Shift light? ... a REAL one.

f4sfed

New Member
Established Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2002
Messages
1,082
Location
St Louis, MO
Has anyone installed a shift light? NOT the kind for best fuel economy, but the kind for best performance? :)

I get too frickin' carried away with how the car sounds when I'm on it (ESPECIALLY with the Basanni!), and keep bumpin' the rev limiter. :bash: I MUST have something that reminds me when I need to shift. :bash: <- Actually, THAT might work!

If so, I'd really appreciate details of the install. Part numbers, etc. Feel free to PM me, email me or just respond in the thread.

Thanks in advance.
 

sn8k

THe oLD FaRT
Established Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2002
Messages
520
Location
Oklahoma City
I'm very curious about this too.

I did a little research awhile back for my 2001, and come up with this link (scroll down until you see the 1999-2001 "Mustang Shift Light Kit"... Part # NFS-9901 - obviously a house part code).

Anyone have any experience with this one? I really don't want to have to add some huge tach on the dash just to have an accurate shift light. Then again, that may be the only way to do it right.
 

Dana

Bluesmobile
Established Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2002
Messages
3,157
Location
Beecher, Illinois
I emailed Raptor a few days ago about a shift light. This is the response I received from Rick, who by the way responded almost instantly. A pleasant surprise!!!

The Raptor shiftlight is in the final stages of testing on the 1999 and newer Mustangs with "coil-on-plug" ignition systems. I am currently testing on a 2001 Bullit Mustang and a 2002 GT. The shiftlight requires no tach adaptor as most other shiftlight manufactures do. The tach signal is simply taken off the negative side of one the eight coils. This connection in combination with the power and ground wire is all that is required. Set the cylinder selection to "1" or "coil on plug", adjust the RPM setting to the desired setpoint, and your done.

I am shipping now for Corvettes, Camaros and Firebirds. I should be finished testing this week on the Mustangs.

Thanks for the interest!

Rick

I am waiting for an ok from Rick to place an order. I can't deal with the factory tach any more.

Dana
 
Last edited:

Ryan

It's Not Your Concern
Super Moderator
Joined
Nov 19, 2000
Messages
18,032
Location
OHIO!
I know I'm a CSVT guy, but I installed an Autometer shift light in my left side heating vent. It does take pills, but they are easy to access. Fairly easy install (once you figure out which wire to tap into for that tach). Very nice not having to watch the tach anymore too!!!!! I highly recommend it!!!
 

Dana

Bluesmobile
Established Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2002
Messages
3,157
Location
Beecher, Illinois
RTStabler51,
Did the Autometer light require an adapter or is it a straight wire in somehow?

Thanks,
Dana
 

Silver 03 Cobra

New Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2002
Messages
2,054
I installed the Autometer Quik Lite in mine. You will need an Autometer tach adapter and a rpm activated switch. Summit has all the stuff. They don't show the tach adapter in the catalog but they stock them. The pills are easy and no big deal. I started off by buying a Summit brand rpm activated switch that uses DIP switches instead of pills but it didn't work and I sent it back. The tach adapter has to be spliced into the coil plus volt wire before the first coil and nowhere betweeen any coils or it will not work. There is a junction box on the firewall on the passenger side. If you pull the connector out, the coil wire terminal goes through this bundle. I spliced my tach adapter there. I can snap some pics and maybe identify the exact red wire. I think there were two. I used a multimeter and probed a wire on the coli and found the correct one in the bundle.
 

p3pete

Toys R Us Kid
Established Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2002
Messages
713
Location
Newport, RI
Great work Silver! I look forward to the pix. BTW, where did you mount the actual light? I, like many others, have been hitting the rev limiter a little too often and this sounds like the best cure.
Cheers,
Pete
 

Ryan

It's Not Your Concern
Super Moderator
Joined
Nov 19, 2000
Messages
18,032
Location
OHIO!
No, I spliced into a wire going into the instrument cluster.

Originally posted by Dana
RTStabler51,
Did the Autometer light require an adapter or is it a straight wire in somehow?

Thanks,
Dana
 

f4sfed

New Member
Established Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2002
Messages
1,082
Location
St Louis, MO
Originally posted by Silver03Snake
I installed the Autometer Quik Lite in mine. You will need an Autometer tach adapter and a rpm activated switch. Summit has all the stuff. They don't show the tach adapter in the catalog but they stock them. The pills are easy and no big deal. I started off by buying a Summit brand rpm activated switch that uses DIP switches instead of pills but it didn't work and I sent it back. The tach adapter has to be spliced into the coil plus volt wire before the first coil and nowhere betweeen any coils or it will not work. There is a junction box on the firewall on the passenger side. If you pull the connector out, the coil wire terminal goes through this bundle. I spliced my tach adapter there. I can snap some pics and maybe identify the exact red wire. I think there were two. I used a multimeter and probed a wire on the coli and found the correct one in the bundle.

