Bucky92 Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Just curious...Has anyone figured out the usual cause for the digi- dash failures? Has anyone tried to fix one? Does anyone have a bad one already pulled that they may want to part with ? I want to take one apart and "play" Since I have been in electronics since 1990 and many many certs...I thought maybe I can come up with something..I have fixed my husbands battery back-up for his puter..fixed a VW instrument cluster before. There is also a method to my madness...but since it isnt 100% set in stone yet I wont say anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
del Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I have one out of an 1988 gl-10, would like to know the miles on it. Two bits of bad news though, I have no idea if it is bad or good. Second I am currently in florida as a snowbird, and the parts are in washington state. If you are still interested come april, let me know. del Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2K4 STI Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Theres a digi dash in the JY from a turbo Loyale i believe the car looks like this I can go snag it if you are interested in that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Just curious...Has anyone figured out the usual cause for the digi- dash failures? Has anyone tried to fix one? Speaking only of EA81's, as I haven't messed with the EA82 versions.... There is a warning tone in the dash. I assume it's there to warn of over-voltage. They usually die from some form of alternator malady. In my case it was over-voltage. The dash complained with it's warning tone (a feeble noise really), and promptly gave up. It took maybe 30 seconds. Not enough time for me to figure out what was wrong, and by the time I realized that the dash was even the source of the noise - it was too late. Not to mention the dash has no voltage gauge Since they are electroluminescent I believe they require a large voltage so there's a power supply that steps the voltage up inside the cluster. The voltage range of this type of use is in the 200 to 250 volts range IIRC , so the transformer is like 1:15 or so (a guess). It wouldn't take much of a rise in the alternator output to be quite a large increase in the transformer output. Just a few volts and soon you are 50 to 75 volts overdriving the regulator for the EL panels.... I have the sense that the voltage regulator can't cope with a poor supply voltage from the alternator, and when those climb much past it's ability to regulate it blows. There's probably collateral damage inside them. Sadly the one I blew up I tore apart and cut the connectors from the PCB to make a conversion harness for an analog cluster. Actually worked nicely, but the dash is no more I'm afraid. If I pick up another one I'll let you know. I do sometimes run across them at the yards. A lot more EA82 units than EA81's anymore. But I hear the reliability of the EA82 units is better also. Perhaps a detailed comparison of the workings of the two would show the changes made to the power supplies, and may even give a clue as to how those changes might be further improved upon. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky92 Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 I am actually looking for an EA81 version Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markjw Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 All this talk about Digi Dash's, you must have scored the little blue Coupe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baccaruda Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 the EA82s usually have individual components of the gauges or of the digital characters burn out.. they are hard to read in the sun, and don't give you as much information as the analog dashes. The EA82 digidashes are probably not as vulnerable to electrical anomalies as are the EA81 dashes because they're newer technology and Subaru made a heck of a lot more of them than of the EA81 dashes so they had more "practice" to get them right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky92 Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 All this talk about Digi Dash's, you must have scored the little blue Coupe? Not yet...I have 2 taking a second closer look today just to check a couple concerns...Trying not to keep my hopes up since I usually get shot down..but should know in a matter of hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 I was merely sugesting that a look at the EA82 cluster may help with ideas for improvement in the EA81 design. As long as you are into it, you may as well make it better if you can. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky92 Posted January 10, 2008 Author Share Posted January 10, 2008 I was merely sugesting that a look at the EA82 cluster may help with ideas for improvement in the EA81 design. As long as you are into it, you may as well make it better if you can. GD GD I didnt mean anything by it..I actually have replacements already lined up...I just wanted to see about a way to repair them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 I haven't worked on one myself but I heard that the grounds were a problem on them at times and caused the sections to not work. Reflowing the solder joints may fix some problems with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 I also remember reading about the dash mounted Voltage Regulator GD mentions. If I remember (doubtful), it's mounted to the PC board on the rear of the display. It could be (if the entire dash is out) that this VR burns open. With no voltage the entire visable portion would be out. Connie, congrats on the El Cee Squared (LCC -Little Cute Coupe.) Remember.. it is a "Cou Pay" as coupes are for chickens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky92 Posted January 10, 2008 Author Share Posted January 10, 2008 I also remember reading about the dash mountedVoltage Regulator GD mentions. If I remember (doubtful), it's mounted to the PC board on the rear of the display. It could be (if the entire dash is out) that this VR burns open. With no voltage the entire visable portion would be out. Connie, congrats on the El Cee Squared (LCC -Little Cute Coupe.) Remember.. it is a "Cou Pay" as coupes are for chickens. Thanks Skip! I think with my experience making circuit boards that I might be able to find a fix..and thought about maybe