Dakota Digital Digital 3 User Manual
VACUUM FLUORESCENT DIGITAL DASHBOARD
IMPORTANT NOTE!
This
system
has an odometer preset option that is only
for instructions
and setup information
.
SERIES 3
NOW WITH
SOLID STATE SENSOR TECHNOLOGY
INSTALLATION AND OPERATION MANUAL
Please read this before beginning installation or wiring.
available for the first 100 miles (160km) of operation. See odometer preset section
MAN 650066:D
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Thank you for purchasing the Vacuum Fluorescent Digital Dashboard from DAKOTA
T
ach Message Center
DIGITAL, the leader in custom automotive electronics. Representing the latest electronic
dashboard technology for the street rodder, car, and truck enthusiast alike, the digital
instrumentation uses state of the art vacuum fluorescent display technology to give the driver
up-to-date and accurate information on the operation of his or her vehicle. As used in several
production automobiles, vacuum fluorescent displays give superior performance and visual
appeal over LCD or LED display systems. Emitting a blue/green light that can be filtered to a
wide variety of colors, the VFD system boasts excellent daytime visibility and while under
computer control, dimmable for nighttime driving. Using microprocessor technology, the digital
dashboard gives the driver additional features and benefits not typically found on any other
brand or type of instrumentation. Digital accuracy and solid state reliability will give you, the
driver, quality service for miles down the road.
TYPICAL DISPLAY SETUPS
Speed Message Center
Shared Speed/Tach
Message Center
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WARNING
The vacuum fluorescent displays are made of glass and should be handled with care.
MOUNTING UNIVERSAL DISPLAY SYSTEMS WITH SUBPANELS
When mounting instrumentation systems mounted to an ABS subpanel, begin by
removing the subpanel from the aluminum. Cut an opening in the dash just smaller than the
outer dimensions of the aluminum panel. Remove all nuts and washers from the studs on the
back side of the panel and insert into the hole. Next, install four washers or clips and secure
with a nut on each. This is what holds the panel to the dashboard. Now, install a nut on each
stud and set the display panel in place over the studs. If the studs were bent slightly inward
from securing the aluminum panel, you may have to bend them outward to line up with the holes
on the ABS subpanel. Always lay the display panel aside when not in use to avoid accidentally
damaging the displays. Once aligned, secure it with an additional four nuts. Leave a gap of no
less than 1/8" between the display glass and the front lens material. Be careful not to compress
the glass against the front lens. Again, note that the displays are glass and should be handled
with care. Use extreme care around the glass evacuation tubes (small tubes at the bottom of
each display) as bumping them may cause breakage and render the display useless.
MOUNTING SYSTEMS WITH DISPLAYS MOUNTED TO ALUMINUM
When mounting year specific aluminum panel, cut an opening into the dashboard if
necessary and secure the entire panel with the instrumentation using the appropriate mounting
hardware. Some panels are set into the front of the dash while others are installed from the rear
of the dash. The exact mounting configuration will depend on what year car and panel you are
installing.
MOUNTING SINGLE LENS SYSTEMS
Your DAKOTA DIGITAL single lens system will come to you with a single plexiglass lens
and instrumentation that is mounted in an aluminum case. The lens and the instrumentation
have corresponding mounting holes. After you have affixed the mounting studs of your choice
to the backside of your dash, the lens piece should be slid over the studs followed by the display
system. The lens can be secured with either washers and nuts, or by a bead of RTV around the
back side of the lens and case. If RTV is used, the system will need to be held in place until it
has had time to cure. The lens should be tight against the aluminum display case.
Adjust the height of the panel so that the glass displays are 1/8" away from the front lens.
Applying a lock washer and nut to the studs behind the display panel, secure the display panel
to the bezel. If screws were provided with the panel, secure them through the display panel and
into the bezel. No additional holes should need to be drilled. All holes in the display systems
are pre-drilled at the factory.
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MOUNTING KITS INTO ORIGINAL DASHES
Some kits will include a separate mounting instruction sheet so please see that first for
system mounting instructions. Some systems will attach directly to the bezel, and others will
mount back into the instrument cans where the factory gauges where mounted. There are three
basic system mounting configurations read on to identify your system and how to mount it.
It may be necessary to trim or remove some plastic or bezel material depending on the system.
You may also need the following tools and materials to complete a system install depending on
the vehicle
• Screw drivers
• Nut drivers
• Side cutters
• Die grinder
• Cut off wheel
• Silicone / RTV
Complete Systems mounted in new bezel
If your system came from Dakota Digital with a new bezel, installation on the system
should be straight forward. Remove the factory gauges and bezel and install the new one.
