Speedhut help please

ByeEnzo · Jan 25, 2013

My OEM tach recently failed on my silver GT. Since I'd already replaced the boost gauge previously, I opted for the Speedhut replacement gauges rather than chasing ghosts. I got them shipped last week and did the install last weekend. Was not as difficult as I thought it would be. Followed the directions to a T.

Anyway, once everything was hooked up I fired up the car and noted the speedo needle temporarily shooting to 220 mph (while parked :biggrin) and then back to zero. Though it was initializing or setting itself. Went for a test drive and the speedo didn't work. Also the water temp was reading 50 degrees high, plus the backlighting feature wasn't working on all of the gauges. The gauge backlights work off the inverter that is spliced into the hot and ground wires to the water temp gauge. I took everything back out of the dash to check connections and everything was intact.

Called Speedhut and they were very responsive. I shipped back the water gauge, speedo and the small voltage inverter. They called me today and told me the inverter was dead (I tested it myself with 12V DC input and it had no AC output), and the water gauge that they sent me was calibrated wrong. So those 2 problems are apparently solved. They also bench tested the speedo and it worked for them and is calibrated correctly. They will overnight me a new inverter, new water temp gauge, and my speedometer.

I plan on reinstalling the whole setup again to see if things work properly. My question is...if the speedometer is not defective then something "up stream" may have failed. A fuse, relay, speedo control module? Any advice would be appreciated on how to trouble shoot this. I have gotten good at taking the gauge cluster in and out of the dash binnacle....:frown

Ed Sims · Jan 25, 2013

I'm not sure. Shadowman is installing my complete Speeddhut gauge panel this weekend after my 5th OEM gauge failure. I'm sure if you contact Shadowman he would be able to help you.

Ed

ByeEnzo · Jan 25, 2013

Thanks. I'm hoping Kendall, the GTGuys, Shadow, or GTTech would chime in with some advice.

nota4re · Jan 25, 2013

I'm sorry you are experiencing a problem. We've installed quite a few of the Speedhut gauge panels and we've never had an anomoloy. I would really doubt that anything upstream has failed because although the gauges themselves fail too often, the other components supporting the gauges seem to be robust.

Speedhut has validated that your speedometer is working correctly - although it did not work correctly when you had it in the car. Therefore, it seems likely that something was wrong at the point of install...

I would double and triple check that you wired the inverter correctly and that you did not accidentally grab a signal wire. My concern is that even with a correctly wired but faulty inverter, it's hard to imagine that the inverter fault (which is part of the lighting circuit) could effect the operation of the speedo. Summarizing my suggestions;

1. On the bench, make sure you are wiring the inverter correctly.
2. On the bench, zip tie the speedhut harness neatly and make sure each gauge's connector is adjacent to the gauge it belongs to (note that the connector color alternates black, gray, black, gray, etc).
3. Connect the gauges in the dash and make sure you hear or feel the connectors click together
4. Position the gauge panel far enough back so that you can plug them into the gauge module near the kick panel
5. Test and make sure they are working correctly.
6. If OK, then complete the re-assembly

I will PM you my cell and you can feel free to call me over the weekend if any questions or problems.

MTV8 · Jan 26, 2013

After installing my gauges, the temperature gauge needle jumped after sitting at zero a certain period of time. This was only on the first start up and it has appeared to work properly since. I thought the needle may have been temporarily stuck after the manufacturing process.

paul b · Jan 26, 2013

I don't know if you had any help with the install, but if you have any friends you trust on a job like this maybe a fresh set of eyes would help if there is something you're overlooking.

fjpikul · Jan 27, 2013

My suggestion - use a laparoscope. You'll feel like your more at real work.

ByeEnzo · Jan 27, 2013

Hey Frankie...I'm going to use an arthroscope....I'm an orthopod. General surgeons and OB/gyns use laparoscopes. Pathologists just stare at parts of people

BTW I did have a friend help me with the install and we triple checked everything. Two of the probs are solved...wrong H2O gauge and bad voltage inverter. The Speedhut speedo will be hooked up again. If it still doesn't work...I can hook up my functional OEM speedo to see if its a wiring prob or the speedo itself.

donnymac · Jan 27, 2013

MTV8 said:
After installing my gauges, the temperature gauge needle jumped after sitting at zero a certain period of time. This was only on the first start up and it has appeared to work properly since. I thought the needle may have been temporarily stuck after the manufacturing process.

Same here.

ByeEnzo · Jan 27, 2013

Well...I reinstalled everything again today. Water temp gauge is calibrated correctly now and backlighting also works. Speedhut speedo however is now stuck at 220 mph. Won't budge. I then hooked up my OEM speedo and drove the car...it works just fine. Clearly the Speedhut gauge is bad and not a connector or wiring issue. I will send it back tomorrow for an exchange. It may be calibrated wrong or not reading the signal correctly. Very odd that I got 2 bad gauges and a dead inverter out of this deal.

fjpikul · Jan 29, 2013

I can see the Texas orthopods are wayyyyyy behind the times. The pathologists are now using all the arthroscopes to do "arthroscopic" autopsies. Everything is flexible now.

Ed Sims · Feb 11, 2013

Shadowman just finished with my Speedhut gauge/panel install so I skipped any headaches. I drove 153 miles today with them & I love the look. I played with the tach shift lights - fun.

The instructions that came with the gauges needs clarification. It should read:

Shift Point Set
1. Press the "Menu" button once & the "Shift LED" light will come on. Pressing the "Menu" button twice for "Span LED" & 3 times for "Brightness LED".
To adjust the shift point press the "Menu" button once & immediately press the "Select" button (while the "Shift LED" is lit).
2. Keep holding down the "Select" button down & the pointer will go up slowly. Release it at the desired shift point.
3. To lower the shift point follow the same instructions but instead of pressing the "Select" button press the "Menu" button. i.e. Press the "Menu" button once. The light will come on & before it goes off (immediately) repress the "Menu" button & hold it down. The pointer will slowly go down. Release the button at the desired shift point.

Shift Span Set
1. Press the "Menu" button twice. The "Span LED" light will come on. To raise or lower follow the above instructions.

Gauge Brightness Set
1. Press the "Menu" button 3 times. The "Brightness LED" light will come on. To increase or decrease follow the above instructions.

These may help clarify a confusing set of instructions.

Ed

HiloDave · Feb 11, 2013

I figured DBK had a room full of dead gauges. Guess not! I'm shipping my temp gauge to Mike today.

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