speedometer help!!!!!

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trippywhitekid
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speedometer help!!!!!

Post by trippywhitekid »

So sqc151 is helping me build my 93 legacy i bought from him and im looking to find a company that makes a speedometer will work with the 04 forester xt harness im using. if anyone knows of a company that makes one please let me know
Legacy777
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Re: speedometer help!!!!!

Post by Legacy777 »

The North American first gen Legacy speedo is cable driven. Are you wanting to change that so it's driven electronically, or am I missing something?
Josh

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1990 Legacy (AWD, 6MT, & EJ22T Swap)
2020 Outback Limted XT

If you need to get a hold of me please email me rather then pm
trippywhitekid
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Re: speedometer help!!!!!

Post by trippywhitekid »

yes. thats exactly what i want to do just need something to tell me how fast i am going. its gonna become a track car after this summer
Alphius
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Re: speedometer help!!!!!

Post by Alphius »

You could put in an aftermarket VSS or GPS speedometer from SpeedHut, AutoMeter, etc.
Or you could mod the dash and repin the harness to fit in a newer Legacy, Impreza, Forester gauge cluster with a VSS speedometer.
trippywhitekid
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Re: speedometer help!!!!!

Post by trippywhitekid »

well im using the bulk harness out of a 04 forester xt but i'm chopping up the dash to make it custom since the forester dash is a tad bit wider then the legacy. thank you for the help guys i appreciate it
Legacy777
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Re: speedometer help!!!!!

Post by Legacy777 »

You can just put the cable in the transmission, or are you not wanting to do that?

If you wanted to make the speedo cable electronic you'd need to get an overseas electronic speedo cable/gauge cluster.

Check out this thread for more info.

http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=50076
Josh

surrealmirage.com/subaru
1990 Legacy (AWD, 6MT, & EJ22T Swap)
2020 Outback Limted XT

If you need to get a hold of me please email me rather then pm
trippywhitekid
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Re: speedometer help!!!!!

Post by trippywhitekid »

would i need the cable if i get the gps speedometer? http://www.speedhut.com/gauge/GR4-GPS-0 ... high-beam) was looking at this one.
mike-tracy
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Re: speedometer help!!!!!

Post by mike-tracy »

Whatever ecu you run will need a speed signal, which the GPS speedo won't provide to my knowledge. Maybe you could look and see what the Vanagon guys do when they swap in subie engines? I know there has been modern engine swaps like the ej255 etc running successfully.
1992 Legacy SS 5mt, build in progress
Josh Colombo wrote: Mon Jan 14, 2002 10:23 am Wait....I'm confused now.
trippywhitekid
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Re: speedometer help!!!!!

Post by trippywhitekid »

why is that mike?
mike-tracy
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Re: speedometer help!!!!!

Post by mike-tracy »

trippywhitekid wrote:why is that mike?
The ecu's rely on the VSS from the trans to function properly. In case of the 1st gen American legacys, the speedo cable's mechanical movement is translated into a digital signal at the speedometer, which is then sent to the ecu (Talking about on the manual trans cars).

The implication of not running a VSS signal to the ecu on the older legacys is the car will be in a kind of limp mode.

I'm not as familiar with the newer stuff, but I know that in other swaps, people have to get a VSS to the ecu to make it happy. If you're running a standalone, that may be a different story. But my buddy with an eg33 swapped GC running a Hydra, had to go out of his way to get a vss signal to it. I'll ask him what he used.
1992 Legacy SS 5mt, build in progress
Josh Colombo wrote: Mon Jan 14, 2002 10:23 am Wait....I'm confused now.
trippywhitekid
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Re: speedometer help!!!!!

Post by trippywhitekid »

even if its a manual? and sounds good if you want to pm if its easier thats fine
Alphius
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Re: speedometer help!!!!!

Post by Alphius »

You need VSS to the ECU, yes. I assumed that since you are using an 04 FXT harness, you'd also be using the 04 FXT ECU and speed sensor. In that case, the speedometer can be completely standalone and not tied into the ECU's systems at all, which is why I suggested a GPS speedometer for ease of installation.

If you want to use the cable speedometer in your transmission, then the cluster provides the VSS output to the ECU. I'm not sure if a Gen1 Legacy VSS signal is compatible with an 04 FXT ECU.
trippywhitekid
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Re: speedometer help!!!!!

Post by trippywhitekid »

mike-tracy wrote:
trippywhitekid wrote:why is that mike?
The ecu's rely on the VSS from the trans to function properly. In case of the 1st gen American legacys, the speedo cable's mechanical movement is translated into a digital signal at the speedometer, which is then sent to the ecu (Talking about on the manual trans cars).

The implication of not running a VSS signal to the ecu on the older legacys is the car will be in a kind of limp mode.

I'm not as familiar with the newer stuff, but I know that in other swaps, people have to get a VSS to the ecu to make it happy. If you're running a standalone, that may be a different story. But my buddy with an eg33 swapped GC running a Hydra, had to go out of his way to get a vss signal to it. I'll ask him what he used.
sorry just re-read this and answered my own question i asked to you. since i need a vss for the ecu im going to have to get the car tuned anyway would i be able to get rid of that issue then or would i still need them?
Alphius
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Re: speedometer help!!!!!

Post by Alphius »

You absolutely still do need the VSS for the ECU. The ECU uses the VSS table to compute all sorts of fueling and idle control values.
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