GUIDE: Fitting a rev counter into a mk1 1.0/1.1
 

As some models of mk1 1.0 and 1.1 don't have a rev counter this can prove pretty annoying. I have the solution though, its quite easy too :P. I don't have any picture but look at the wiring diagram at the bottom of the page and will explain a step by step guide on how to do it.

1) First of all, you can either buy an aftermarket tachometer that can be placed anywhere you like. Option 2 is to buy some new dials (mine cost £20 from ebay) from a mk1 saxo. Think mine was from a 1.1sx as it doesn't have a temperature gage but just a light (basically its exactly the same as your original dials but it has a rev counter instead of the massive clock).

Guide for replacing Dials - (scroll down for aftermarket Tachometer)

2) Unplug your battery and wait around 20-30 mins so the airbag can be removed (the airbag may go off if you do it straight away as it holds a charge).

3) Remove the steering wheel by this guide by Mark51 (great guide) http://www.saxperience.com/forum/sho...38#post2466438.

4) You will now see 5 plugs on the back of your dials, from left to right - green, blue, white, yellow and brown. You only need to unplug the yellow plug.

5) Now, with around 2-3m lenth of wire, feed this through the grommet under the passenger side dash. This can be found here under the dash, its a black rubber grommet than can be quite hard to remove (use a flat head screw driver and prise it out). If you use a torch you will easily see it.

6) Feed the wire through and then you will now see this wire in the engine bay (at the back of the bay on your right side). Pull through enough wire so it can be routed around the engine bay to your ECU.

7) With the battery still disconnected, you will see a silver clip keeping the ECU plug in place. Flick this from where it is towards the back of the car. Now it should become loose but you have to pull it out from back of the engine bay first as there are 'hooks' holding it in place at the front. Also, undo the wrap on the wiring so you can push the black housing up to gain access to the wires in Step 8!!

8) You will now see a small screw on the right side of the plug at the front, undo this and push a nail through the whole. The brown connection of the plug should now prise out and you will see the wires. Your looking for a bright green wire (there are a few) but your after the one that connects to PIN 6 (you can see the numbers on the brown connection block that the wires are connected into).

9) Locate PIN 6 and check the wire has number 425 on it. Now, cut this wire and strip each side. You can either use a connection block but I found it hard to put the ECU plug back together with this OR you can solder the 3 wires (solder the wire you put through into the engine bay to the cut green wires). I twisted them together first as its easier. Tape this all up now and push the brown connection block into the black casing. Took me a while to get how it works but I got it - just look at the housing first as one side of the brown block needs to go in before the other).

10) Put the screw back in and this is job done. Connect the ECU plug back to the ECU itself, and clip it black in with the silver clip.

11) You now need to go inside the car and feed the wire you've wired to the ECU behind the dash, I just fed mine to the steering column then up behind the dials (or to aftermarket tachometer).

12) Disconnect the yellow plug from the dials (second from right). You will see each PIN is numbered on this too (1-8). Splice into the brown wire connected to PIN 1 . I used a connector block for this, strip both sides of the cut brown wire and twist the wire coming from the ECU into one of the sides. Connect this to a connector block and remember to put the other end of the brown wire into this.

13) Put everything back in (dials, dial surround, indicator pannel, steering wheel, airbag etc.

14) Connect battery again and start the engine. You should now see the revs working.

15) Tidy up the wire in the engine bay and make sure its not touching anything that gets hot.

Aftermarket Tacho

Do steps: 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14 and 15.

Obviously just wire it to the tachometer if your not fitting complete dials.

Job done!!! :afro:. This is a very detailed guide and no where near as complicated as it looks, took me around 30 minutes to do (but i'm a pro in removing my dials lmao!).

Wiring diagram for reference:

pics of aftermarket tacho?

Something like this although this has a shift light. I'd prefer the normal dials tbh, looks a lot better!

This is amazing. Cheers :D

I now have life..

Woooo get in!!! It worked for you too - this guide is fool proof ;). Easy wasn't it bud!

I would rep you more :D but i cant :(

EDIT: never mind just read your reply to my thread! ill have a go! cheers!

RIGHT! THIS GUIDE IS RUBBISH!
haha no its not, but iv run into a snag. Can't get the bloody ECU plug out. The whole putting the nail in the hole thing has stumped me and i cant get it off its clips.

Here's a pic just to show you what i mean if you dont already know...



^thats not my hand haha

Also im checking this is the grommit your talking about yeah?


Any chance you could get a picture up of your ECU with the new wire in it, so i know what im aiming for.

