Today we install a shift light into a 2002 Ford Mustang GT, this install is very straight forward and can be completed by any shadetree mechanic. Many shift lights use the same pinouts and wiring, but for this install we will be using a Autometer Tach Shift Light part number 5880.
PRECAUTIONS
Read ALL instructions before installing instrument.
Follow ALL safety precautions when working on vehicle-wear safety glasses!
ALWAYS disconnect (-) negative battery cable before making electrical connections.
GENERAL APPLICATION
12-volt DC negative (-) ground electrical systems (11-20 VDC operating voltage range).
SHIFT-LIGHT MOUNTING
The Ultra-Shift Light may be mounted on a roll cage, steering column, dash, existing tachometer, or other locations of high visibility. To mount the Ultra-Shift Light on the dash, use the bracket and screws provided. To mount to a roll bar or steering column, use a hose clamp to secure. To mount on an existing tachometer, loosen the mounting strap and insert the base of the Ultra-Shift Light under strap and retighten the bolts.
SHIFT-LIGHT WIRING
!!!-NEVER CONNECT GREEN WIRE TO THE COIL WHEN USING AN MSD OR SIMILAR HIGH OUTPUT CAPACITIVE DISCHARGE STYLE IGNITION SYSTEM-!!! Damage to the shift-light will occur – Connect GREEN wire to the tachometer terminal only. Disconnect negative (-) battery cable. Using 18-ga. wire, connect the (BLACK) wire to a clean (rust/paint-free) ground, preferably battery negative terminal. Using 18-ga. wire, connect the (RED) wire to a switched +12V source, like the ignition wire. Using 18-ga. wire, connect the (GREEN) wire the coil negative or the tachometer terminal of the ignition module. Reconnect the negative (-) battery. Set the pulses per revolution (PPR). Refer to the programming section.
PROGRAMMING
Programming the Ultra-Shift Light is done through the two (2) buttons, SCROLL & SELECT, on the back of the unit. While in programming mode the SCROLL button scrolls through the menus and the SELECT button selects the menu options. To enter the programming mode, press both SCROLL & SELECT buttons at the same time. The LED cluster will flash three times indicating program mode. Release both Buttons. While in programming mode, there are three (3) parameters in the MAIN MENU that can be adjusted plus an additional option “dOnE” which exits program mode and save all changes). These are “SHP” (set shift-point), “dISP” (turn RPM display on/off), “PPr” (set number of pulses per crankshaft revolution). To exit programming mode, return to the MAIN MENU, scroll to “dOnE” and press the SELECT button to store all changes and exit to normal operation.
CALIBRATION (PPR/Number of Cylinders) Until recently, tachometers were calibrated based on the number of cylinders in the engine. Now, there are all types of engine control modules (ECMs – on-board computers) and distributor-less ignitions and the old standard rule-“half the number of cylinders equals the pulses per revolution (PPR)”-no longer applies.
“Pulses per revolution” relates to how many times the ignition fires per crankshaft revolution. The tachometer outputs from the ECMs can range from 1-PPR to 4-PPR for a V-8 engine. So, the new standard is to refer to PPR instead of the number of cylinders.
SIGNAL INTERFACING
The Ultra-Shift Light is also designed to work with a wide variety of ignition types, including standard inductive [coil (-) connection] and any ignition system with a clean tachometer output signal. The input level can range from TTL 5V (outputs from newer engine control modules) and 300-400 volt pulses from coil (-) on most inductive ignition systems. Ultra-Shift will operate on most traditional capacitive discharge ignitions when connected to the ignition primary circuit. However, for high-output CD’s (such as MSD) only connect to the tach output terminal, never the coil primary. It’s best to consult our tech support hotline if your unsure, rather than risk damage to the Ultra-Shift, ignition or your warranties.
PPR SET-UP (1,2,3,4,5,6 PPR)
Enter programming mode
Scroll to the “PPr” parameter using the SCROLL button. Select the “PPr” parameter option using the SELECT button. The display will show the current setting (the default setting is “4” PPR). Press the SCROLL button to scroll to the appropriate setting. Once the desired setting is displayed, press the SELECT button to return to the MAIN MENU. To exit programming mode, from the MAIN MENU scroll to “dOnE” and press the SELECT button to store all changes and exit to normal operation.
SHIFT RPM SET-UP (Range 1000 to 13,000 RPM)
Enter programming mode. Scroll to the “SHP” parameter using the SCROLL button, then press the SELECT button to select. The display will show the current shift point setting (or the default 3000 RPM for a new shift light). Holding down the SCROLL button will cause the value to increment slowly. After holding down for one second, the values increment quickly. Simply release the SCROLL button and press it again to go back to incrementing slowly, or press the SCROLL button repeatedly to increment one at a time. NOTE: When scrolling above 9990 RPM, a decimal point will appear in the center of the display to indicate that the far right digit will not be displayed (refer to figure 4).
If the desired shift RPM is missed, simply continue to hold the SCROLL button and the value will wrap around and start at 1000 RPM again. Once the desired shift RPM is displayed, press the SELECT button to return to the MAIN MENU. To exit programming mode, from the MAIN MENU scroll to “dOnE” and press the SELECT button to store all changes and exit to normal operation.
RPM DISPLAY ON/OFF
Enter programming mode. Scroll to the “dISP” parameter using the SCROLL button. Select the “dISP” parameter option using the SELECT button. The display will show the current “On”/”OFF” setting (the default setting is “OFF”). To change the setting press the SCROLL button to toggle between “ON” & “OFF”. Once the desired setting is displayed, press the SELECT button to return to the MAIN MENU. To exit programming mode, from the MAIN MENU scroll to “dOnE” and press the SELECT button to store all changes and exit to normal operation.
MEMORY FUNCTIONS (Max RPM Recall and Clear)
The Ultra-Shift Light stores one peak RPM value. It is stored in memory until it is exceeded or cleared by the user. At any time during normal operation, the max RPM recall can be displayed by pressing the SCROLL button. The internal display will show “PEAC”, then display the actual maximum RPM while the LED cluster flashes twice. To clear the stored peak value, press and hold the SCROLL button. The display will read “PEAC”, show the current peak value, and after three (3) seconds it will return to zero. The LED cluster will flash indicating a successful clear, then return to normal operation.
LED CLUSTER INTENSITY (Low, Medium, and High)
There are three selectable intensity settings for the LED cluster. To change the intensity of the LED cluster, press and hold SELECT button to enter intensity select mode. The LED cluster will turn on at the highest intensity for one (1) second, change to the intermediate intensity for one (1) second, change to the lowest intensity for another second, then repeat. To select intensity, simply release SELECT button when the LED cluster is at the desired intensity. The LED cluster will flash once at the newly selected intensity to confirm the setting.
CLEANING DIRECTIONS
For proper cleaning of instrumentation/accessories, use a glass cleaner or mild detergent with a spray on and wipe method.
DIMENSIONS
Tube length from front to rear: 5.05 inches
Diameter: 1.62 inches
Height from top of tube to bottom of base: 2.53 inches
- Pro Street Staff
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