JohnKos Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 While trying to figure out how to install a new radio in my 87 GL Coupe i came across a black box with wires going into the front. I've seen mention of a trip computer in that area. What does it do and can I just unhook it without causing any trouble? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast I Drive Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 I just unplugged mine, and everything still works, so I think its ultimately useless garbage. Ive done 2 stereo installs in 2 different 87 wagons, and both work perfectly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnKos Posted July 13, 2007 Author Share Posted July 13, 2007 Thanks. Since you've done a few installs, any words of advise? I've seen other posts that talk about adding wires to the speakers because they have a common ground. And is your radio solidly mounted to the inner steel brackets or just hanging off an install kit face plate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 I think the trip computer is one of the coolest parts of owning a GL-10. it IS superfluous though. Did any non GL-10s GET trip computers?? I know the XT-6 did, but I figured that all the 6's were "gl-10" by default.. I installed my stereo and kept the trip computer intact. It took an installation kit that I had to pay almost $30 for from crutchfield, but I also managed to put a cupholder in, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 While trying to figure out how to install a new radio in my 87 GL Coupe i came across a black box with wires going into the front. I've seen mention of a trip computer in that area. What does it do and can I just unhook it without causing any trouble? If you do not have a digital dash board, you do not have a trip computer. It would say*trip computer* on the bezel of your dash clock, and the black box next to the radio would have lots of buttons on the front that say things like *range, avg. spd, etc..* . So I think you may be looking at something else, although I can't think of any black boxes in that area. Is it maybe a piece of an added alarm or stereo sytem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnKos Posted July 13, 2007 Author Share Posted July 13, 2007 Well whatever it is, I unhooked it and i'll see if anything craps out on me. Looks like i have a little wiring and altering of the metalwork in the radio compartment to do this weekend. Thanks everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 Well whatever it is, I unhooked it and i'll see if anything craps out on me. Looks like i have a little wiring and altering of the metalwork in the radio compartment to do this weekend. Thanks everyone. Judging from this response, you do NOT actually have a trip computer in your car; no buttons like Gloyale mentioned, no "trip computer" on your clock display?? then if, in fact, this module said trip computer on it, my bet is you didnt need it. Can't for the life of my figure out why its there though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast I Drive Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 I think the trip computer is one of the coolest parts of owning a GL-10. it IS superfluous though. Did any non GL-10s GET trip computers?? I know the XT-6 did, but I figured that all the 6's were "gl-10" by default.. I installed my stereo and kept the trip computer intact. It took an installation kit that I had to pay almost $30 for from crutchfield, but I also managed to put a cupholder in, too. both the cars I own are GLs, but not GL-10s, and they both had trip computers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast I Drive Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Thanks. Since you've done a few installs, any words of advise? I've seen other posts that talk about adding wires to the speakers because they have acommon ground. And is your radio solidly mounted to the inner steel brackets or just hanging off an install kit face plate? It would be best to re wire the speakers for best sound quality, because the rear speakers are on a common ground. I used a 15 dollar install kit from a local adio shop, and it works just fine. I also didn't have to modify the metal structure using this kit. I can't think of the manufacturer right now though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 I fought a different fight; I put in a cupholder and retained my trip computer control pod. You will likely have to cut out a piece of metal bar inside the area where the stereo will go. As for how mine is mounted, most people have a DIN cage to use to mount the stereo. With one of these, you just bend back a couple of tabs to hold the cage to the faceplate, and yes.. That is all that holds the stereo in. However, I wound up using some bracketry from (i believe) a ~97? Toyota Corolla, securing the radio and the cupholder to each other, and then fastening that down to two of the original stereo tie in points. My install was tricky; and it is kinda of ghetto rigged right now because I need to tear it apart and put it back together one day when I have patience. (was pissed by the end of the day i installed it, LONG day.) You really *need* to run new speaker wires for either the front channel or the rear channel; your stereo will not work right with the stock speaker wiring because