is relocating the SI Board batteries a good idea?
ie: running wires through the dash from the SI Board battery location to a battery back in the glove box... or something simlair to this senario for more convenience.
...i need to replace my batteries because the engine temp gauge and fuel gauge like to play head games with me. i am mostly worried about ruining the curcit boad if i sauder the new batteries directly to the board. does anyone have a good link to a walkthrough and pictures of this fix. i have found one good source but... another point of view wouldn't hurt.
...anyway, i guess this all boils down to opion. which would be greatly appreciated!
...thanks!
relocating SI Board batteries
I did mine a few weeks ago and mounted my battery holder just beneath the instrument cluster and behind the lower piece of trim underneath the steering column. Next time, I just have to remove 5-6 screws and pop the cover off of the battery holder. I got all of the parts from Rat Shack and it ran me about $10 (batteries, holder, velcro, heat shrink).
A few words of wisdom when you get started:
1) Turn the steering wheel about 45 degrees off center to remove the cluster. This stumped me at first but is painfully obvious once you figure it out...
2) Take note of all of the connectors on the back of the cluster. The speedo ones were particularly tricky for me.
3) Getting the old batteries off can be a royal pain if they are "welded" on like mine. I ended up using some small tin snips to cut them off and soldered new leads to the small portion of the posts that remained. This way you don't have to worry about messing up the circuit board if you are as bad with a soldering iron as I am...
Best of luck!
[Edit by unslow on [TIME]1126886597[/TIME]]
A few words of wisdom when you get started:
1) Turn the steering wheel about 45 degrees off center to remove the cluster. This stumped me at first but is painfully obvious once you figure it out...
2) Take note of all of the connectors on the back of the cluster. The speedo ones were particularly tricky for me.
3) Getting the old batteries off can be a royal pain if they are "welded" on like mine. I ended up using some small tin snips to cut them off and soldered new leads to the small portion of the posts that remained. This way you don't have to worry about messing up the circuit board if you are as bad with a soldering iron as I am...
Best of luck!
[Edit by unslow on [TIME]1126886597[/TIME]]
For a complete "manual" on shifting SI- batteries, try www.524td.com
Pictures and description.
Pictures and description.
-
dcbrewmeister
- Posts: 1444
- Joined: Feb 12, 2006
- Location: San Antonio
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Here a thought... just get a battery tray from radio shack (or where ever, should be just a "AA" two slot battery tray) some wire, and a plug and socket setup, soilder the socket to the board (may need to run a wire for the +/- which ever way you choose to do it) run some wire from there (the bundle of wires that goes into the cluster anyway) down to a more conveinent place under the dash and hook up the battery tray there. Then when you need to change batteries, just reach under the dash pull out old, put in new... I can't see the whole setup costing more than $10 and a little bit of time.
[Edit by dcbrewmeister on [TIME]1126900379[/TIME]]
[Edit by dcbrewmeister on [TIME]1126900379[/TIME]]
[QUOTE="EdinLA44"]Can you get the cluster out without taking off the steering wheel?[/QUOTE]
No steering wheel removal in my case. Once you get the cluster unscrewed, you will need to turn the wheel 45-90 degrees so that you can slide the cluster out using the space between the steering wheel spines to give you a bit more room to work.
Also, make sure you lay a towel on top of the steering column so that you do not scratch the frunt of the cluster.
[Edit by unslow on [TIME]1126969220[/TIME]]
No steering wheel removal in my case. Once you get the cluster unscrewed, you will need to turn the wheel 45-90 degrees so that you can slide the cluster out using the space between the steering wheel spines to give you a bit more room to work.
Also, make sure you lay a towel on top of the steering column so that you do not scratch the frunt of the cluster.
[Edit by unslow on [TIME]1126969220[/TIME]]
I de-soldered the old battery terminals and soldered the new wires where the old terminals went. It's not hard to see where the new wires go when you have the old board out.
One thing you may have problems with is if the old batteries have leaked. I went through three sets of SI boards before finding one that had a good PC board. If yours have leaked acid, you can be certain that if the board works now, it probably won't for long. Start scouring the junkyards for a better one.
Good luck, and be sure to charge the new batteries before you put them in the holder. Apparently the cluster has enough amperage to mainitain a charge, but not to charge fully dead nicads.
Scott
One thing you may have problems with is if the old batteries have leaked. I went through three sets of SI boards before finding one that had a good PC board. If yours have leaked acid, you can be certain that if the board works now, it probably won't for long. Start scouring the junkyards for a better one.
Good luck, and be sure to charge the new batteries before you put them in the holder. Apparently the cluster has enough amperage to mainitain a charge, but not to charge fully dead nicads.
Scott
Here's an old post from RF.Originally posted by genefor
OK, I have the new batteries and battery holder from radio shack. so where exactly on the SI board do you soldier the leads from the external battery holder?
[Edited 9/2/2007 to enable BBCode]
Last edited by RonW on Sep 02, 2007 10:05 PM, edited 1 time in total.