Systems that have a glue-in lens (loose lens with no mounting holes in it)
If your system included a front lens separate from the displays and contains no mounting
holes, you have a glue-in lens system. The lens will be secured to the original bezel using RTV.
When installing the display system into the original bezel, several steps must be taken to
prepare the bezel. The first is to remove the cluster from the dashboard. Next, remove all
instrumentation from the bezel as well as the factory lens. You will generally be left with a bare
plastic or metal bezel. Remove any felt inserts from the back side of the bezel that sit between
the lens and the bezel.
Next, take the supplied lens, remove any masking that may be on it and with the lettering
facing the front of the dash, place it in the bezel. Lay a bead of RTV around the back side of the
lens to secure it in place. After the RTV has cured, the display panel is ready to be placed on
the bezel. If studs were supplied with the panel, screw them into the bezel and place a nut on
them before placing the display system on it.
Systems that mount into original cans with hardware (lens and systems screw together)
If the system came with the lens and system attached together, the compete assembly
should either mount into the original cans or secure directly to the bezel. Some systems may
come with a new can or housing over the back of the system that should make mounting very
apparent. If you have a version with a system and lens attached to ABS plastic, you will need to
secure these to the original cans or instrument housings.
First, remove the cluster from the dashboard. Next, remove all instrumentation from the
bezel as well as the factory lens. You should essentially be left with a bare bezel, possibly
reusing any clear lenses that were covering the factory gauges. If you have a system that came
in a new can or has an ABS subpanel that fits over the factory bezel, you can secure it back to
the bezel and re-install into the car.
If your system mounts into the cans, continue removing the stock gauges as well as other
lights and loose parts from the instrument cans as the display systems typically sit flat into the
can so everything must be removed. Once the cans are cleared, the system should fit into the
can and secure from the back of the can with screws. The ABS sub-panel should have some
mounting holes and supplied hardware for securing the system to the can. Once system is
secure, reattach cans to the bezel and re-install into the car.
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GAUGE SYSTEM FEATURES
Mileage readings
• Million mile odometer
• Two (A/B) re-settable trip mileage (0-9999.9)
• Re-settable service mileage (0-9999)
Performance readings
• High speed recall. This is reset at power up and can be manually reset.
• High rpm recall. This is reset at power up and can be manually reset.
• 0-60 mph (0-100kmh) time.
• ¼ mile time.
• ¼ mile end speed. This is reset when the ¼ mile time restarts.
Hour meter
• Resettable hours (0-999.9)
English/metric conversion
• Alternate speed can be displayed on message display.
Special tachometer displays
• On systems that do not have bar graph displays, a bar tach can be shown on the
message display.
• On systems that do not have a digital tachometer display, the rpm can be shown on the
message display or the tachometer reading can be switched onto the speed display.
Built-in Indicators
• Left/Right Turn signal indicators
• High Beam indicator
• Check Engine indicator
• Brake warning indicator
• 4x4 indicator
• Wait to Start indicator
• Cruise control indicator
• Gear position indicator which displays full gear word with use of Dakota Digital GSS-2000
(purchased separately)
Special outputs
• Shift output to activate external light
• Selectable 2000ppm or 4000ppm speed output for cruise or ECM
Demonstration mode
• Holding Switch 2 while turning on the key will start the system going through a preset
sequence of readings. To exit the demo mode, turn the key off. You may also wire up a
separate switch to power the gauges for demo mode without powering the entire vehicle.
Auxiliary gauge readings in tach message display wit
h future expansion bus interface modules
(BIM)
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MESSAGE DISPLAYS
On systems with two message displays, Switch 1(SW1) will toggle between the speed
message displays and Switch 2(SW2) will toggle between the tach message displays.
On systems with one message display, SW1 will either switch from the tach message to
the speed message and then toggle to the next speed message with each press and release.
SW2 will switch from the speed message to the tach message and then toggle to the next tach
message with each press and release.
Speed message displays DESCRIPTION .
ODOMTR odometer mileage (0-999,999)
TRIP A trip A odometer mileage (0-9999.9)
TRIP B trip B odometer mileage (0-9999.9)
SERVIC (when enabled) miles since last service (0-9,999, or ---- when past due)
0-60 T 0-60 mph time in seconds (0-25.5)
HI SPD high speed recall (0-255)
QUARTR ¼ mile time in seconds (0-25.5)
QT SPD end of ¼ mile speed (0-255)
KPH xxx kph conversion (or mph conversion if kph selected as primary unit)
NOTE: In normal operation you have to use switch 1 (SW1) to reset trip meters, service
counter, and the various performance timers. A press and hold will zero the current
reading, if it can be reset.
