wiring.
> >
> > Then follow the wires from the back of the lower
> > parking light. Remove these wires from their Lucar
> > connectors (they just pull out, unless corroded)
> > then plug these wires into the Lucar connectors that
> > the old bumper turn signal used to turn into. This
> > converts the lower parking light into a turn signal.
> >
> > Now replace the bulb with an 1156? (7506 or 105) bulb from your
> > local parts store and you are done. Well, you have
> > to do the other side.
> >
> > If you want to get really trick you can order a
> > stop/tail light from Rovers North #RTC5523 and wire
> > it up so that you will still have both upper and
> > lower parking lights (same theory as above) but you
> > will also connect the red parking light wire as
> > well. Then toss the red lens they sent with it and
> > install your old amber lens. This will keep your
> > factory look, but will give you a turn signal in the
> > lower lamp.
> >
> > Sometimes this simple swap can be a bitch becuase
> > Rover didn’t leave the wires very long, so it can be
> > aggrevating to get everything plugged in.

D90 Electrical, D90 Interior

You’ll need 2 stop/tail lamp assemblies from a Series III/ Euro Defender (part# RTC5523) and 2 amber lenses for the same (part # 589285).

Then remove the factory turn signal and the lower marker light.
Then blend the wiring, putting the parking light wiring (red w/ black stripe) to the red wire on the new lamp. Then take the turn signal wire (green w/red stripe LH) and (green w/white stripe RH) and attach it to the green w/ purple wire on the lamp assembly.
Then attach the black ground wire to the black ground wire on the lamp.
Install it in the 90 just like the one you took out. Chuck the red lens and install the amber lens and now you will still have all 4 marker lights and the lower one will flasher brighter (and at the normal speed) when you turn.

If your 90 has the modern black backed lights you will have to do some wire cutting and you should paint the white base of the new lamp black so it looks the same when you install it.

D90 Electrical, D90 Interior

Part # STC1856. Cost was around $225 through D.A.P.

You’re going to have to pull the distributor. But, if you mark it’s position well with a grease pen and are careful, you should be able to pull it out and put it back in place easily enough. While you’re there, check your vaccum advance and the reluctor wheel thingy’s clearance and oil the tophat. Check Europarts before you order, the last one I got from him cost $150ish.

I installed the relocation kit on my 93 RRC a few months ago. I didn’t remove the distributor but I did have to disconnect the vacuum advance and turn the distrubutor to get to the two bolts that hold the amplifier on. I also removed the upper radiator hose to make it easier to work on the distributor.

Once the dummy amp is attached, it’s pretty simple to complete the install. I used a timing light to get the distributor back to where it should be.

D90 Electrical

There is a temperature cutoff - ie, it wont run the A/C if the engine temps are too high. Once way to test this is to disconnect the temp sensor (it’s to the bottom left of the thermostat housing) and connect the two wires. If you clutch now engages properly you either have a bad temp switch or a overheating problem.

When I installed electric fans in my truck I used the A/C temp sender location for the fans, and had to close the A/C sender circuit to allow at least the A/C fans to come on.

D90 Electrical, D90 Interior

Ford duraspark ignition module only $16.99
Accel Super Stock Coil 45,000 volts $29.99
email me for part #’s
This is how it is wired:
Distributor wire blue connect to orange wire duraspark box
Distributor wire red connect to violet(purple) wire duraspark box

Red wire from duraspark box to postive key on igintion.
Black wire from duraspark conect to Ground.
Green wire from duraspark conect to negative side of coil.
White wire from duraspark box optional hook up to solenoid wire from starter, for easier starting(retards the timing while starting). Make sure the box is grounded good.
This gives you an alternative to the problamatic Lucas module that Land rover has had problems with from the begining! Land rover uses a variable reluctance magnetic pickup distributor and guess what, so does the Ford duraspark distributor.

Please notice the changes. The Duraspark box fires on the rising edge of the signal. If your Land Rover original box
fired on the falling edge then the polarity will be reversed, meaning blue goes to orange and red goes to violet(purple). Be sure to check timing when finished!

D90 Electrical

Ford Duraspark replacement Ignition Control Module ICM
I replaced the Land Rover ignition control module (ICM) with a Ford Duraspark ignition module. Tons of thanks to Toddco for describing this “upgrade”. I think that the Land Rover ICM is about $135 and I read many threads on d-90.com where our Defenders are having trouble with this part. So, I found a thread where Toddco describes a cheaper / better alternative.

Search for a thread titled, “Ignition Module and Coil?”

I did not find the Ford Duraspark ignition module for $16.99. Advance Auto Parts has one for that price but the one I was handed did not have 6 wires and the wire colors were wrong. NAPA has their store brand, Mileage Plus, for $29.99 (Part number: TP40SB). This module has 6 wires and in the correct colors (except for the black wire that Toddco mentioned.) Here’s how I installed mine and the Rover started right up.

