Wiring up a turbo timer?

Apex3 · Post by **Apex3** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 6:25 am

I searched but didn't find anything that really helped. My friend gave me a turbo timer/boost controller/gauge, and I want to wire up the timer, I know it's not necessary, but it was free, and seems like it would be nice to have just as a precaution. Problem is all I have is the box with two sets of 6 wires coming off it, and what looks like a plug for a vacuum hose, no instructions or anything, so I don't know what wire does what, the colors don't seem to have any meaning...

It's a Swoosh Auto Technic(I know, nice brand huh? lol) No serial numbers or anything, just says musical auto timer boost/turbo.

Aerotech · Post by **Aerotech** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 3:15 am

And you're going to trust the Happy Fun Time musical turbo timer with running your motor while you walk away from your car??

Apex3 · Post by **Apex3** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 4:36 am

LOL, well, my friend was running it on his 06 STi for a while, and he's heard about them and seems to trust them, so I guess so.

Apex3 · Post by **Apex3** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 1:44 am

Ok so I found out more about the company and apparently it's pretty big in Japan. But I found this thread about wiring it up, would it be the same for a 96 Legacy as it is for a 91 turbo? I don't wanna screw anything up.

http://www.uklegacy.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8961

PhyrraM · Post by **PhyrraM** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 1:47 am

If your really worried about making a mistake, look for a turbo timer harness adapter for a '93-'96 (V1/V2) WRX/STI. Those are the same as our Legacys.

Apex3 · Post by **Apex3** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 3:26 am

I got it all wired up now, but I have an issue. I can't get it to actually work basically. It turns on when the car turns on, and it's set at 30 seconds, but when you turn the key off, the car stays for a split second and turns off when the stereo does.

My friend thinks it's something with the ignition wire, which I'm inclined to agree, I hooked up the yellow wire on the timer to the red ignition wire in the car, but that should be right from what I can see?

There is a difference when it's turned on and off of when the car turns off, it just doesn't stay on for any length of time.

magicmike · Post by **magicmike** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 4:45 pm

1. Find out from a REAL source not another BBS what the wire colors mean on your turbo timer. Here's a crazy idea, check the manufactures website!
2. Look Here for what wires to connect to the car.

Apex3 · Post by **Apex3** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 6:32 pm

magicmike wrote:1. Find out from a REAL source not another BBS what the wire colors mean on your turbo timer. Here's a crazy idea, check the manufactures website!
2. Look Here for what wires to connect to the car.

Awesome! Thanks! Now why don't YOU try looking for that website, and maybe you'll see why I'm using another forum

And I've already got the diagram for the car, but thanks(this one's not sarcastic).

magicmike · Post by **magicmike** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 6:45 pm

I'm not wasting my time looking up your no name turbo timer. I'd be more causious about blindly hooking stuff up to your electrical system.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 6:46 pm

Were you looking at the pigtail wires coming out of the ignition switch? Or at the wires on the car's harness that plugs into the ignition switch pigtail? Because I'm not sure if the colors match up. Use the wires on the car side of that connection.

And you've got a good solid connection to each of the four ignition switch wires?

Apex3 · Post by **Apex3** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 7:42 pm

magicmike wrote:I'm not wasting my time looking up your no name turbo timer. I'd be more causious about blindly hooking stuff up to your electrical system.

My point was that I tried that already, they don't seem to have a website, this was the closest I could find. The guy was just reading out of the manual for his of the same brand.

vrg3 wrote:Were you looking at the pigtail wires coming out of the ignition switch? Or at the wires on the car's harness that plugs into the ignition switch pigtail? Because I'm not sure if the colors match up. Use the wires on the car side of that connection.

And you've got a good solid connection to each of the four ignition switch wires?

The car side, you're right that the ignition side has different colors.

I have a solid connection, but I'll look at it again today to make sure. I'm gonna try actually hooking it up to the ebrake too, I don't see why it would be different from a permanant live or ground but we'll see.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 8:06 pm

Oh, you didn't connect the parking brake wire? You lied when you said you got it "all wired up" then.

Well that's it right there -- the timer's only supposed to keep the engine running if you put the handbrake on. With the handbrake off, it does exactly what you're seeing it do.

Connect the wire. I suppose you could just ground the wire instead, but you probably should just do it right, so that the engine shuts off if you put the handbrake down.

Apex3 · Post by **Apex3** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 8:17 pm

vrg3 wrote:Oh, you didn't connect the parking brake wire? You lied when you said you got it "all wired up" then.

Well that's it right there -- the timer's only supposed to keep the engine running if you put the handbrake on. With the handbrake off, it does exactly what you're seeing it do.

Connect the wire. I suppose you could just ground the wire instead, but you probably should just do it right, so that the engine shuts off if you put the handbrake down.

Well that's the thing though, I didn't connect it to the brake, but I did connect it to a ground, I also tried a live, and neither one changed the way it shut down. I know I should hook it up right, but I'm more concerned with making it work ATM

I have it wired up like this right now, if there's nothing wrong with this, then it has to be one of the connections, or maybe even just a broken timer...

Turbo timer_______Ignition harness
Yellow(Ignition)____Red(Ignition)
White(ACC)_______Red/Yellow(ACC)
Red(B+)__________Black/Yellow(Constant 12+)
Gray(E-brake)_____Nothing/tried on live and ground
Black(Ground)_____Ground

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 8:20 pm

Try hooking it up right. The turbo timer might not keep the engine running if it thinks you haven't driven the car.

Apex3 · Post by **Apex3** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 8:25 pm

But from the two links above does the wiring look right aside from that? I'll try hooking it up to the ebrake right and get back to you.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 8:33 pm

Yes, the remainder of the wiring does look right to me.

PhyrraM · Post by **PhyrraM** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 8:43 pm

I think what vrg3 is trying to say is that it wants to see the parking brake cycle.

Engine start>Parking brake off>Parking brake on>Turbo timer enabled.

A lot of newer devices have such logic to protect the manufactures from us litigatus Americans.

Apex3 · Post by **Apex3** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 12:41 am

Yay you win! It lives! I didn't realize these things were that smartThanks, I guess this should be a lesson to just do it right to begin with instead of trying to simulate it. Now I gotta find what wire to hook the boost controller to, but that's for another day

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Wiring up a turbo timer?

Wiring up a turbo timer?