Tach Message displays DESCRIPTION .
HI RPM high rpm recall (0-18,000)
HOURS hours system has been on with tach signal (0-999.9)
BAR (on systems with no bar graph) bar tach readout on message display (0-8)
RPM (on systems with no digital tach) digital tach readout on message display
TACH (on systems with no digital tach) digital tach readout on speed display
ENGINE check engine indicator
BRAKE brake warning indicator
4W DRV 4 wheel drive indication
WAIT diesel wait to start indicator
GEAR( with optional GSS-2000) gear shift position indicator
Future BIM modules BIM messages will display on tach message display
NOTE: In normal operation you have to use switch 2 (SW2) to reset hour meter, and high
RPM recall. A press and hold will zero the current reading, if it can be reset. A press
hold will also clear warning messages such as ENGINE, BRAKE, etc.
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CONTROL BOX MOUNTING
Once the display panel is in place, mount the control box within reach of the ribbon cable
on the display panel (approximately 3 feet). Pick a mounting location that will allow you access
to wire all of the inputs on the control box. Double sided tape, hook and loop fasteners, or
screws in the two tabs on the case work fine for securing the control box under the dash.
When selecting a mounting location, avoid placing the control module next to, or
just opposite of the firewall, from ignition components, ie: Ignition coil, HEI, etc. Ignition
components can emit tremendous amounts of electric noise, affecting the operation of
electrical components.
Wiring the control box into the vehicle
While the control box contains several connections, the wiring is straightforward.
Depending on how many auxiliary functions you want displayed, not every terminal will be used
in most applications. Below we describe the function of each terminal, what they do, and how to
wire them.
FUEL LEVEL SENSOR GROUND OUTPUT
FUEL LEVEL SENSOR INPUT
FUEL LEVEL SENSOR POWER OUTPUT
OIL PRESSURE SENSOR GROUND OUTPUT
OIL PRESSURE SENSOR INPUT
OIL PRESSURE SENSORPOWER OUTPUT
WATER TEMPERATURE SENSOR GROUND OUTPUT
WATER TEMPERATURE SENSOR INPUT
NIGHT DIMMING ADJUSTMENT GROUND OUTPUT
NIGHT DIMMING ADJUSTMENT INPUT
SPEED SELECT SWITCH INPUT SW1
TACH SELECT SWITCH INPUT SW2
2000 PPM SPEED SIGNAL OUTPUT
VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR GROUND OUTPUT
VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR SIGNAL INPUT
VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR POWER OUTPUT
NIGHT DIMMING INPUT
RPM WARNING/SHIFT OUTPUT
TACHOMETER INPUT
+12 VOLT ACCESSORY POWER INPUT
MAIN CHASSIS GROUND INPUT
STATUS LED
FUEL FUEL SND
FUEL +
OIL OIL SND
OIL +
WTR WTR SND
ADJ ADJ SND
SW1 (-)
SW2 (-)
SPD OUT
SPD SPD SND
SPD +
DIM (+)
WARN
TACH
POWER
GROUND
techsupport@dakotadigital.com
www.dakotadigital.com
605-332-6513
SERIES III
VFD CONTROL BOX
CHECK ENG (-)
BRAKE (-)
HIGH (+)
LEFT (+)
RIGHT (+)
GEAR (1 WIRE)
WAIT (+)
CRUISE (-)
I/O
4x4 (-)
STRIPE
RIBBON CABLE
DISPLAY
AUX.
TO DISPLAY SYSTEM
CONNECTOR
CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR INPUT
BRAKE SYSTEM/PARKING BRAKE WARNING INPUT
HIGH BEAM INDICATOR INPUT
LEFT TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR INPUT
RIGHT TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR INPUT
4 WHEEL DRIVE INDICATOR INPUT
1-WIRE GEAR INDICATOR INPUT (FROM GSS UNIT)
WAIT TO START INDICATOR INPUT
CRUISE ENGAGED INDICATOR INPUT
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DISPLAY PANEL
ECU/ECM
check engine
output
PARKING BRAKE
SWITCH
HIGH BEAM
WIRE
Additional ground wire to fuel
sensor body or mounting screw.
