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Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

General => Lounge => Topic started by: Tbird232ci on April 18, 2005, 05:59:21 PM

Title: Killer find
Post by: Tbird232ci on April 18, 2005, 05:59:21 PM
i went to the junkyard, looking for a corner lamp for a friend of mine, and i was pissed to find the only 87-88 out of two junkyards to have no nose on it

so i went on a search, just looking around random cars, untill i cam across this:
Title: Re: Killer find
Post by: Thunder Chicken on April 18, 2005, 06:17:51 PM
Looks good :banana:  - I'm guessing by the looks of the mounting brackets that it's from a Crown Vic or Grand Marquis. That's the first time I've ever seen the other end of the harness - looks like you'll have to use part of your current clock's harness after all...
Title: Re: Killer find
Post by: Tbird232ci on April 18, 2005, 08:59:36 PM
yeah, i might try to find another tripminder and use its harness possibly, if i find the right one

the thing that makes the find killer...got it free
Title: Re: Killer find
Post by: Thunder Chicken on April 18, 2005, 10:23:05 PM
Using the existing clock harness is easy. Four of the six wires you need are already in the clock connector, and you can cut the clock harness in half, take two of the terminals out of the clock end and stick them in the correct locations in the harness end, and voila - a six wire harness. Just connect the six wires to the ones in the tripminder and plug 'er in :D
Title: Re: Killer find
Post by: Tbird232ci on April 18, 2005, 11:55:52 PM
im gonna do that, but id also like to find a few more cars with it, and see if the harness' changed through the years, ive been told by a few guys that those are actually kinda common, so im on the lookout
Title: Re: Killer find
Post by: Tbird232ci on April 19, 2005, 12:23:33 PM
now im rather pissed

i wired up the harness, best looking electrical job ive ever done, i plug it in through the glovebox hole, to test it, it worked, i set the time, date etc, worked find, i mounted the brackets on it, and disconnected it to mount it properly, mount it up, plug it in, and it doesnt work

so i untape my harness, all the pins are still in, the splices are still solid and perfect, so apparantly my tripminder took a dump
Title: Re: Killer find
Post by: thundergrowl on April 19, 2005, 12:28:58 PM
could you have blown a fuse?
Title: Re: Killer find
Post by: pro-five-oh on April 19, 2005, 12:39:57 PM
Man, I didn't know they were that hard to find...I have like 4 of them now from Crown Vics. When you get another one that works, you can swap out the mounting brackets for your Tbird brackets.  Works nice then.

I sent Eric detailed instructions on the conversion when I did it years ago...Eric? :p
Title: Re: Killer find
Post by: EricCoolCats on April 19, 2005, 12:42:58 PM
http://www.coolcats.net/tech/advanced/tripminder.html

There's the love. :)
Title: Re: Killer find
Post by: Tbird232ci on April 19, 2005, 12:59:45 PM
i swapped the brackets over already, and it was all wired up and working, but now its giving me a fit, since i swapped the brackets over...i have no idea whats up with it, i made a more specific post in the electrical section

already checked the fuse :)
Title: Re: Killer find
Post by: Thunder Chicken on April 19, 2005, 01:29:26 PM
How did you attach the new brackets? There is like zero clearance inside the tripminder housing, so if you drove screws into it you might have, well, screwed it
Title: Re: Killer find
Post by: Tbird232ci on April 19, 2005, 01:32:31 PM
i used very short screws

ill see what happens when i try again in a moment
Title: Re: Killer find
Post by: Tbird232ci on April 19, 2005, 01:39:56 PM
well, that just ruined my day, the tripminder is done for, so i gotta go back on the hunt to find another one, its sitting in the dash untill i can find another one

ill probably grab another clock harness or two from a fox car, and the next tripminder i find, ill make another harness for my red one, then just keep an eye out for a third tripminder
Title: Re: Killer find
Post by: pro-five-oh on April 19, 2005, 02:10:34 PM
I'd run the screws/bolts inside out, let the threads hang outside. You'll probably need to take it apart to clean it anyway...

Quote
Try the buttons. If some or all of the buttons don’t work, do not worry.

This is how you fix the buttons: take apart the computer (when turned off, in a static electricity free area) and clean the metal contacts of the buttons with that sandpaper. The Tripminder comes apart pretty quickly. A flathead screwdriver inserted into the four slots on the sides will separate the case into a front and a back side. Pull the back from the front and unfold the computer’s circuit boards. It unfolds like an accordion: I never said this was a well-engineered computer!

The last board is bolted to the front of the Tripminder via four 4mm bolts. Unbolt these and pull the circuit board free of the Tripminder. You will now see the other side of the circuit board: seven little push buttons (metal, not the plastic ones) that surround the vacuum fluorescent display of the Tripminder. Fold a small piece of the sand paper (sand on both the top and bottom) and GENTLY slide it between each of the seven buttons. You should be sliding the paper between the metal you see and the circuit board. Push down on the button and move the sandpaper up and down a few times. This will clean both sides and remove all corrosion/oxidation from the contacts. When this is done blow off any sand or residue with compressed air or your mouth. Reverse the disassembly process. Congratulations: you now have a brand new Tripminder computer!


Thanks Eric, it looks great! :)
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