So any help with that would be super!
Cheers mate

If you've got the metal clip loose then great.. If not i think the bottom end of it, that's clipped into the actual ECU unit needs to be pushed towards the bulkhead.. Then it should pivot around a little clip at the front end of the ECU unit. If you pull it right round on this clip it will eventually lift free. Then with it unplugged you need to take off the rubber bit that seals the wires in.. and under there are two screws. Undo them, then undo the other screw.. push a nail through and it should work.
Sorry if that was just a big disorganised mess... maybe someone else can put it better :D

a little bit of a mess lol but i appreciate the help. I probably wont get a chance to do this today, but i like to know what im doing before i start.

wait...just to check, you push the nail through after you've disconnected the plug?

yes. First you need to remove the plug from the socket. Then you need to take the plug apart. This is done by removing that screw and pushing a nail through it.
You may be finding it difficult to take the plug out because you've already taken out the screw which holds it together.. i dunno.

yeah that is a possibility, well ill give it a go later on when i get the car back frmo my girlfriends anyway and report back!

finsihed fitting my rev counter today and for the record this guide is simply amazing!
top work yet again

this doesnt work for me ,what am i doing wrong ? :(

im trying to use an aftermarket tachometer?

Maybe the pinouts for the 106 ECU is different. I know the SPI 1.1 engine ECU is different to the 1.1 MPI ECU... i dunno.

Hmm ok. Mines an Spi. 1.1?

I dunno then..
If you've found a green wire with the number 425 on it coming from pin 6 in the ECU then the problem must be somewhere other than the signal..

hmm you rekon so?

well we was doing it on my mates, but both the same engine and car basicaly :)

was definatley green wire with 425 on it tho :)

It should work.. It's probably a wiring problem somewhere else.
I've got no experience with aftermarket tachos.. so i don't really know what you'd have to do. You've got the right feed wire though.. and that's the tricky bit :y:

what u rekon the earth or something?

but surely if it was that then the thing wouldnt light up or do anything?

iv just wired in my after market techno mate, does yours have a green,red,black wires coming from the gauge then another 2black and red wires?


if so pm me mate and il show you how ;)

Brilliant guide mate.. The big clock is gone! I've had new dials sitting around ages, just didnt know how to make them work. :clapping:

excellent guide ive had some clocks in the garage for ages, gonna give this ago tomorrow :y:

Excellent guide mate so many people will apreciate this! Shame rep system has gone :D

im going to test it out tomorrow hopefully,

would a set of mk1 vtr clocks work?

CHeers
Trevor

ok i fitted my new clocks today found it really easy thanks to this guide :A:
and the rev counter works great..

the only two problem's I've got now is that my fuel gauge is now all over the place when i drive??(when i accelerate the fuel gauge goes all the way to empty then when i brake it goes to nearly full) but when im idling the fuel gauge acts normal and shows how much fuel i have..

also i have lost all of my back lights on the clocks I've checked to see if the bulbs have blown and replaced the one's that did and checked and cleaned all the contacts but still no luck

any suggestions I've checked everything i can think of.

hi i think they should work just make sure you get the same age clocks as your car.
Because some clocks have five plugs around the top and the others only have two plugs at the back of the clocks..
Hope this helps

great guide. gonna fit my dials tomorrow :y:

wiked guide mate i will have ago at this when i get some money + time together.

would this work for a '99 open scandal because im sure they are mk2? and would vtr dials work or will it show the wrong speed so i could be doin 30 when i think im doin 50 :P!

not matter lol just gonna buy the full vtr clocks!

just wondering if it would be the same on mk1 vts cheers Gaz

How did you go about fitting the digital clock, don't it need a constent power supply to make it work? Or is the power supply from the power to the LED lights?

On the otherhand, Dose the temp gauge work?

A quick reply would be excelent.

Ta!

Nah just plug it in and it works dude, I guess it must have a power supply but a very small one at that.
I don't have a temp gauge on mine, I just used some dials out of another 1.1 that had a rev counter but no temp gauge. I doubt it would work and would need to wire it up like I did with the rev counter ;).

My guess is the clock runs off the led's behind that light up when you turn the lights on as they always have a constent supply of power.

Oh man.. never knew the new 1.1 had a no temp gauge although i knew about the rev counter.

Thanks
Dan

my 1.1 has the rev guage, but i want the temp guage lol , i would rather see it going in to the red than a big light saying dickhead you have fucked it now... lol

kieran.

Going to do this in the morning!

Took speedo dial off, and putting it on my current Tacho (So don't need to dock the milage so i can say its a clean car now)

You say the clocks have 5 plugs, green, blue, white, yellow and brown. I believe that Saxo's have the FULL wiring loom behind the clocks and just put in basic clocks for basic models (like 106's) so why didn't you just plug the yellow plug into the new clocks? If that wasn't possible, i can understand wiring up to the ECU but what thickness of wire? Same thickness as the ones on the clcoks i'm assuming?

Thanks
Dan

Bumpage

SUPER

I NOW PWN A REV COUNTER.

I USED SPEAKER CABLE, AND PUT A HOLE IN THE EDGE OF THE RCU HOUSING FOR THE CABLE TO POP THROUGH.

ONLY COST ME £7 FOR THE CLOCKS AND 50P FOR THE WIRE.

NOW, FANCY GETTING THE TEMP GAUGE WORKING FOR ME ;)

Thanks!

Hiya mate. I got a MK1 saxo eastcoast and wanna put VTR dials in (temp gauge and rev counter). Is this the same guide for that? please PM me back :) thanks