Shift-light location

I posted in the electronics forum but didn't get any responses so I thought this might work better.

Any advice on workable locations for a shift light? It will be 2" wide and 0.5" tall.

Would behind the center A/C grill or in the clock recess be too off-center?
Also considering on the trim in front of the gauge cluster or on the dash above the gauge cluster.

Appreciate any thoughts.

-jason

Are you referring to a sequential shift light or a single bright light set to a specific RPM? If it's a sequential one, you would want to mount it in you line of sight (by the gauge cluster or top steering column trim). It its a single light, you can put it anywhere you can see in your peripheral view.

It will be a sequential shift light of 8 LEDs. Each is fully programmable/addressable so I can modify the colors as desired.

Thanks, that is exactly the type of advice I was hoping for.

Any idea if I will be able to get some magnets under the plastic trim or under the dash to make it removeably mountable without any sign when it's not there?

You can use some small strips of velcro. That would be the easiest.

Here is mine installed. Great location and easy
http://captahole.smugmug.com/Other/ishift/26936844_NTZjCX

Thanks. That's probably where I will try to put mine as it comes together.

You could also make it clip onto the sunvisor and hang below it. Use a small connector at the unit so it can be removed easily when not needed. High in the windsheild area would be better than at the gauges for on track use as it would be in you field of view without taking your eyes off the road, if located near your rear view mirror would help with training for checking your mirrors while on track, and also it would be sheilded from direct sunlight and should be more visible on a sunny day.

Dave

Those are good points and a good idea. I will try this too. Thank you.

jwmelvin said:

Those are good points and a good idea. I will try this too. Thank you.

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I just had another idea, this will be harder to do with a 97+ car than the older cars, but adding a latching relay and a 2nd micro switch to the TCS button on the dash would allow you to use your shift light when TCS is disabled. Since most of us track with the TCS off this would let you have the shift light whent he car was in "Performance" or "Track" mode and off for daily non-spirited driving. I worry about the shift light at night being a bother but I guess you could get use to it.

Dave

DDozier said:

I just had another idea, this will be harder to do with a 97+ car than the older cars, but adding a latching relay and a 2nd micro switch to the TCS button on the dash would allow you to use your shift light when TCS is disabled.

Click to expand...

Another good idea. Why is that harder with a 97+? Because of the different OBD computer? In any event, it should be easy enough to intercept the TCS signal and use that as desired. My microcontroller could just monitor the wire powering the TCS light to know when it's disabled. Although, rather than fully disabling the shift light when TCS is on, I would probably have it only light up for the final few hundred RPM range, so it's only present when really appropriate. For track/performance mode, it could show more of a progression (including perhaps the VTEC range through a color change or something).

DDozier said:

I worry about the shift light at night being a bother but I guess you could get use to it.

Click to expand...

For this, I had planned to turn the light off when I didn't want it, but since it's fully controllable, I could tie into the instrument-cluster backlight and have the shift light drop in brightness when the backlight is on. It could even track the brightness of the backlight. Ass possibilities for the future. First order is to build a functioning system. Then I can play with it. That's why I'm building my own, because I enjoy the sorts of customization you have raised.

Thansk.
-jason

Well, I now have a functional shift light and can work more on the mounting options.

Here it is mounted with some 3M duallock, at the base of the steering column:



While the light is pretty low, there is a nice reflection that comes from the windshield and makes something of a heads-up display. The brightness is adjustable so I think it will be quite visible in daylight. Still experimenting.

And here are a couple videos with how I set it up initially:
<object width="640" height="480">


<embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/QgFog7Jj3yA?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

I tied it into the brake indicator so that if I don't have the LED strip in the car, the system still has a way to give feedback.

-Jason
</object>

The brake light is a good idea, but the bar light is way to early, I would only be concerned about the last 750 to 1,000 RPM. Comming on at 6k RPM is going to be distracting on the track if you intend to use it there. On the track I am almost always between 6k and 8k so it would just be on all the time.

Dave

Good point, thanks. I was just excited to see colored lights, so I suppose I got carried away. Easy to change.

One other thing, not sure if you are willing to modify your cluster but all NSX's have the seven segment PRND321 indicators cast into the cluster on the manual trans cars they are covered up by the tach. If you wanted an OEM look the gauge face could be modified and the LED's installed in these pockets. Just so you can see what I am talking about here is a naked cluster to see the pockets cast in the cluster base.

Dave

Now that would be cool, modify an auto gauge face

scammy said:

Now that would be cool, modify an auto gauge face

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Indeed,
I was reassembling a cluster a few weeks back and that came to mind as well.

You'd need to a company that those face plates, but it's a risky job removing the gauges.
So risky I'd not dare do it, i know that there are meter/cluster specialist though.

sounds like a job for a good vendor.... Adnan, have it come on at 7600revs bottom to top green or blue or a combo of and then the last two red max at 8200revs maybe the top two flashing when it hits 8200.
something for someone to think about who knows about these things