I have a 84 GL-10 sedan with digital dash, 1800 eng, allmost all electronic options.

 

This weekend I blew a diode on my main instrument panel circuit board so I either need to get a hold of a diagram showing the circuit board design or get a hold of a second hand instrument panel (working or not) that has that diode in tact. Mine is fried so I cannot tell what it is or what I can replace it with. The diode sits in the top left corner of the panel above the tach. It is grey and the first ring is black but thats all I have left of it. the rest is powder ;( .

 

If someone has 84 GL-10 board they would like to sell I would be interested. I can do the repair (and have once before when I blew a power resistor and the trip computer). A new instrument panel is avail at the dealer for $1000 but the car isn't even worth that!

 

Hope someone can help me out here.

Thanks,

Dave

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=17288

 

I should be talking to the tech this weekend, and will hopefully get the ball rolling again. There seems to be a few more people with bad digi's out there and we're trying to get some done.

One thing eveyone needs to be aware of. When there is a squeeling noise coming from the dash area, shut of the ignition immediately and replace the alternator. For those of you who have pulled the units out, you will notice the speaker on the back. This is a warning device for when the alternator is starting to spike and do other bad things.

I hope someone figures out where to get the part that fries, I have like friggin six digital dashes, all but one are dead, and the ones that are dead have the SAME PART that is fried, and it looks to be a voltage regulator but I am not positive..

Yea, its the regulator most the time. I'll see what the tech says once we get some fixed. We might be able to get a line on parts, so maybe others not in our general area can get some repaired.

Hey Turbone, I just picked up a t-coupe and the dash is sqealing like you indicated in the previous posts. You say swap alternaters? will this bring back the dash issues, meaning will the dash work again or do I still need to buy a new dash. Your fixin some, seems they all have a common problem, how much you chargin to fix? or do you have one to trade?

I would have to second that on what you charge to fix or swap out.

 

Ken

If its making noise, you need to get a new, or almost new alternator. If you use a old one, make sure you check the voltage. If its all over the place on the reading, dont use it. Another suggestion is to make sure all grounds are good. These dashes are getting old, and the guts are fragile and cannot handle any voltage spikes.

As of yet, there are not any fixed. This has been in the works for over a year now, cause of the need to butcher a wiring harness for testing purposes. Well I found one recently, and now I'm waiting for the Tech to get back in town. You newer guys wanting one are going to have to get at the back of the line, sorry

Luvmybrat, if the dash isnt toast yet, I wouldnt even start the car until the problem is fixed.

The dash isn't working, I wasn't sure if alt replacement would revive the dash or not.I can live without speedo, but what can a guy do to get temp gauge and fuel gauge, I'm sure I could run a mechanical temp gauge of motor, how about fuel, any Ideas?

I could post the harness diagram to convert a digi to an analog if anyone wants to convert like I did.

I had problems with the dash in my 84 Turbo Coupe, and went and put in a analog temp, oil pressure and amp gauge. I'm sure the sending unit still works for the fuel, but it might read different if you use a analog gauge. Sending units are readily available for EA81's in the yards tho, and are quite simple to swap out.

Will, that would be a great asset to the board, and should be put in the online repair manual. Get with Shadow or Shawn to see about doing it.

10-4 shall do.

here is where I either look like a hero or a .... I have posted a file on my web site called Digital Dash Conversion.zip link: http://willsmith.dtdns.net/Digital%20Dash%20conversion.zip

two jpegs and a text file.

 

shows the pin out on the analog dash. Helpful suggestions welcome.

 

Will

new alternator

 

clean battery terminals and cables (at starter too)

 

GROUND WIRES GROUND WIRES GROUND WIRES!!!

 

what's good for the EA82T digidash is good for the EA81 digidash too. check your ground wires.. replace old ones and add a few for good measure.. engine and trans both have ground wires to the body, so does the battery. add extras in a similar fashion. I added a little ground wire from the radiator to the frame, too. good for the coolant.

I just pulled a bad alternator from my 84 with the digi, and it's interesting to note that the digi didn't complain a bit about the alt, which was still working, but WAY over voltage, and pushing quite a bit of AC current. I transplanted the bad alt into my Brat and watched all the idiot lights twinkle. I noticed the bad alt on the wagon because the bearings were starting to go (too much muddy water I suspect), and it was making horrible noises. The idiot lights were very faintly glowing (had to put my hand up to the dash to see them), but otherwise there was no indication from the dash that the alt was on the way out. In the Brat it was painfully obvious that the alt was going, as the lights glowed very bright, and the voltage gauge climbed to the bottom of the red while going down the freeway. I think the problem with the digi-dash's is not that they are particularly susceptible to bad alternators, it's that they give almost no warning of impending demise of the alternator. I wouldn't have known it was producing such dirty current if it hadn't made noises that caused me to check. Fortunately it didn't harm my dash, and since i have two roo's I have plenty of extra alt's lying around.

 

I think that the simple addition of a digital voltage guage for both AC and DC would give plenty of prior warning before the dash actually blows. If the DC fluctuates more than .01 volts, or the AC being put out by the alt jumps, then it's time for a new one.

 

I'm also not entirely sure my digi is original. The alt in the car was not original when i got the wagon, and I have a suspicion that the dash may have been replaced with a more robust version. Possibly Subaru addressed this issue in a later revision of the part? It just seems odd that I'm now on at least the third alt that I know of, and I have one of the only perfect EA81 digi's I have ever seen or heard of.....

 

GD

You might have one of the last bunch made. Newer materials in it, and just maybe a few better/upgraded parts in it. Or it could even be a rebuild, or (shudder) a new one bought from the stealer $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

I noticed on mine that its basically the fuel,temp, speedo and clock unit not working, idiot light and 4wd,rear defrost all come on. Could mine be fuse issue?and again who's got one to sell or trade, i've got a few things I'd give up for a new dash.

bump

There are still people working on it. I've started tearing down one of my spent dashes, and comparing it with a rebuilt that I have here, seeing how it was fixed, and whot differences there are. Haven't found any real difference yet, other than the one that isn't working, has a couple of the curcuit lines burnt off the board. I reconnected them, but it made no difference in it. Might be something in the harder components that is replaced in the rebuilds. We'll let everyone know when we come up with sumpin though.

the temperature sending unit, adn the fuel sending unit are different between the analog and digital. I have a working EA81T digidash, the wiring in the back is loose but I just need to resolder it. I also have about six of the damn things that don't work...

do you want to sell it or trade for something? Aren't you also gonna be out here in Wyo in about a month or so?