Dakota Digital instructions are horrible!

[billygeg]

Hey Guys
Can anyone help me here? I just bought a Dakota unit for my 87 GN...The instructions are absolutely horrible! 1st step it tells you to remove bezel and cluster..Then it tells you to plug in the CAT cable to the new Dakota unit and install it..It makes no mention of the speedometer cable, the small harness of wires that are permanently fixed to the original cluster that need to be cut to get it out, It makes no mention of the large connected that clips into the back of the old cluster or the speedo cable, and it makes no mention if these wires and the speedo cable need to be rerouted under the dash to wire into the brain or if they stay where they are with the unit connecting in some other fashion..

I thought this was going to be a few hour install..Right now it seems a bit more then what I bargained for! I really dont want to test every wire to find out what its function is in order to connect it to the brain of the dakota unit...Im hoping I'm missing something here!
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks!

 

[Chuck Leeper]

Start out by labeling wires as you take them off.
Don't know what they are? Refer to the shop manual.

 

[nat86]

Casper's Electronics has an adapter piece that will go into the harness where the old dash was

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[Nick Micale]

We are a dealer for Dakota and the Casper's adapter is what we use.

I will see if they will add something on their web that this adapter is available.

They do know about it, but their GN customers should also be made aware.

 

[billygeg]

Start out by labeling wires as you take them off.
Don't know what they are? Refer to the shop manual.

Yeah I was kinda hoping I didnt have to go threw all the BS! The wires I had to cut off I have no idea what they are..Then theres the large connector that the old cluster sort of slides onto..I have no idea what these connections are! The unit comes with senders and wires for the oil, temp, boost and speedo so those are ran new from the engine compartment with harnesses..That makes sense and is understanable but to sell a $900 unit without having the proper color codes and step by step instructions for that particular car is kinda messed up

 

[billygeg]

Start out by labeling wires as you take them off.
Don't know what they are? Refer to the shop manual.

Yeah I was kinda hoping I didnt have to go threw all the BS! The wires I had to cut off I have no idea what they are..Then theres the large connector that the old cluster sort of slides onto..I have no idea what these connections are! The unit comes with senders and wires for the oil, temp, boost and speedo so those are ran new from the engine compartment with harnesses..That makes sense and is understanable but to sell a $900 unit without having the proper color codes and step by step instructions for that particular car is kinda messed up

 

[nat86]

you will get a graph similar to this from Casper's adapter

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[billygeg]

Start out by labeling wires as you take them off.
Don't know what they are? Refer to the shop manual.

Yeah I was kinda hoping I didnt have to go threw all the BS! The wires I had to cut off I have no idea what they are..Then theres the large connector that the old cluster sort of slides onto..I have no idea what these connections are! The unit comes with senders and wires for the oil, temp, boost and speedo so those are ran new from the engine compartment with harnesses..That makes sense and is understanable but to sell a $900 unit without having the proper color codes and step by step instructions for that particular car is kinda messed up

 

[billygeg]

Start out by labeling wires as you take them off.
Don't know what they are? Refer to the shop manual.

Yeah I was kinda hoping I didnt have to go threw all the BS! The wires I had to cut off I have no idea what they are..Then theres the large connector that the old cluster sort of slides onto..I have no idea what these connections are! The unit comes with senders and wires for the oil, temp, boost and speedo so those are ran new from the engine compartment with harnesses..That makes sense and is understanable but to sell a $900 unit without having the proper color codes and step by step instructions for that particular car is kinda messed up

you will get a graph similar to this from Casper's adapter

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

Thanks for the info! The instructions I got with it came with nothing like that.. That connection is not even mentioned..They say to take out the old cluster and mount the new one!? So I mounted right over it figuring there must be another way to connect..Now I gotta open it all up again and run wires from that connector..I am kinda reluctant in cutting it but how else can I splice to those wires? Nat 86 mentioned gaspers has a harness which sounds like the right way to do it and the way it should be sent from Dakota! I can just see myself having so spend another $100 on a wire harness for something I spent $915 already!

 

[nat86]

There are two tabs that hold the stock electrical harness that goes into the back of the dash you will have to undo that and drop it down below the dash so you can work on it then you can install the Dakota Digital dash . This also came with Casper's adapter take your time and you're really not cutting anything up

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[nat86]

While you're at it order the field fix for the alternator for charging that's the route I went really easy wiring up the light bulb thing really didn't work for me or resistor

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[billygeg]

There are two tabs that hold the stock electrical harness that goes into the back of the dash you will have to undo that and drop it down below the dash so you can work on it then you can install the Dakota Digital dash . This also came with Casper's adapter take your time and you're really not cutting anything up

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

 

[billygeg]

There are two tabs that hold the stock electrical harness that goes into the back of the dash you will have to undo that and drop it down below the dash so you can work on it then you can install the Dakota Digital dash . This also came with Casper's adapter take your time and you're really not cutting anything up

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

 

[billygeg]

There are two tabs that hold the stock electrical harness that goes into the back of the dash you will have to undo that and drop it down below the dash so you can work on it then you can install the Dakota Digital dash . This also came with Casper's adapter take your time and you're really not cutting anything up

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

 

[billygeg]

Thanks for all the info guys! I see the pin layout for the clip..Does anyone have the info on the wires I had to cut on the right side of the cluster that were soldered directly into the cluster? Also there was a 2 wire piece that was screwed in right next to the speedo cable that I am unsure what thats for as well.
Thanks!

 

[billygeg]

There are two tabs that hold the stock electrical harness that goes into the back of the dash you will have to undo that and drop it down below the dash so you can work on it then you can install the Dakota Digital dash . This also came with Casper's adapter take your time and you're really not cutting anything up

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

There are two tabs that hold the stock electrical harness that goes into the back of the dash you will have to undo that and drop it down below the dash so you can work on it then you can install the Dakota Digital dash . This also came with Casper's adapter take your time and you're really not cutting anything up

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

 

[billygeg]

There are two tabs that hold the stock electrical harness that goes into the back of the dash you will have to undo that and drop it down below the dash so you can work on it then you can install the Dakota Digital dash . This also came with Casper's adapter take your time and you're really not cutting anything up

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

When you purchased yours it came with the caspers connector? Or you bought one?

 

[billygeg]

There are two tabs that hold the stock electrical harness that goes into the back of the dash you will have to undo that and drop it down below the dash so you can work on it then you can install the Dakota Digital dash . This also came with Casper's adapter take your time and you're really not cutting anything up

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

When you purchased yours it came with the caspers connector? Or you bought one?

 

[billygeg]

Hey Guys, Can anyone tell me where to put the boost sensor? Im not sure where the original port is for it.
Thanks

 

[nat86]

When you purchased yours it came with the caspers connector? Or you bought one?

Bought one

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