as was mentioned, the front and rear channels each share a common ground. Modern stereos will not work right wired like this, and you are asking to blow the amplifier in your deck for no good reason. you CAN use one pair of the stock wires, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 both the cars I own are GLs, but not GL-10s, and they both had trip computers Did they have digital dashs? The trip computer uses a different type of fuel gauge sender, shared with the digital dash. Something doesn't seem right here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnKos Posted July 14, 2007 Author Share Posted July 14, 2007 Well, its in a done. sounds quite good with the stock speakers. I rewired the front speakers and used the common ground for the rear. Once i figured out the colors and which wire was positive for the front speakers i was set. Only funny thing was the power line that switches on with the ignition wasn't red or yellow. It was a colored wire with a color stripe. I don't remember the name of the install kit i used but i worked great too. Just needed to bend back some metal on the left metal bracket that was in the way. Still dont know what the black box is. Thanks everyone for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowmastered87GL Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 according to my parts guy back when I was in high school and I had my GL the little black box is a "seat belt timer" I never had any problem unhooking it when I popped in my impreza cassette deck. Though I think I just broke all the tabs off it and slid it back into the dash somewhere and left it plugged in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast I Drive Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 I fought a different fight; I put in a cupholder and retained my trip computer control pod. You will likely have to cut out a piece of metal bar inside the area where the stereo will go. As for how mine is mounted, most people have a DIN cage to use to mount the stereo. With one of these, you just bend back a couple of tabs to hold the cage to the faceplate, and yes.. That is all that holds the stereo in. However, I wound up using some bracketry from (i believe) a ~97? Toyota Corolla, securing the radio and the cupholder to each other, and then fastening that down to two of the original stereo tie in points. My install was tricky; and it is kinda of ghetto rigged right now because I need to tear it apart and put it back together one day when I have patience. (was pissed by the end of the day i installed it, LONG day.) You really *need* to run new speaker wires for either the front channel or the rear channel; your stereo will not work right with the stock speaker wiring because as was mentioned, the front and rear channels each share a common ground. Modern stereos will not work right wired like this, and you are asking to blow the amplifier in your deck for no good reason. you CAN use one pair of the stock wires, though. Where did you get that cupholder install kit again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast I Drive Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Did they have digital dashs? The trip computer uses a different type of fuel gauge sender, shared with the digital dash. Something doesn't seem right here. My cars have non digital dashes, and the black box didn't have buttons. I have a wrecked GL-10 turbo with the digital dash and trip computer, though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyman03 Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 While trying to figure out how to install a new radio in my 87 GL Coupe i came across a black box with wires going into the front. I've seen mention of a trip computer in that area. What does it do and can I just unhook it without causing any trouble? i've come across a little black box too. i just figured it was something to do with the electronic mirrors in the car mainly because it had a bunch of wires leading up to the controls, and i didnt look to far into it. the install that i've done on all my subies worked out with leaving it in the dash, however, shoving it up behind the glovebox. I got a install "dash" kit from circuit city. They didnt have a wire harness so i had to make-shape one for myself. PICS!:: (edit: on a side note this picture is of a Loyale. I didnt have a picture of my other car but it had the same install kit. It didn't have a "trip computer") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Where did you get that cupholder install kit again? The stereo, the cupholder, and a change bay thingy came out of a toyota corolla, ~97 or so... they were all three secured to each other by two metal brackets, one on either side. I had to heavily modify these brackets, to allow me to use them to join the stereo and cupholder together into one assembled unit, which I was able to bolt into the hole in the dash along with the black plastic cap that was the install kit. It was NOT an easy job; BUT I had never done anything quite so extreme as far as installing a radio before, and I managed to get it ALL together in a day; and that was WITH my trip computer control in the way. Things would have been much simpler without it. However, I wouldn't run out and get the cupholder and brackets out of a toyota based on this thread.. the cupholder, brackets, and "change bay" that I pulled out of the toyota looked to be manufactured in the same plant that my install kit was, so they were probably aftermarket parts themselves. In other words, I have no easy button to replicate this. It was an adventure and a struggle every step of the way, because I had assumed it would be easy and didn't think things through ahead of time. For that reason, I cannot really relate the details, and until I take it back apart to set it up proper (and wire the front speakers in) I have no photos to share, either. