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Originally Posted by chiplee
I'm having a problem now with my SPG. I have a VSC TRAC and VSC OFF light with the Check engine light on. Everything seemed to be working fine until Installed a VAIS SL2Vi Video ipod interface.
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The SPG has nothing to do with VSC TRAC or the CEL. The only output from the SPG device is a pulsing +12VDC signal on the green speed pulse wire so the only way that this could cause problems for your truck or other accessories would be if you wired it up wrong to feed the speed pulse directly into your vehicle ECU or other circuits. Even if you did wire it up wrong or if your wires were shorted with other wires, then the IC chip inside the SPG would burn out quickly and/or you would blow a fuse in your vehicle and the SPG would be dead. Since the SPG worked fine before you installed the ipod interface then it is safe to assume that your current problem is with the ipod interface or the wiring changes that you made during the ipod installation. I am guessing that your CEL might be unrelated and just a coincidence.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chiplee
I had to ground the parking brake wire to get the ipod video to show on the move, and the SPG had to be working also. I had both the spg and the P-brake grounded to the same ground wire, which was the negative wire on the cigarette lighter, maybe dumb, not sure. |
You can't use the SPG and the video device at the same time, at least not on the newer NAV units. The NAV insists on the vehicle being completely stopped to display video on the front screen and the SPG generates a speed pulse which fluctuates between 0-1 mph, so the NAV would detect a slight motion from the SPG and disable the video briefly during each pulse. When you are using video on the NAV you need to put the SPG in factory mode. There isn't any reason to keep the SPG enabled during a movie anyway since you shouldn't need to use the NAV functions while watching a movie.
I have a toggle switch hooked to the parking brake input on my NAV unit. I can switch it to on, off, or factory mode and I have been using it for several months in all 3 positions and the parking brake mode doesn't effect my NAV or SPG in any way.
Ground is common throughout the vehicle so it shouldn't matter where you grounded each accessory as long as you are sure that you have a true ground connection. Some wires are only grounded part of the time but then switched to + voltage or other signals while in use, and some metal parts in the truck are not grounded at all so you have to be careful. Generally the ground on the cigarette or accessory outlet is a good choice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chiplee
Anyway, it all worked beautifully for a day or so, then the CEL and other lights came on and now my nav doesn't give turn by turn guidance. At one point my auto up/down driver window switch didn't "auto" up down. I had to hold it to get the window to move. I've reset the ecu and unhooked the SPG. The lights come back on within a mile and the nav acts like it doesn't know where I am. Have I damaged something?
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You should take your vehicle to a local auto parts store and borrow their OBD / CAN meter to read the trouble codes stored in your ECU. This will tell you why the CEL is on and how to fix it.
In my 2007 Tundra the only auto window function is auto-down for the driver window and this circuit has nothing at all to do with the NAV or SPG.
Your map scrolling and guidance functions may be less accurate while the SPG is enabled. This is because most NAV units rely on the speed pulse to enhance the accuracy of the GPS signal, so when you feed it a bogus speed pulse then the maps might scroll less smoothly or it might get your actual position confused and not give accurate guidance. This is why the SPG uses a toggle switch: put it in bypass mode to unlock and use the functions while in motion, then flip it back to factory mode when you are done and all is fine.
Not making fun of your situation but the odd symptoms reminded me of a problem that my father-in-law once reported to me about his home security system. He said that the alarm system worked fine but it would go off every time he added or removed something from his kitchen refrigerator.
I thought he was kidding but he was dead serious. I installed that system myself so I knew for sure it was not connected to the refrigerator in any way, yet I could hear his alarm going off over the phone so I figured I had to check it out. After some troubleshooting it turned out that he had accidentally ripped off the alarm wire that was connected to one of the kitchen window sensors and he tried to patch it back up but he did a poor job and the connection was very loose. That particular wire ran through some conduit that went behind the refrigerator, and his refrigerator was not properly leveled, so whenever he would bump the refrigerator it would press against the conduit which in turn vibrated the alarm sensor wire just enough to break the connection briefly and set off the alarm.
