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MDS Light - How to

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Old Mar 22, 2009 | 10:40 PM
  #11  
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sarguy01 Great post and pictures . Just went out and took off the hose and cowl and saw the connector way in the back. How the heck did you get to it? How big of wire did you use and you just shoved it in alongside the blue wire and it made conntact? How'd you decide it was that wire that needed to be tapped? Sorry for all the questions but I can't wait till morning to try it. I already bought a led weeks ago waiting for someone smarter than me to figure this out.
 
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Old Mar 22, 2009 | 11:08 PM
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Originally Posted by RX-1-SS
sarguy01 Great post and pictures . Just went out and took off the hose and cowl and saw the connector way in the back. How the heck did you get to it? How big of wire did you use and you just shoved it in alongside the blue wire and it made conntact? How'd you decide it was that wire that needed to be tapped? Sorry for all the questions but I can't wait till morning to try it. I already bought a led weeks ago waiting for someone smarter than me to figure this out.
I did just shove the wire in next to the blue wire. It is not the right way, but it does allow me to undo it with no trace just in case the dealership takes a look. I think it was a solid 18-20 gauge wire. Just slowly push about a half inch in until it stops. If you look under the intake manifold, passenger side up front, you will see a little connector that has the blue and black (I think) wires coming out of it. That connector hooks up to one of the (not sure what it is) things that makes the MDS work. I want to say the part that turns the lifter off and disables the cylinder. The blue wire underneath the manifold comes out the back of the intake manifold at that plug I identified. I unhooked it to get some more slack.

Does this help?
 
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Old Mar 23, 2009 | 03:20 AM
  #13  
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Originally Posted by sarguy01
If you do this and break something, or if any information posted is wrong, it is not my fault.

I got under the hood finally and tried the 2006+ MDS light mod. It does not work, the wires must be different. After tracing the some wires, I found that there is a harness that runs underneath the intake manifold and into one of the MDS harnesses. I think it is a lifter controller??

I just took a solid core wire and pushed it into the back side of the connector. I know this is not the preferred method, but it allows me to take it off when I want to go to the dealer for something. I don't want them to ask me any questions.

First. Loosen the worm clamp and pull off the intake tube.


Second. Slide the red button out and then press down the black tab shown by the yellow arrow and pull the connector from the sensor. Then, loosen the worm clamp and remove the intake tube and set aside.


Third. Pull off the engine cover. It just pops off, there are no screws or bolts. Then, find the blue wire in the connector shown. The wire goes underneath the intake manifold into one of the MDS connectors. I pushed a solid wire into the connector shown, on the back where the blue wire enters it. I did not solder or cut anything. I want this to be easily removable.


This is a picture of the wire in the connector.


Fourth. I drilled a small hole and put an LED in there. I wired one side to the LED and grounded the other side. This panel pops out after the three screws are removed.


I ran the wire through the nipple underneath where the big bundle of wires goes through the firewall. I poked a small hole with my knife.


I grounded the LED with this bolt.


Here is a quick video. The light comes on when on all 8, it is off when on MDS is on.


Lastly, good luck working on this thing.
Ha you beat me to it. Thanks for the good right up, awesome job man.
 
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Old Mar 23, 2009 | 09:47 AM
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been thinking about doing something like this myself, but i'm an electrician, not a twidget. that and i had visions of screwing it up and having to limp to the dealership and explain why it wasn't running right. now i have a good idea where to start
 
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Old Mar 23, 2009 | 09:51 AM
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Originally Posted by navyr6
been thinking about doing something like this myself, but i'm an electrician, not a twidget. that and i had visions of screwing it up and having to limp to the dealership and explain why it wasn't running right. now i have a good idea where to start
I know exactly what you mean.

What is a twidget?
 
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Old Mar 23, 2009 | 09:53 AM
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Edited first post. When hooked up, it runs at 6 volts.

When MDS is on.


When it is off.
 
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Old Mar 23, 2009 | 11:26 AM
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a twidget is an electronics technician, spoken from a submariner point of view, because of all the little tweaking and tiny wires they work with. if you have the chance, check out www.tubedaze.com. it's so true, it's scary.
 
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Old Mar 23, 2009 | 11:31 AM
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sarguy01, I,m not sure what that blue wire operates but I don't think it's got anything to do with MDS. I hooked it up this morning and tried it. The light comes on any time the rpm's are above 1000 and goes out at idle.At idle I believe the engine runs on all 8. Also while driving I could never get the light to go out until I was almost stopped and rpm's went below 1000.
 
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Old Mar 23, 2009 | 11:32 AM
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Originally Posted by navyr6
a twidget is an electronics technician, spoken from a submariner point of view, because of all the little tweaking and tiny wires they work with. if you have the chance, check out www.tubedaze.com. it's so true, it's scary.
See, the only thing I know about submarines is how to find them. I also know that I never want to be inside one.

The only thing I know now is that college sucks and I cannot wait until August until I get commissioned. O-1E here I come!!
 
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Old Mar 23, 2009 | 11:36 AM
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Originally Posted by RX-1-SS
sarguy01, I,m not sure what that blue wire operates but I don't think it's got anything to do with MDS. I hooked it up this morning and tried it. The light comes on any time the rpm's are above 1000 and goes out at idle.At idle I believe the engine runs on all 8. Also while driving I could never get the light to go out until I was almost stopped and rpm's went below 1000.
All right, well it is still a learning experience. I wish the service manual was out for this thing.

Let me do some research.
 
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