NOTE: These instructions assume that your original Land Rover ignition control module has been relocated out of the distributor. It is my understanding that 1994 Defenders had the ICM located inside of the distributor. There is a relocation kit available (do a search). On my 1995 the ICM was mounted on a plate bolted together with the coil. If considering the relocation I would assume that you can forget the kit, remove your ICM from the distributor, extend the red and blue wires, find some connectors for the coil and adapt these instructions to your Rover.

NOTE! NOTE! NOTE! I do not work for Land Rover. I am not a mechanic. I take full responsibility for what I do to my Rover and I do not take any responsibility for what you do to your Rover. These instruction worked for me and presumably at least one other person. Use these instruction at your own risk. My Defender is as it came from the dealer. 3.9 engine. No electrical modifications that should affect these instructions.

Finally, the instructions for replacing your Land Rover ignition module.

Go to NAPA and pick up part number TP40SB. Verify that it has 6 wires in the following colors; orange, violet (purple), red, black with a green stripe, green, white. This module is a big hunk of metal and you will need to consider where you will locate it.

Remove your ignition coil (if you remove any connectors note their location, there is a (+) and a (-) side on the coil connectors. Bolted to the mounting bracket along with the coil is a metal plate with the Land Rover control module attached “the assembly”. There are two wires (blue and red) running through a connector on “the assembly”. Detach the connector. There are two additional wires running from a black connector on the control module “assembly” to the coil. The white with black stripe connects to the negative side of the coil, The white wire connects to the positive side of the coil. Disconnect these two wires at the coil.

You should now be able to remove “the assembly” from the rover. “The assembly” is a metal bracket onto which is bolted the Land Rover control module; a connector with a blue, a red and a black (ground) wire; and another connector from which a white with black stripe wire and a white wire will be dangling.

On “the assembly” cut the red wire, the blue wire and unbolt the black ground wire. This will enable you to remove one connector from “the assembly”. You will solder this connector onto the Ford Duraspark so leave enough wire to do the soldering. I chose to cut the black ground wire off of the connector as I didn’t see a use for it.

I solder all connections and shrink wrap them for insulation. You should too.

——-
1. Now solder the blue wire from the connector to the orange wire on the Ford Duraspark.
2. Solder the red wire from the connector to the violet(purple) wire on the Ford Duraspark.

By reusing the connector and wires you will be able to plug directly into your wiring loom.

——-
3. Solder a length of black wire onto the black with green stripe wire on the Ford Duraspark. At the end solder a connector with a round hole. This is the ground and you will ground it to one of the bolts holding the coil.

——-
Back at “the assembly” remember the white with black stripe wire and the white wire that you left dangling? Now you need to cut the connectors, that connected to the coil, off of those wires. Note which connector goes to which wire as they are different (one is male and the other is female. Keep them seperated as they aren’t nutered and we don’t need any little unwanted connectors coming out of their union.).

4. Solder a length of red wire onto the red wire on the Ford Duraspark. Solder the connector from the white wire (+ positive side) to the end of the red wire.

5. Solder a length of green wire onto the green wire on the Ford Duraspark. Solder the connector from the white with black stripe (- negative side) to the end of the green wire.

6. I did nothing with the white wire. Toddco notes that you can connect it to the solenoid on the starter for easier starting. Something about retards the timing while starting. I simply wrapped the end of the wire with insulation to prevent shorting.

———–
Those added lengths of wire are variable depending on where you decide to mount the Ford Duraspark.

Now, put it all back together. On one of the mounting bolts where the coil will mount there should be a grounding strap. On that same bolt there should be a ground wire from the loom that contains the other end of the blue/red wire connector. Add the ground wire from the Ford Duraspark and remount the coil. There will also be a small cylinder that mounts with the coil too. (This is just the way it was prior to disassembly except that “the assembly” is now gone and you are adding the ground from the Ford Duraspark.)

Connect the red/blue wire connector from the Ford Duraspark to the corresponding red/blue wire connector in the loom.

Connect the Red wire from the Ford Duraspark to the positive side of the coil.
Connect the Green wire from the Ford Duraspark to the negative side of the coil.

Toddco, notes the following: “Please notice the changes. The Duraspark box fires on the rising edge of the signal. If your Land Rover original box fired on the falling edge then the polarity will be reversed, meaning blue goes to orange and red goes to violet(purple). Be sure to check timing when finished!”

My note to Toddco’s note: It seems that he meant to type, in this note, “… will be reversed, meaning blue goes to violet(purple) and red goes to orange. …” . My Rover cranked right up so I assume that I did everything correctly. As you read above in my Defender it is blue to orange and red to violet(purple).

