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VACUUM FLUORESCENT DIGITAL DASHBOARD
SERIES 3X
NOW WITH
SOLID STATE SENSOR TECHNOLOGY
INSTALLATION AND OPERATION MANUAL
Please read this before beginning installation or wiring.
IMPORTANT NOTE! This system has an odometer preset option that is only
available for the first 100 miles (160km) of operation. See odometer preset section
for instructions and setup information.
1 MAN 650067:F
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Thank you for purchasing the Vacuum Fluorescent Digital Dashboard from DAKOTA DIGITAL, the leader in custom automotive electronics. Representing the latest electronic dashboard technology for the street rodder, car, and truck enthusiast alike, the digital instrumentation uses state of the art vacuum fluorescent display technology to give the driver up-to-date and accurate information on the operation of his or her vehicle. As used in several production automobiles, vacuum fluorescent dis
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MOUNTING SYSTEMS WITH ALUMINUM TRIM There are two methods for mounting the display panel into your dash. The first method is to cut an opening in the dash the size of the inside lip and “sandwich” the dash between the bezel and the mounting plate. The second method is to cut an opening in the dash the size of the outside of the bezel and mount the entire display assembly from the back using six #10 or #8 mounting studs attached to the back of the dash. Figure 1 shows method #1 with a ste
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Method #1 Cut a rectangular hole where you want the dash mounted that is 1-11/16” tall x 17” long. Next round the ends to match the bezel. The hole should be 18-11/16” long in the center from end to end. Remove the six screws that secure the mounting plate to the display panel. Next remove the eight screws which attach the bezel to the mounting plate. For thin dash material, place several strips of foam tape on the front of the mounting plate. These will be compressed down when it is
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GAUGE SYSTEM FEATURES Mileage readings • Million mile odometer • Two (A/B) re-settable trip mileage (0-9999.9) • Re-settable service mileage (0-9999) Performance readings • High speed recall. This is reset at power up and can be manually reset. • High rpm recall. This is reset at power up and can be manually reset. • 0-60 mph (0-100kmh) time. • ¼ mile time. • ¼ mile end speed. This is reset when the ¼ mile time restarts. Hour meter • Resettable hours (0-999.9) English/metric c
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MESSAGE DISPLAY Since the VFD 3X systems use a shared message center for speed and tach messages both Switch 1 and 2 are used to cycle through the various messages. Use Switch 1 to select different message screens (Mileage, Performance, Tach Bar). Use Switch 2 to change between different readings within the same screen (Trip A, Trip B, Service or km/h, Hours, Hi RPM). If any BIM modules are connected the information will be shown at the bottom of the Tach Bar screen. Some typical displ
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DISPLAY STRIPE RIBBON CABLE AUX. I/O SERIES III VFD CONTROL BOX www.dakotadigital.com techsupport@dakotadigital.com 605-332-6513 CONTROL BOX MOUNTING Once the display panel is in place, mount the control box within reach of the ribbon cable on the display panel (approximately 3 feet). Pick a mounting location that will allow you access to wire all of the inputs on the control box. Double sided tape, hook and loop fasteners, or screws in the two tabs on the case work fine for securing th
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RED WHITE BLACK BLUE or RED BROWN or BLACK RED WHITE BLACK PULSE GENERATOR MOMENTARY SW2 S 1 MOMENTARY W PARKING BRAKE SWITCH ECU/ECM check engine HIGH BEAM output DISPLAY PANEL WIRE 4x4 DAKOTA DIGITAL LEFT TURN transfer case RIGHT TURN GSS UNIT SIGNAL WIRE RIBBON CABLE SIGNAL WIRE switch 1-Wire output BIM CONNECTION Optional ONLY! Glow Plug Relay or Wait to start output DISPLAY Cruise Control STRIPE RIBBON CABLE AUX. I/O Engage Output SERIES III VFD CONTROL BOX www.dakotadigital.