EXSISTING
FUEL LEVEL
SENSOR
RIBBON CABLE
PRESSURE SENSOR
SEN-03-8
0-100 PSI
DISPLAY
STRIPE
RIBBON CABLE
www.dakotadigital.com
techsupport@dakotadigital.com
605-332-6513
OIL +
OIL SND
OIL -
FUEL +
FUEL SND
FUEL -
RED
WHITE
BLACK
CONNECTION
SERIES III
VFD CONTROL BOX
ADJ -
WTR SND
WTR -
BLUE or RED
BROWN or BLACK
ONLY!
ADJ SND
LEFT TURN
SIGNAL WIRE
BIM
AUX.
I/O
LEFT (+)
HIGH (+)
RIGHT (+)
BRAKE (-)
CHECK ENG (-)
DIM (+)
SPD +
SPD SND
SPD -
SPD OUT
SW2 (-)
SW1 (-)
RED
WHITE
BLACK
RIGHT TURN
SIGNAL WIRE
4x4 (-)
WAIT (+)
CRUISE (-)
GEAR (1 WIRE)
TACH
POWER
GROUND
WARN
STATUS LED
Connect to main
chassis ground
Tail Light
Connect to tail light circuit
dash will dim when termianl has +12V
4x4
transfer case
switch
+12V
(fused 5 - 20 AMP max)
1-Wire output
Glow Plug Relay
or
Wait to start output
KEY ON POWER
DAKOTA DIGITAL
GSS UNIT
Optional
Cruise Control
Engage Output
- +
Ignition Coil
(negative side)
ECU/ECM
or Ignition Box
(tach output)
TEMP SENSOR
SEN-04-5
100-300 F
DIM-1
Optional
MOMENTARY
MOMENTARY
ECU/ECM
Speed Output
PU
L
GENERATOR
SE
SPEED OUT
S
W2
(2k or 4k PPM)
S
W
1
SPEED SENSOR
SEN-01-5
16k PPM
Light or Buzzer
(4 Watts or less)
Relay
Light or Buzzer
(4 Watts or more)
TERMINAL DESCRIPTIONS
Status LED
This LED is located at the corner of the control box, next to the GROUND terminal. The
LED is used for diagnostics.
• A steady flash, on and off, about one second apart indicates the system is powered and
operating normally.
• On steady indicates low power, below 9V, at the POWER terminal (the displays will also
generally be dim) .
• Not flashing or lighting indicates loss of power or ground.
GROUND
This is the main ground for the display system. A wire should be run from this terminal to
the vehicle’s main chassis ground. Use 18 AWG or larger wire to ensure sufficient groun
ding.
Proper vehicle grounding is extremely important for any gauges (or electronics) to
operate correctly. The engine block should have heavy ground cables to the battery, frame, and
firewall. Failure to properly ground the engine block or the control box can cause
incorrect or erratic operation.
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POWER
Connect the POWER terminal to accessory +12V power from the fuse panel or vehicle
wiring harness. This terminal should have power when the key is on or in accessory position.
In addition to powering the display system, this is also where the voltmeter gauge senses the
vehicle electrical system voltage. The supply source should be a fused 5 - 20 amp circuit, the
system only draws about 1 amp, so sharing an existing accessory circuit will be generally be
fine. Use 18 AWG wire to ensure the system receives a sufficient power feed.
*** Never connect this to a battery charger alone. It needs to have a 12 volt battery
connected to it. Battery chargers have an unregulated voltage output that will cause the
system to not operate properly and may cause damage to the control box.
TACH
Depending on the type of instrument system that you have, there may be a bar graph
tachometer, a digital tachometer, or both. Connect the TACH terminal to the ignition system.
On vehicles using a separate ignition coil, connect to the negative side of the coil. The negative
side of the coil will be the wire that goes to the points or electronic ignition module. For GM HEI
ignition equipped motors, connect to the terminal marked “TACH” or on some systems a single
white wire with a spade terminal on it. On some aftermarket ignition systems, connect to the
TACH output terminal. On computer controlled ignition systems consult a service manual for
the wire color and location. With a magneto system, connect to the kill wire for the tach signal.
Do not connect the TACH terminal to the secondary, or high voltage side of the ignition
coil.
To ensure that the ignition system does not interfere with any other dashboard functions,
do not run the tachometer wire alongside any other sender or input wires. DO NOT USE SOLID
CORE SPARK PLUG WIRES WITH THIS DASHBOARD SYSTEM. Solid core ignition wires
cause a large amount of electromagnetic and radio frequency interference which can disrupt the
system operation.