doing a service thing. I wouldnt be gettig this Cou Pay if it wasnt for the efforts of Turbone..he went and looked at it the first time..I voiced a couple concerns then Him and Psyko ( thats my Lil Bro now) went to check out those concerns...now in about 2 weeks they will be picking it up and storing it till I can get out there for it or get it to the auto shipper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hondasucks Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 All the EA81 digital dashes I have, that are fried (I have ONE good one), the SAME PART is fried in it, my dad and I looked at the good one, and determined that it's a voltage regulator, but we never tried replacing it.. and the dashes (except the good one) are sitting in a box, in the back seat of my 82 4x4 which is out at my friends farm. (I need to go get it outta there...) And the warning tone, isnt' an overvoltage warning, it beeps if you go over 5500 RPM, and some of them beep if you go over 55 but mine didn't. All my dash showed was a red line under the speedometer, but the trip computer worked fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carfreak85 Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Has anyone made any progress on these? I'm sorry to say, although I knew it was coming, that my wagon's dash died this morning. I need help and would like to keep mine intact and fix it using other's knowledge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky92 Posted March 23, 2008 Author Share Posted March 23, 2008 Turbone discovered which relay was blowing mine out..I think he mentioned it was in the clock..not sure ..will have to ask him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 There was, about two weeks ago, an EA81 digi-dash at my local yard (likely still there). I have a 12v jump-box. If you can figure out where I need to power it up at, I could give it a shot. I really haven't much use for the thing myself, but I'll pull it, and it's harness and test it for the cause if you like. Do you want it if it's good? Bad? Just a thought. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Just leave it hooked up in the car and give it juice at the terminals. Pull the back off the ign....you know the rest Once the power is on, you should be able to see if theres a read out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Just leave it hooked up in the car and give it juice at the terminals.Pull the back off the ign....you know the rest Once the power is on, you should be able to see if theres a read out. Hhhmmm - yeah that's a good point. I'll see what I can do. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edrach Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Just a wild guess on my part: Bad solder joints. Normal cause for intermittant failures in automotive electronics. Age does in the joint and vibration causes it to fail. Just curious...Has anyone figured out the usual cause for the digi- dash failures? Has anyone tried to fix one? Does anyone have a bad one already pulled that they may want to part with ? I want to take one apart and "play" Since I have been in electronics since 1990 and many many certs...I thought maybe I can come up with something..I have fixed my husbands battery back-up for his puter..fixed a VW instrument cluster before. There is also a method to my madness...but since it isnt 100% set in stone yet I wont say anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Just a wild guess on my part: Bad solder joints. Normal cause for intermittant failures in automotive electronics. Age does in the joint and vibration causes it to fail. Actually, thats one of the things that doesnt effect the digidashes. Its usually due to old, weak components that cant handle a voltage spike from a alternator thats probably got a few weak diodes in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carfreak85 Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Do you want it if it's good? Yeah, that would be sweet, but only if it's good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthWet Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 I have 3-4 EA81 digi-dashes (courtesy of Turbone a few years back). I have been trying (not very diligently, I am sorry to say) to get a wiring schematic for the dash connection to the wiring harness. I am pretty sure that I can fix them, just currently rather unable to test them. If I were to guess, I would say that the failed component (IIRC) is a 7805 voltage regulator in a TO-220 package with no heat sinking. All of the failure scenarios that I have heard has involved an alternator going south, the voltage-spike alarm sounding, and a complete (not partial) dashboard failure. Since all of the EL displays are discrete (again, IIRC), they each have their own HV power supply and the chance of a simultaneous failure is rather small. The chance of a 20+ year old VR IC dying from power spikes seems far more likely. Plus, it is cheap to replace and see if it works... ...if you have a way to see if it works, which I presently do not. If someone wants to check my theory, all they need to do is take off the back cover of the dash cluster and replace (unsolder/resolder) the TO-220 IC in the upper-left corner of the unit (near where the thick power/ground wires come in). If this turns out to be the failure point, the "ultimate" solution would probably involve a robust filter circuit on the incoming power lines and an upgraded VR IC with at least an heat sink and probably a TO-3 Package. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 I have 3-4 EA81 digi-dashes (courtesy of Turbone a few years back). I have been trying (not very diligently, I am sorry to say) to get a wiring schematic for the dash connection to the wiring harness. I am pretty sure that I can fix them, just currently rather unable to test them. Are you saying all you need is the wireing schematic? I can scan it for you if that's what you need to verify the failure and design a fix for it. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Hey Pat, nice to see your still kickin! Give me a call sometime? Did any of those dashes that I gave you work? I could use one right now :-p And I think I found the culprit of the digi demise. I still need to do a on line search for the part (NEC) but it should be readily available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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