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 My cars have non digital dashes, and the black box didn't have buttons. Then those weren't trip computers. Trip computers only came in cars with digital dahses. There is no way that it can work without the Digidash fuel sender in the tank, and the Analog dash wil not read from the digidash sender. Now if you're cars were Fuel injected, they would still have engine management computersor ECU. not the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Then those weren't trip computers. Trip computers only came in cars with digital dahses. There is no way that it can work without the Digidash fuel sender in the tank, and the Analog dash wil not read from the digidash sender. Now if you're cars were Fuel injected, they would still have engine management computersor ECU. not the same thing. Thread jack time. What is the difference between the signals the two sending units use?? Might there be some sort of way to hybridize them?? I ask because ultimately, in my shiny happy pipe dream world, I will find a vehicle to transfer my GL-10 aspects over to, and I had planned on the trip computer being one of them. I didnt realize that the digidash went hand in hand with the trip computer (my dads XT6 didnt have a digital dash, but the six is an obvious exception to a rule like this) and now I am brainstorming a way to have a functioning non digidash fuel gauge, yet still have the trip comp fully functional... so what is the difference? different resistance range, inverted resistance range, any clue?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Thread jack time. What is the difference between the signals the two sending units use?? From what I can tell from the FSM, The Ananlog dash sender passes a variable resistance to ground value to the gauge. (millivolt system) The Digidash sender actually sends variable Voltage to the dash, which is then converted to a digital pulse to be read by the dash. (5 volt sysem) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 From what I can tell from the FSM, The Ananlog dash sender passes a variable resistance to ground value to the gauge. (millivolt system) The Digidash sender actually sends variable Voltage to the dash, which is then converted to a digital pulse to be read by the dash. (5 volt sysem) couldnt get any gay-er.. thats a difficult circuit to try to design, I was hoping for an inversion of the resistance because that can be rigged up fairly easily.. how does it vary the voltage though, if not by a variable resistor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 From what I can tell from the FSM, The Ananlog dash sender passes a variable resistance to ground value to the gauge. (millivolt system) The Digidash sender actually sends variable Voltage to the dash, which is then converted to a digital pulse to be read by the dash. (5 volt sysem) At least in EA81 land, the senders aren't all that different - just different resistance values. The analog dash will read the digital sender but the guage will be wrong. Reads like 3/4 when it's full. My EA81 wagon was digidash (w/trip), and I converted it to analog. GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnKos Posted July 15, 2007 Author Share Posted July 15, 2007 I plugged the box back in for the heck of it and the key in the ignition chime started dinging. Guess i can unplug it again since it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the operation of the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeshoup Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 From what I can tell from the FSM, The Ananlog dash sender passes a variable resistance to ground value to the gauge. (millivolt system) The Digidash sender actually sends variable Voltage to the dash, which is then converted to a digital pulse to be read by the dash. (5 volt sysem) The only difference between the two units is the resistance values. What you're talking about has to do with how the two dashes "read" the resistance values. As was said, the analog dash 'works' with the digi dash's sender, it just doesn't read on the dash correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misledxcracker Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 Then those weren't trip computers. Trip computers only came in cars with digital dahses. There is no way that it can work without the Digidash fuel sender in the tank, and the Analog dash wil not read from the digidash sender. My XT-6 had a trip computer and analog dash (dont they all?) ... Saw a normal GL sedan, had a trip computer and a funky analog dash I'm going up to the yard in an hour or so, if I see it I'll snap a pic... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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