Ok, i have a conventional 3 wire shift light.

red, black and green wires, nothing more.

ive been tapping and testing wires all night, and i cant get it for the life of me to work!

What wires did any of you tap for a shift light?

 

I don't have a direct answer but if you look around in here there is a good chance you'll find something close to what you're looking for, not sure just how you particular unit works.

 

Yeah, i need to break out my wiring diagrams and see where the green/blue wire on the obd port run to.

i have no idea what "info" the JCW light gets from there.

 

It gets the Rev signal, but unfortunately there is a digital signal not a voltage so you may need an adaptor, but I'm not sure how you would set you shift point.
Also power and ground, I can go back and check if its not in there, I think it states which is which in the JCW PDF, if not mention in the thread linked.

 

Could tap into the coilpack for the volt signal?!?

 

and get the power and ground elsewhere. PM TonyB, he has or had a conventional shift light installed.

Matt

 

I tired all three wires!!

i dont understand it.

The light lights up as soon as the car is started, then never comes back on, no matter where i set the shift point. and it does that from all three of the coil wires.

 

Hmmmm any of this help?

 

wow thats confusing, my head hurts now....

 

Nothing wrong with an EE degree to mod the car. Notice how I havent made mine from scratch yet.

 

well, apparently the SW mini shift light will work, as i saw someone that had one on here. i think it was spillman, i could be wrong.

damn, not i have to go buy a NICE shift light and spend some real money, LOL

 

on youtube.com if you search under Mini Cooper, you can find the video of the tachometer mod and the stock JCW shift light at work.

 

Pin 9 in the OBDII connector (the white wire with red stripe) is the tach signal used by both the JCW intake air door control and the JCW shift light. From what I can tell, this signal is a correct "4 cylinder" tach signal, but does not output a full 12 volt waveform. The JCW shift light (I have one, I think I was the only fool to actually purchase one ) internally is a more or less universal shift light arrangement (you can set it for 4/6/8 cyls and a broad range of rpm limits). The JCW light installation is very easy, and it takes power, ground and the rpm signal at the OBDII connector.

 

Thank you for telling me something I already knew J/k

Now, how can i use this information to benefit me in the install of a shift light that ISNT a JCW, cause that thing looks plain stupid.

 

HAve you tried the green(shift) to the white-redstripe(OBD) the red(shift) to (brown, I think was power in OBD, double check JCW istructions) and then grounding the black(shift, obviosly). If that doesn't work, you'll porbably need to drop by the auto parts store and pick up a signal adaptor.