Check your work! Start the Rover! Check the timing!

How to check timing from ???

“… Find the mark for 5 deg. BTDC on the bell housing, connect the timing light, turn engine on and turned distributor until 5 deg. mark and the mark on the block line up.”

My notes on timing. On other cars, I’m used to lining up a notch on a pulley wheel with a corresponding mark on the engine block. The Defender is pretty cool in that there is a gauge etched into the “pulley wheel”. The gauge goes from 12 degrees BTDC (before top dead center) to 12 degrees ATDC (after top dead center). If you get under the rover and look at the pulley closest to the block you’ll see this gauge. (You might have to crank (don’t start) the engine to get the gauge to rotate to the bottom). Back up and looking from the top of the engine you’ll see a fin molded into the engine block at TDC. Shine the timing light from above and set the timing as desired. (5 deg BTDC ???)

Attached is a picture of the Ford ICM mounted. I took some aluminum sheet probably 1/16 of an inch (fairly stout) and cut it to mount under the left wing. I bent the ends of the sheet so that when bolted to the galvanized wheel well the mounted Ford module sits parallel to the ground and the fender above. I also mounted the coil and one of the horns on the aluminum sheet. This was to tidy up the installation.

This installation is easily reversible except for the 3 holes drilled in the wheel well.

D90 Electrical

Optimas in particular HATE being charged from zero with anything lower then 10.5 amps. What the engineer told me was that crystals form in the cells when charged for too long at 2.5 amps. He said that battery is designed to discharge and be recharged by a standard automatic charger set to begin its charge at 10.5 amps and work its way down to 2.5 amps until its full, and finally will shut off or float the battery until you unplug it.

All Rovers, D90 Electrical, LR3 Electrical

On the trailer plug thingy you have 7 pins,

Pin 1 is (does not say the color) and goes to the right tail lamp
Pin 2 is GP=green/purple and goes to the stop Lamp
Pin 3 is GW=green white and goes to the right directional
Pin 4 is GR=green/red and goes to the left Directional
Pin 5 is B=black and goes to Ground
Pin 6 is not used
Pin 7 is RB=red/black and goes to left tail lamp

Now in the back by the speaker the colors are like this per the manual

right tail lamp RO=red/orange
left tail lamp RB=red/black
left Directional GR=green/red
right directional GW=green/white
stop lamp GP=green/purple

D90 Electrical

I have been replacing the tail lamps over the past few months, one at a time as they fail due to corrosion in the sockets. It seems like a terrible design putting the rear lights in the wheel well open to the abuse of everything coming off the tires (mud, water, rocks, road kill).

Anyway, I stumbled onto this at Rovers North and wanted to share it with everyone. Seems like a good investment.

http://www.roversnorth.com/store/sh…kit-defender-90

Kit includes new bulb sockets, rubber boots, clamp, connector repair kit and sealing compound. Does all five rear lamp assemblies.
———

The kit was an LR recall due to the bulb socket corrosion cause by moisture getting into the bulb sockets , both of my D90s have the upgrade done in 2001. can’t recall if did the recall under warranty. I still had to change the bulb sockets 2 years ago on my D90 , due to wading in some deep puddles , but never had a problem on my wife’s D90.

——–

I ordered and installed that kit when I rebuilt my truck in 04.

It is a challenge to get a seal around the thin part where the wires go through - I used some sillly-cone on that end. The kit includes plastic clamps for sealing the large end around the bulb holder.

It seemed like a good set-up, and it appeared to keep water out for a few months, but by the following winter, water was finding its way back in.

I used all new parts when I did the install, the kit, bulb holders, bulbs and even tail light lenses were all new. I also packed the connectors with dielctric grease.

These really only seem to work in ideal situations, you have to keep the mating surfaces super-clean, ensure the boot slips all the way onto the back of the lens, seal the small end perfectly, and get the clamp on tight.

I think the only real long-term fix is moving to Arizona or buying ECR’s LED kit.

———-

My 90 came with them (previous owner), but still had the corrosion problem. I ended up doing the drain hole + dielectric grease to finally stop the problem.

D90 Electrical, D90 Exterior

FOR 1994 DEFENDER 90 RADIO WIRING

Battery +(always hot) = purple
Ignition switched + = orange w/white stripe
ground = solid black
light switched + = red w/black stripe

Speakers:
Left rear
+ = black w/ green stripe
- = black w/blue stripe
Right rear
+ =black w/white stripe
- =black w/ brown stripe
Left front
+ = black w/yellow stripe
- =black w/orange stripe
Right front
+ =black w/pink stripe
- =black w/red stripe

D90 Electrical