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POWER Connect the POWER terminal to accessory +12V power from the fuse panel or vehicle wiring harness. This terminal should have power when the key is on or in accessory position. In addition to powering the display system, this is also where the voltmeter gauge reads the vehicle electrical system voltage. The supply source should be a fused 5 - 20 amp circuit; the system only draws about 1 amp, so sharing an existing accessory circuit will be generally be fine. Use 18 AWG wire to ens
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SPD + This terminal is used to supply power to Dakota Digital speed sensor SEN-01-5. This supplies 5V DC to the sensor and should not be hooked up to anything else. Connect the red wire from the SEN-01-5 to this terminal. If you are using a 1-wire VSS output from a computer or a two wire pulse generator this terminal should be left open. ***DO NOT use this terminal to power any other devices; it is a low current +5V output. SPD SND This is where the vehicle speed sensor (VSS) co
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To enter DEMO mode, press and hold switch 2 while turning the key on. The system will light up and say DAKOTA DIGITAL on the message readout, release the switch and the system will stay in demo mode until the power is cycled off and back on without the switch held. SW 1 (-) or Speed switch The SW 1 terminal is used for selecting the various speed, distance, and performance screens and also for entering the setup menu. The SW 1 input is activated by a ground connection. The push butt
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OIL + This terminal is used to supply power to Dakota Digital pressure sensor SEN-03-8. This supplies 5V DC to the sensor and should not be connected to anything else. Connect the red wire from the SEN-03-8 to this terminal. ***DO NOT use this terminal to power any other devices; it is a low current +5V output. OIL SND The oil pressure sender included with this system must be used. Other senders will cause incorrect readings or damage to the control box. The supplied sensor, Dako
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If your wiring harness already has a single wire routed through the vehicle for the fuel sender, then it may be used. If using a wire from an existing harness, make sure that the wire does not have power. The fuel sender gets power from the control box only. Fuel senders reference their ground from the sender mounting plate. Make sure that a ground wire is connected from one of the sender mounting bolts to the vehicle frame. The fuel sender type is selected using the setup menu under “F
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4x4 (-) The 4x4 terminal can be used on four wheel drive vehicles. The 4x4 input is activated by a ground signal from a switch on the transfer case. Connect a wire from this terminal to the switch on the transfer case. Whenever the 4x4 input is grounded the system will display a highlighted “x4” in the lower right corner of the message display. RIGHT (+) The RIGHT terminal is activated by a 12 volt signal from the turn signal flasher. When this terminal has 12 volts, an arrow will
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DISPLAY RIBBON CABLE This is where the grey cable from the display system plugs into the control box. To connect the ribbon cable from the display system to the control box; • First open the two locking tabs on either side of the blue RIBBON CABLE connector. • Next align the red stripe in the ribbon cable with the “STRIPE” text on the control box. • Finally press the ribbon cable into the connector, press firmly to seat the connector. • The two locking tabs should “snap” into place secu
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Setting up the control box Below is a list of all of the setup menus. You must have SW1 wired to enter setup; descriptions of each menu are below. Pay close attention to Setup Menus and settings as incorrect settings will cause faulty readings on the displays. Main Menu Sub Menu Description____________________ SPEED SENDER (NORMAL, BUS) Select sensor type AUTO Auto calibrate speed ADJUST Adjust the speed calibration SERVICE (O
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SPEEDOMETER SETUP/CALIBRATION There are two main methods for calibrating the speedometer, Auto Cal and Adjust. Auto Cal requires that you have one measured mile marked out (1 km for metric). Adjust requires you to follow another vehicle going at a set speed, use a handheld GPS with speedometer function, or time yourself over a mile to determine your speed. * Dakota Digital recommends you start with the Auto Cal method to get the speedometer close. If you find it’s reading too fast/slow
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(Auto Cal continued) NOTES: You do not have to drive at a constant speed nor do you have to avoid stopping during Auto Cal. When completed, you do no need to stop, you may, but you can also just press and release SW1 as you pass the 1 mile mark. The message display cannot be used to determine when the mile has been driven, it’s only there as a reference to indicate pulses are coming into the control box. Even if you have an 8000 PPM sensor you may calibrate at 9xxx PPM (for example) due
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Speed Output (OUTPUT) If a speed signal is needed for an ECM or cruise control, the SPD OUT terminal can be used. This terminal can supply a 2000 ppm or 4000 ppm signal. • When “OUTPUT” is displayed, press and hold SW1 until you get “ - ” • Release the switch. The current PPM output will be displayed. • Press and release SW1 to toggle from “ 2k PPM” to “ 4k PPM”. • When the desired setting is displayed, press and hold SW1 until “ - ” “DONE” is displayed • Release the switch to go
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Display update setup (UPDATE) The display update rate can be adjusted so the reading on the tachometer doesn’t change so quickly. This is a personal preference and is just used to “slow” the reading by averaging. The value can be changed from slow, mid, and fast. • When “UPDATE” is displayed press and hold SW1 until you get “ - ” • Release SW1 and the current update rate will be displayed. • Press and release SW1 to increase the value from “SLOW” “ MID” “ FAST” • When the desired se
