OBD11 interface?

[andyvh1959]

Anyone know if the VN1600 has any form of an OBD11 interface? I know the center console will blink out an error code so is there anything there to use for other functions? I know the left button on the center console can activate the speedo to show error codes. Is that the same function as the SAE J1979 protocol for the OBD11 PIDs?

Man, too much acronym speak in there, don't know how else to describe it. Any Kawwy techs out there to offer insight?

[Kawi_addict]

To the top we needs answers.... I'm useless aside from this lol

[Kawi_addict]

I found this

https://www.obdii365.com/wholesale/o...torcycles.html

[Kawi_addict]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/For-Kawasak....m46890.l49292

[DragonLady58]

Simple OBD code reader, nothing special. Can see a few more things with this, but its limited to reading codes good. Reviews would be worth trying something else. Std. installed reader works well for simple troubleshooting....

[andyvh1959]

Hmm, true this only gives limited code reading capability. However, I don't see a 12 pin connector in the VN1600 harness which this device plugs into, which would allow an OBD2 reader to access data from the ECM. So I wonder how they claim this device is compatible with the Vn1600. There is one 12-pin connector, but it's mostly ground connections for the lights. There is another 14-pin connector on the Classic and Nomad which has some connections to the ECM. Possibly probe those pins with the engine running to see if any pins output the type of signal the VN1700 tach needs to respond. Therein is the key too; we need to know what kind of signal the VN1700 tach needs to respond. The VN1700 manual doe not give any specific data about the signal needed for the tach function. If we knew that it'd be more than half the battle to getting this to work.

On the Classic and Nomad the left button on the center console can be used to make the digital readout on the speedo face to show error codes. But not sure any of those is actually on the SAE 1979 protocol for OBD2. Again, might be worth probing the pins on the center console connector to see if anything produces the signal required for the VN1700 tach. There is a distance sensor in the center console linked to the turn signal controller. But again, no idea if any signal in there can go to the VN1700 tach.

[DragonLady58]

Hey Andy, I don't know if this will help you my friend, but call Dakota Digital. Theres a really knowledgeable tech there about such stuff, don't remember his name, but the whole crew there is super friendly.
I hooked up one of their full custom instrument packages on a Vaquero a couple of years ago, spent about a full day on the phone troubleshooting....
They're great folks....
That thing had a speedo, tach, oil,temp., volts, shift indicator, hi/lo beam indicator/turn signals, mileage/trip meters, time, plus several other functions....

[andyvh1959]

Funny you say that as I just finished a reply to Mark Olsen at Accutach (not Dakota Digital). I described I'm trying to use a CANBUS gauge set (tach in this sense) on a non-CANBUS bike. In fact I contacted five different suppliers of CANBUS products for hot rods and customs. Except for Mark, they all came back saying they had no such product for the application. Mark suggested, as has been done on some Mustangs, is to use an ECM specific to the device, get the inputs from the sensors and connect the ECM to the device.

In this case, use a VN1700 ECM just to drive the tach function on the VN1700 gauge set on a VN1600. However. the average ECM I found on ebay was $375, so for now, nope. I have an extra parts gauge set from a VN1700 that I'll test the tach with my square wave signal generator jut to see if it responds. Part that sucks is the VN1700 gauge set, on the VN1600, the only function that is CANBUS is the tach. All the other functions are not CANBUS dependent.

An email I got from Mark today hints at a solution. I took my extra parts gauge set apart to see if the printed circuit board (PCB) looks any different for the tach versus the speedo. Some similarities, some differences. I sent a picture of it to Mark. He says I might be able to modify the PCB to make the tach independent of the CANBUS. Doing that means I could use signals from the crankshaft sensors on the VN1600 to get the VN1700 tach working. So we'll see how this develops.

[DragonLady58]

Might have to try and find a 'black box' that'll take the coil pulses or EFI impulses (by the stators) and convert to the right signal....
Another possibility is to get a tach that you can make work with the signal you have and make it 'look' like the stock Vaquero tach....
Alot of the custom tach folks that rebuild tachs could do some custom graphics and a needle/bezel to look exactly your stock dash tach....
Just a idea....
This is just a idea, but the folks at Megasquirt, might wanna talk to them, they're really good at the MC electronics thing, also.

[andyvh1959]

I think we're on the right path, to modify the printed circuit board that will isolate the stock VN1700 tach from the CANBUS. Then like you say, use a conventional method to provide a rpm signal to the tach.