[Gwagensteve]

I just wrote this post for a member on the club's board, but I thought it might be helpful to have it here with all the GTi/ G16B conversions going on.

I know there are lots of ways of doing this, but I've found this is the simplest. Obviously it might mean you car reads the "wrong" odometer reading, or the odometer number are the wrong colour. If that's important to you, then by all means do it the more complicated way However, if the donor engine and VSS came from the same car, there might be good reason for the odo to read the engine KM, not the rest of the car.

You can get a VSS from a number of sources. I found one from an Barina years ago, I think it was an 80's model - it must have been used to control EGR or something. It's still the one that's currently in Piggles and it is keeping the G16B /AW-4 computers happy. Balenos etc aren't a source, as they used electric speedos. Your source will be swift/barina or vitara. I think GV are also electric speedo so you won't find one there.

Here's some photos to help you identify and fit a VSS. I have always seen this done in a much more complicated way (pulling the speedo unit itself apart) and I can't see the point in doing that.

Here is the donor EFI vitara cluster. I've already pulled the gauge needles.



If you turn it over, you can see the VSS screw terminals on the RHS of the speedo drive. They are labelled G (ground, or -ve) and R.S for Reed Switch

Pull the face of the cluster



and unscrew the two large screws that hold the speedo unit in, and the two small screws that connect the VSS to the cluster.... and pull out the speedo.

Here's a non VSS and VSS speedo side by side. You can see they are identical except for the VSS connections.



Here is a gutted WT cluster. You can see the holes for the VSS on the left of the big hole for the speedo drive.



Drop the vitara/swift/whatever speedo in, and do all the screws up:



Now run the wire from the bottom screw to the VSS wire of the computer, and you're away.

Hope this helps.

All suzuki speedo units that I'm aware of have the same ratio - 637 rev/km as far as I recall, so the speedo will read the same. I think the vitara odo numbers and reset line up perfectly with the Sierra gauge face.

Steve.

PS there is some discussion on the internets that the Baleno VSS uses a different waveform and isn't compatible with the older VSS. I have not found this to be the case. It might be true that the older VSS doesn't supply accurate speed information to the baleno computer, but for our purposes that doesn't seem to matter - so long as the computer thinks the car is moving - it doesn't matter how fast - you don't get a check engine light. The trolley tug runs a coil pack baleno computer with the VSS done this way and throws no codes.

[hooki]

Thanks steve, this will come in handy when I do the conversion. Is there much difference installing the VSS into a n/t guage cluster?

[Gwagensteve]

Nope, the speedo unit is exactly the same. IIRC the NT cluster also still has a provision for a check engine light, (like a WT) it's just unused. I have a type 3 1.0 cluster here (same as 1.3 NT but with no tach) , and it still has provision for a CE light and a VSS speedo.

I actually fitted the same (Barina/swift) speedo unit into my early 1.0 cluster, although that was a fair bit more work.

Steve.

[matty_wall]

The NT cluster has have the provision to plug the globe in but it doesn't have the 'Check Engine' on the black strip where check lights and blinkers lights are.

I chopped up a WT and NT one to get the Check Engine light to be visible. Mine is a 87 1.3l ute, which may be slightly different to other sierras.

You can see in this pic where the WT and NT section join. there's also a gti speedo and tacho in there.

[Gwagensteve]

That's the same procedure I wnet through when we added the CE light (and tach face) from the Cappuccino front cut into Gregc's old car.

Steve

[JrZook]

Gwagensteve wrote:

Just wondering if you can tell me that chip number for the tacho.

Dan

[Gwagensteve]

I'll dig it back out on Wednesday night and have a look Dan.

Steve

[JrZook]

Thanks mate

[shark]

So to find the VSS wire its on the medium plug to the computor.

Can anyone confirm the colour??

VSS is my little joib this weekend.

[KEENSY85]

Thank u for this Steve ill need this eventually

[Gwagensteve]

JrZook wrote:

Just wondering if you can tell me that chip number for the tacho.

Dan

There's a stylised D logo, then 056956-0140, next line, 9410KB

There seems to be some tech on this for adapting VW TDI tachs to the vitara cluster.

Steve.

[davemcgrath]

I'm just getting back into my coilpack Baleno conversion. I bought a cluster from a carby Vitara for the VSS. Is that going to work?

[Gwagensteve]

The carby Vitaras I've seen don't have a VSS.

[MrRocky]

What actual benefit of graphting a vss into sierra dash other than engine odometer ect... certainly doesnt seem to have any bearing on fuel consumption

[davemcgrath]

Since I already spent $40 on it last year, I decided to open it up.
By the looks of it's the non-VSS type setup.
I guess I'll have to find another source from an EFI wreck.

[Gwagensteve]

That's confusing - the two silver screws to the right of the Speedo drive imply the VSS is fitted.

Steve.

[kenzook]

isnt that it across the bottom of spedo and going up rh side held in by the two brass screws??

[kenzook]

[davemcgrath]

Thanks for that input Kenzook. So that part at the bottom is a VSS? I wasn't really sure, so I went and bought another cluster today, from a '94 Vitara Estate Wagon. The car was running an EFI G16B, and surprisingly the back of the cluster looks the same as the one from the G16A. I'm collecting parts for a conversion and want to know if I've got the correct VSS. Can anyone be sure?

[kenzook]

Pull it off and have a look. Should look like the above.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Gwagensteve]

A cluster from an estate wagon will be correct.

[Tones]

Hi guys, is there any way to get the original photos Gwagensteve put up?

As they seem to be photobucket, they are not showing.

[losfer]

If you have the vss from a vitara cluster you are all good its will slot straight in .Otherwise a bit of vero board and a reid switch from jaycar.
i can help you through it if you want.

[accident94]

losfer wrote:

If you have the vss from a vitara cluster you are all good its will slot straight in .Otherwise a bit of vero board and a reid switch from jaycar.
i can help you through it if you want.

Does this mean you dont need to source a Vitara VSS? There is a DIY option?

[Blkfxx]

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