Raptor Shiftlight acting stupid...again

[V10SpeedLuvr]

About a year ago, I posted that my Raptor shiftlight would start flashing and/or strobing at any time while driving. Very annoying. I checked all the wires and everything was good and tight. I put my car back together and it started operating properly again. Strange, but I wasn't complaining. It started doing the same thing while in TN last weekend. I checked all wiring connections again and all appeared to still be tight. I put the car back together and went for a testdrive. Within 1/2 mile, it was strobing, flashing and acting stupid (at any RPMs) again. When I first installed it, I tapped into the #4 coil driver wire (yellow/grey stripe) in the black plug of the PCM (just like others with 96' RT/10s told me too). Anyone have any suggestions on possible causes? Bad shiftlight? Try tapping from another coil driver wire? TIA!

 

[01ACR/VIPER]

Keep the ******* girls from sittin on the thing?

 

[MacManInfi]

Mine acts weird too. Sometimes it turns on at about 1500 rpms and I have to turn the car off, wait a sec, then turn it back on. Suxors. I think they're just not very good units.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Ok, here's the conclusion (I hope)...

After I made this post, I realized the strobing and the flashing the light was doing was what it does each time I crank up the car. I remembered that I checked the ground and all splices for tightness but never checked where I went into the fusebox for the power supply. I had used one of those blade things that the wire is crimped to and slips into an empty fuse cavity. I checked it and it seemed a little loose. I unplugged it, plugged it back up good and snug and took a 5-6mi testdrive. It was working fine until I got within 1/2 mile of my house. It started strobing every 30 secs or so. I pulled over and wiggled the connector some to try to tighten it up. I think I actually loosened it because the light strobed the rest of the way home. When I got home, I pulled out the connector from the fuse cavity and could see where over time it appeared to have spread the cavity connectors and must've been allowing the blade thing to wiggle just enough to lose connection. So, I moved it from the empty fuse cavity and spliced into the OEM cigar lighter wiring. Took another testdrive and all seems to be working. I just have to put all the interior pieces back together tomorrow and hope it still works.

There are 2 downsides to using the cigar lighter wiring as the power supply vs. the fuse cavity where it used to be:

1. If I ever want to change the dials to where the light activates, I'll have to remove the radio bezel, unplug the power supply, adjust the dials and plug it back up. You can't just adjust the dials without "rebooting" it. Simply turning the car off won't suffice anymore b/c now its on a power supply thats getting constant power vs. the fuse cavity where it was "rebooted" everytime I turned off and restarted the car. I had never messed with the dials in the 2 years I've had the light so I doubt this will ever really be a problem.

2. Used to, when I turned the car on, the light would strobe, letting me know it had power and was working. But now, since its on the steady power supply from the cigar lighter, it doesn't strobe when I crank the car up anymore. If I ever pop a fuse or for some reason the shiftlight doesn't work, I won't know. This kinda bothers me. I'd hate to be up in the high RPM range and not have the shiftlight working and never know it until I hit the rev limiter and ruin a good pair of underwear.
I looked but didn't see another empty fuse cavity I could use. I'm going to look around again tomorrow before I button everything back up and try to find an empty cavity (or somewhere else) I can run the power wire from so it'll strobe on startup like it used too. But, for now I'm just happy its working and not going off constantly. If any ******* girls are prone to seizures, they would've fallen out after a mile or so the way it was acting

 

[MacManInfi]

Good catch. Wish I could figure mine out now!

For wiring, an additional thought, I just recently hooked up a boost and fuel pressure gauge that both needed keyed 12v. All the gauges in the Viper run off of the same keyed hot power wire so I tapped into the speedo gauge power wire. Works great. Obvious drawback being you either need to pull the dash and gauge to get at the wires behind it, or you might be able to go under the dash and get to it. Might be able to trace that power wire back too. I'd have to get home and look in the manual to see if it shows where the were hooks up to.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Good catch. Wish I could figure mine out now!

For wiring, an additional thought, I just recently hooked up a boost and fuel pressure gauge that both needed keyed 12v. All the gauges in the Viper run off of the same keyed hot power wire so I tapped into the speedo gauge power wire. Works great. Obvious drawback being you either need to pull the dash and gauge to get at the wires behind it, or you might be able to go under the dash and get to it. Might be able to trace that power wire back too. I'd have to get home and look in the manual to see if it shows where the were hooks up to.

I'll check on that. Thanks for the idea!

As for your problem, You could try unplugging it from whatever power source you used and reset the dials to your preferred setting. This will "reboot" it and hopefully get it working all the time. If you have it in an empty fuse cavity like I did, you shouldn't have to unplug it. Just spin the dials around once or twice (with the car off) and put them back where you want the light to activate and start the car. This should reset the activation RPM and hopefully make the light start working accurately all the time. Just an idea, no guarantees

Does your shiftlight and OEM tach show the same RPM #'s? On mine, if its set at 5,100 it comes on around 5,500-5,600 according to the tach. If its set at 5000, it comes on around 4,500 I prefer it to come on at 5200 (according to the tach) but can't find a setting on the Raptor that will activate it at that RPM. Someone with the screenname "Raptor" posted a while back that the shiftlight is a lot more accurate than the mechanical OEM tach. But I've heard many Viper guys say their OEM tach is 100% accurate. Talking to Chuck Tator a couple days ago, he told me no shiftlights exactly show the same RPMs as the OEM tach so I don't expect perfection, I would just like to know which to trust more, the OEM tach or the Raptor light.

 

[MacManInfi]

That's a good idea (resetting it).

You know, I think mine is pretty close, but I'm not sure. It's kind of hard to tell at 5k.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Update on the update: The more I thought about it, I just didn't like the idea of the light not strobing when I cranked the car up each time (if the light isn't working, I want to know BEFORE I get in the high RPM's and it doesn't activate). So, I took MacManInfi's advice and moved the power supply from the cigar lighter wire to the speedometer power wire (which was easily accessible without having to remove the dash). Took a 20 mile testdrive and all is working fine

 

[RTED]

My raptor acts up every once and a while as well. Comes on at 1500 rpm's. I believe in my case, I am rushing the initial starting process by not allowing the light to go through it's flashing sequence before I start the engine. Not sure if it is a coincidence or if this is what is causing the problem? Regardless, park the car or shut it off for a few minutes and it seems to reset itself and good to go.

 

[MacManInfi]

Yup, exact same thing as mine. Maybe you're right and that's how they all work? Seems like more people would complain though, or maybe I'm just weird and rush to turn on the key quicker than most people. Either way, waiting to start the car for a second or two while the key is in the on position seems to make it happen a lot less often. I don't think it's 100% though, as I've had to turn off the car three or four times in a row before while I wait for it to go through its sequence.

 

[RTED]

Once the light acts up, it seems to take 15 -30, minute waiting period with the key OFF before it will reset properly. Regardless, no regrets with the Raptor. It is small and plenty bright enough, even with the red cap cover on during sunny days!