Yes! Pics please!?

That's exactly what I've ordered from Summit. I found this article http://www.mustangworld.com/ourpics/fcar/dzshiftlight.htm explaining the whole thing, but I'm not sure if the procedure is different for a 2003 model.
 

MJ32V

New Member
Established Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2002
Messages
182
Location
NY
Autometer RPM switch tip...

If you want full adjustability from the Autometer RPM switch and don't want to spend ~$30 on the RPM "pills", do the following:

Pick up miniature 10K ohm 12 turn potentiometer (Radio Shack ~$2).

Cut off the top of Autometer provided RPM "pill".

Unsolder the resistor from the 2 pins.

In place of fixed resistor, solder 10K ohm potentiometer; make sure to tie wiper (usually center pin) to one or the other end pins on the pot.

Plug in place of standard fixed RPM "pill", adjust to preferred RPM.

MJ
 

Silver 03 Cobra

New Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2002
Messages
2,054
Here are the pic's. I put the shift light between the instrument cluster cover and the dash. I used two small sheet metal screws to hold it in. The dash is rubber so the screws only prevent the lite from twisting. The instrument cover presses up on the screws keeping the bracket secure.

I mounted the tach adapter on the driver's side on the fire wall. I used a small piece of stainless to make a bracket and used an existing hole to bolt it to the firewall.

The last pics are of the terminal where the engine connects. The big terminal on the passenger side houses the coil positive volt wire. It is the big red wire on the inboard side of the housing on the very back corner. I cut the wire here and spliced in the tach adapter. I used slip-in connectors in case anything happens with the tach adapter, I can simply pull off the wires and reconnect them the coil wire by plugging it together. I put the rpm activated switch behind the kick panel on the driver's side. MAke sure you order a pill kit when you order your other stuff.

Summit P/N
ATM-5331 Quik Shift Lite, Silver
ATM-5330 Quik Shift Lite, Black
ATM-5310 RPM Activated Switch
Autometer 9117 Tach Adapter(Summit stocks, not listed in catalog)
ATM-5356 Pill Kit 6000-6800 rpm


Shift+Light+1.jpg


Shift+Light+2.jpg


Tach+Adapter.jpg


Terminal+1.jpg


Terminal+2.jpg
 

bender460

New Member
Established Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2002
Messages
382
Location
montana
Autometer RPM switch tip...

If you want full adjustability from the Autometer RPM switch and don't want to spend ~$30 on the RPM "pills", do the following:

Pick up miniature 10K ohm 12 turn potentiometer (Radio Shack ~$2).

Cut off the top of Autometer provided RPM "pill".

Unsolder the resistor from the 2 pins.

In place of fixed resistor, solder 10K ohm potentiometer; make sure to tie wiper (usually center pin) to one or the other end pins on the pot.

Plug in place of standard fixed RPM "pill", adjust to preferred RPM.
here's more info on this modhttp://ece.clemson.edu/crb/students/mhannan/mustang.html
 

Ray Ackerman

New Member
Established Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2002
Messages
88
Location
Fort Myers Fla.
Originally posted by bender460
here's more info on this modhttp://ece.clemson.edu/crb/students/mhannan/mustang.html

The link does not work,do you have a copy of the right up?

before i go to Radio Shack, is there an adjustable PRM pill on the market?
 

Dana

Bluesmobile
Established Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2002
Messages
3,157
Location
Beecher, Illinois
Here are the pics of the finished install of the Raptor Shift light.
Works like a charm. Everything was wired at or near the PCM.
If anyone needs the wire locations for this one or something similar, let me know.
The light is mounted with double sided foam tape for now, untill I decide if that is where I want it to be permanently.
Go to this thread towards the end for the pics:

SVTPerformance-Shift Light &No Adapter

Dana
 

f4sfed

New Member
Established Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2002
Messages
1,082
Location
St Louis, MO
Originally posted by Dana
Here are the pics of the finished install of the Raptor Shift light.
Works like a charm. Everything was wired at or near the PCM.
If anyone needs the wire locations for this one or something similar, let me know.
The light is mounted with double sided foam tape for now, untill I decide if that is where I want it to be permanently.
Go to this thread towards the end for the pics:

SVTPerformance-Shift Light &No Adapter

Dana

Yes Please? Wiring? What and how? Thanks! :)
 

Dana

Bluesmobile
Established Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2002
Messages
3,157
Location
Beecher, Illinois
I sent the pics to Raptor to post on their site for everyone to see/use. They should be up soon. It shows the complete install for the '03 Cobra.
You can check their site and/or I'll post here when it's up.
I'm sure I'd hear about it if I posted all of it here.
These are the connections at the PCM. All 3 are done here.
Dana
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread



Top