Microdash connector pinouts

[Terry Kennedy]

I've been having intermittent problems with my Microdash acting crazy - readings like oil pressure 232 PSI, water temperature -77 degrees, battery voltage 51.6.

After discussing this with Simon and his Microdash expert at AtomFest, and with SPA UK concurring, I purchased a new replacement Microdash control box. Unfortunately, that didn't fix the problem.

I wound up having to disconnect cables from the car's Microdash connector one pin at a time until I found which sensor was causing all the trouble. It turned out to be the oil temperature sensor.

However, since I was in there, I replaced the 28-pin connector and changed all of the electrical tape for heat shrink tubing. I also put wire marker labels on each of the individual cables with their function and pin numbers.

Now that I have a complete connector map, I figured I'd post it here in case anyone else has a problem with a Microdash. I'd advise against digging into it unless you strongly suspect a problem there - it is pretty ugly and you can get lost easily.

Code: Select all

        ** SPA Microdash pinouts for Atom **

Sorted by pin number:

Pin      Color  Function                                             Notes
---     ------  --------------------------------------------------  ------
  1     Green   Ground - Channel 4 - Water Temperature                   1
  2     Green   Ground - Channel 3 - Oil Temperature                     1
  3     Green   Ground - Channel 1 - Oil Pressure                        1
  4     Blue    Ground - Accelerometer                                   1
  5     Green   Ground - Unknown Sensor                                  1
  6     Green   Ground - Channel 2 - Fuel Level                          1
  7     Orange  Battery Voltage Sense - jumpered to pin 24               2
  8     Red     +5V - Channel 3 - Oil Temperature                        3
  9     Red     +5V - Unknown Sensor                                     3
 10     Red     +5V - Accelerometer                                      3
 11     Red     +5V - Channel 4 - Water Temperature                      3
 12     Red     +12V - Channel 1 - Oil Pressure                          4
 13     Red     +12V - Channel 2 - Fuel Level                            4
 14     N/C     +12V                                                     4
 15     N/C     +12V                                                     4
 16     Black   Wheel Speed sensor
 17     N/C     Reserved
 18     N/C     Reserved
 19     Yellow  Lateral G - Accelerometer
 20     Green   Longitudinal G - Accelerometer
 21     N/C     Channel 8
 22     N/C     Channel 7
 23     N/C     Channel 6
 24     Orange  Channel 5 - Battery Voltage Sense (to pin 7)             2
 25     Black   Channel 4 - Water Temperature Sense
 26     Black   Channel 3 - Oil Temperature Sense
 27     Black   Channel 2 - Fuel Level Sense
 28     Black   Channel 1 - Oil Pressure Sense

  Notes:

  1 - All ground pins (1-6) connected together internally in Microdash
  2 - Jumper pin 7 to pin 24 to monitor battery voltage on Channel 5
  3 - All +5V pins (8-11) connected together internally in Microdash
  4 - All +12V pins (12-15) connected together internally in Microdash

Sorted by cable / Channel (all pin numbers refer to dash 28-pin connector)

  Accelerometer:
    Blue - Pin 4
    Red - Pin 10
    Yellow - Pin 19
    Green - Pin 20

  Wheel speed sensor:
    Black - Pin 16
    Black - N/C (yes, there's 2 black wires in this cable)
    Green - N/C

  Channel 1 / Oil pressure sensor:
    Green - Pin 3
    Red - Pin 12
    Black - Pin 28

  Channel 2 / Fuel level sensor:
    Green - Pin 6
    Red - Pin 13
    Black - Pin 27

  Channel 3 / Oil temperature sensor:
    Green - Pin 2
    Red - Pin 8
    Black - pin 26

  Channel 4 / Water temperature sensor
    Green - Pin 1
    Red - Pin  11
    Black - Pin 25

  Channel 5 / Battery voltage sense:
    Orange - Pin 7 jumpered to pin 24 in connector

  Unknown sensor:
    Green - Pin 5
    Red - Pin 9
    Black - N/C

[Heywood-Yablowme]

I would like to print that page,Terry,but I only get 1/2 of it.Any way to get that info without having it a scroll window?

[benyeats]

[quote="Curator"]
I would like to print that page,Terry,but I only get 1/2 of it.Any way to get that info without having it a scroll window?
[/quote]

Highlight it and paste into note pad then print ?

[Terry Kennedy]

[quote="Curator"]
I would like to print that page,Terry,but I only get 1/2 of it.Any way to get that info without having it a scroll window?
[/quote]

Click here for a full-sized copy.

Curator, does one of your Atoms have a Microdash instead of the standard Kitdash with analog gauges? If you have a Microdash, I'd be interested in seeing the configured values for the fuel display. Mine are:

  Type:  Custom
  Label: FL
  Alarm: 0
  Graph: Custom

  Scaling:
  Offset: 1564
  Span:  3436
  Fullsc:  100
  Decimal:  0

[Heywood-Yablowme]

Thanks,Terry. Goldfinger has a microdash. Tell me how to get to those values and I will retrieve them. I know it is a series of pressing buttons,but do not know the precise procedure.

[Terry Kennedy]

[quote="Curator"]
Thanks,Terry. Goldfinger has a microdash. Tell me how to get to those values and I will retrieve them. I know it is a series of pressing buttons,but do not know the precise procedure.
[/quote]

You can find the complete manual here.

The instructions for doing it with the dash control buttons start on page 38 of that PDF (page number 35 as the document numbers its pages).

If you have a PC cable for it (normally a 9-pin serial on one end and a connector that exchanges with the 4-pin display connector on the other, although a USB version is available) you can do it from the PC with far less trouble. If you read the rest of the manual, you'll see all the neat things it can do when connected to a PC - mapping tracks, etc.)

I don't know what Brammo comsidered the "standard" Microdash sensors to be. I have Oil pressure / Fuel level / Oil temp / Water temp / System voltage in mine now. I think Oil temp and System voltage were added for me. Once you get into the connector, adding the voltage monitor is just a jumper in the connector. Oil temperature would require running a cable from the dash to the engine and adding a sensor, if you don't have that option on yours.

I'm going to be adding intercooler temperature (either via a liquid temp sensor up front, or by mounting an air sensor in the back) and pressure sensors for both the front and rear brake master cylinders. The dash has a really cool feature when you have the brake pressure sensors - it generates a "phantom" sensor that displays the brake bias. No more remembering "Was it 3 turns counterclockwise for the track, or 4? Did I set it back to normal or did I forget?" - just step on the brakes for an instant reading of the current bias.

If you do decide to get into your Microdash connector, I have the crimp tool and pin insertion / removal tool, as well as a bunch of new pins, connectors and covers that I could lend to you. I could also make up labels like I used on mine when I re-did the cabling.

[Terry Kennedy]

[quote="Curator"]
Thanks,Terry. Goldfinger has a microdash. Tell me how to get to those values and I will retrieve them. I know it is a series of pressing buttons,but do not know the precise procedure.
[/quote]

Were you able to investigate this?