The tachometer is compatible with almost all gasoline engines. The engine cylinder
selection, display update rate, tach signal type, and rpm warning point can be adjusted in the
setup menu under “TACH”. If a diesel engine is being used then you will n
eed a tach interface,
such as Dakota Digital’s DSL-1 or DSL-2. Be aware of the cylinder setting when using computer
outputs or reading the tach signal from an ECU. GM LS1 engines require the tach to be set up
for a 4 cylinder, low voltage signal when reading from the ECU even though it is a V8 engine.
WARN
The WARN terminal is an output for a relay or small light. The output is ground-activated
when the preset rpm limit is exceeded. This output can turn on a 4 Watt or smaller 12 volt bulb
or can activate a relay to turn on a larger bulb. To wire a warning light to this output, connect
one wire from the bulb to 12 volt accessory power and connect the other wire to the WARN
terminal.
DIM
The gauges are designed to dim down when the headlights are turned on. This is to
reduce the display intensity at night so the gauges do not cause eye strain or reduced night
vision. Connect this to the tail light or parking light circuit so that it has 12 volts whenever the
headlights are on. When this terminal does not have power the display system will be at full
brightness. When power is applied, the display dims to an adjustable level.
The night brightness level is adjustable two different ways. This preset brightness is
adjusted in the setup menu “NIGHT
NIGHT”. See ADJ SND for a description of the second method.
IGHTNIGHT
N
By default the system will dim to a about ½ bright ness when DIM terminal gets +12V.
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SPD +
This terminal is used to supply power to Dakota Digital speed sensor SEN-01-5. This
supplies 5V DC to the sensor and should not be hooked up to anything else. Connect the red
wire from the SEN-01-5 to this terminal.
If you are using a 1-wire VSS output from a computer or a two wire pulse generator this
terminal should be left open.
***DO NOT use this terminal to power any other devices it is a low current +5V output.
SPD SND
This is where the vehicle speed sensor (VSS) connects. The signal supplied to this
terminal will be used by the control box to calculate the speed reading on the display and also
for calculating and saving odometer mileage.
Dakota Digital supplies a 3-wire sensor for most of its kits, SEN-01-5. If you are using
this sensor, the white wire is the speed signal; connect to SPD SND. The red and black wires in
the cable are power and ground (5V DC) and their connection is discussed in SPD + and SPD -.
For two wire speed sensors such as a cable driven pulse generator, the polarity of the
wires does not matter. Connect one wire to the SPD – (Ground) and the other to the SPD SND
terminal. The speed sensor ground wire should be brought back to the control box to ensure a
proper signal is received. Twisting the ground and signal wires around each other provides an
additional level of interference protection. The speed signal wire should not be routed alongside
tach, ignition, or other high current or high voltage wires.
For vehicles which have a vehicle speed signal from a transmission sensor or ECM, tap
into the VSS wire and connect it to the SPD SND. Consult a vehicle service manual or wiring
diagram to determine wire color and location.
This system can accept 4000 ppm – 128,000 ppm speed signals with room for
adjustment. The speedometer is fully adjustable and calibration is discussed in a later section.
***Failure to calibrate the speedometer may cause your odometer mileage to
increase very rapidly if the speedometer is reading too fast.
*** The speed signal wire should NOT be routed alongside ignition or other high
current/voltage wires.
SPD –
This terminal is used for speed sensor ground. This insures a proper ground as well as
providing proper hook-up for a twisted pair of wires, or a solid state sensor. Only ground the
speed sensor here. If you are using a single wire output from a computer for the VSS then this
terminal should be left open.
SPD OUT
This terminal can be used to supply a speed signal to auxiliary devices such as a cruise
control or radio volume adjustment. The output is scaled to the input speed signal coming into
the SPD SND terminal. It can be set to 2000 PPM or 4000 PPM.
***If you are using the bus speed signal option this output will NOT work.
SW 2 (-) or Tach switch
The SW 2 terminal is used for selecting the various rpm, engine, and warning displays
and also for entering the demonstration mode. The SW 2 input is activated by a ground
connection. The push button switch supplied (or any momentary normally open switch) is wired
by connecting one terminal to SW 2 and the other terminal to a ground. When the button is
pressed and released, the tach message display will change. When the button is pressed and
held for a few seconds, any re-settable information displayed will be zeroed. On systems with
two message displays, the one below the tach is dedicated to rpm/warn messages. On
MAN 650066:D
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