hey guys. i'm getting closer to fixing my speedo. but there are a few things i need to know (that is, if i can remember what they are). i called randy's r&r and they themselves don't actually have this 'converter box' that's needed to run my speedo. they referred me to a few other places. one place, dakota digital, whom i've heard plenty of, is supposed to have something similar to what i'm looking for. as i read through the installation guide, it goes on to tell me that i should not use the signal generated from the RWAL sensor with the box. i'm not sure how i'm supposed to go about this now.

another thing i wonder about is, do the wires from the speed sensor in the getrag run through the ecm and in turn, does the ecm convert the signal pulses to run the speedo? if so, how ppm (pulses per minute) are needed for it work?

i thought i was on to something when i was told about this converter box, but now i'm not so sure

 

The speedo is a standalone unit, it gets signal directly from the VSS.

 

how 'bout calibration? i'm sure it would read wrong if i were to hook up leads from the vss straight to the existing plug.

 

You will need the converter box to make it read right if you use the RWAL sensor.

They probably don't want to be responsible for you disabling the ABS.

 

well i called randy's and they told me that they don't actually have it themselves. they referred me to a speedo shop in riverside and they weren't exactly what it was i was looking for. called randy's back, they then referred me to a speedo shop in tacoma near their main shop. the guy was knowledgeable but of course i'm in socal and he mentioned something about getting my truck on the dyno to calibrate it lol. anyway, he told me that dakota digital definitely has what i need to do the job. my question to you guys, if you might know, is how will anything hook up to the rwal if it's already being used to read speed for the antilock? is it sort of a splitter for both the converter box and the antilock to plug into??

 

You can wire the sender up in parallel so both the converter box and the RWAL box get the signal, not a big deal.

 

i'm not much of an electrician but i do understand some things. i haven't looked but i would guess that the sensor has a 2 wire harness on it? one's a signal and maybe the other's a ground. for the converter box, would i just be 'borrowing' the 12V signal to the sensor for the rwal to power the box?

 

The sensor produces a small AC current that varies in frequency with wheel speed. Both wires need to be connected to both devices.

 

so in other words i'd need to tap into the existing wires in the sensor used by the rwal to get power and ground for the converter box correct?

 

Yep, that's all there is to it.

 

the only concern i'm having now, is according to dakota digital's installation manual for the speedo "signal interface unit" it says "do not use this unit to adjust a signal going to an anti-lock braking system." is that telling me i can't use the signal from the sensor? or is it saying, i can use the signal, but not to adjust the signal for the anti-lock? i wouldn't want or need to adjust the signal anyhow.

 

here's the link to dakota digital's box i'm considering.

Universal Speedometer Signal Interface

 

They are saying "don't try to fool an ABS controller". In other words, don't try to use this thing to run 35" tires out back and 28" tires in front on your '99 Camaro without having the ABS light come on.

 

hey wanna. another question to bug you with. sorry . but what if i were to tap into the rwal sensor and splice the wires to my existing wires from the speedo? i'm positive it would work, but i would imagine it would read way wrong. am i correct or maybe worth trying? i'm running 235/85r/16's all around. i know their larger than stock. IIRC the stockers on these rigs were like 215s?

 

Not gonna even be in the same county, let alone the ballpark.