Flashing HSV gauges

[J Wikoff]

They gauges have flashed at me a couple times recently. Both times it was raining, so I turned the wipers on, then the headlights came on a minute later. The first time, it seemed like they would do 6 steady flashes, stay lit for a few seconds, then repeat. This morning, the flash groups varied from 1 to 4 flashes. If I turned the wipers off, it continued. If I turned the headlights off, it stopped. I restarted in engineering mode to see if they were confused about something. Only thing in there that was a maybe was my oil life was 29%. Just thinking outside the box on that one. No other indicators were lit, and all the gauges read in the normal ranges.

Any ideas before I check the wiring for shorts?

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b184/jwikoff99/G8/th_051309_0756.jpg (http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b184/jwikoff99/G8/?action=view&current=051309_0756.flv)

[J Wikoff]

Ok, so on the way home, I played with them. It was still raining when I left work. Turned on the wipers, the headlights come on, and teh gauges start blinking.

I hit night mode, and the they stopped flashing, but stayed lit. Normally, they turn off with night mode.

I turned the brightness all the way up, and they stopped flashing, but turned off.

I turned the brightness a few clicks down, they started flashing again, but in between flashes, they stayed off. But stayed at the same brightness when lit.

Turned the brightness all the way down, and they stopped flashing, and stayed all lit up.

It happened to get dark enough in the forested area I was driving through for the lights to want to turn themselves on. When that happened, they acted normally no matter what I tried. Lit up/dimmed just like they should.

????

[J Wikoff]

Here's another video.

Started headlights off and gauges are lit like normal.
Turned headlights on (dimmer set near middle) and gauges start blinking, pause for a moment, the flash again.
Turned the dimmer up and they turn off.
Turned the dimmer down and they stay lit.
Set dimmer near middle and they blink again.
Covered light sensor so headlights would turn themselves on and they stop blinking.
Set dimmer up and down and they dim like normal.
Uncovered light sensor and they start blinking again.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b184/jwikoff99/G8/th_020.jpg (http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b184/jwikoff99/G8/?action=view&current=020.flv)

[J Wikoff]

Appearantly I'm not the only one...

http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?p=1503636&posted=1#post1503636

[GTPprix]

Ok so I'm looking at the pinouts for those gauges (at least it appears to be them) and its a simple battery power, ground and SWCAN. How are you hooking them up I guess would be my first question?

[J Wikoff]

Like Peterg22000's write-up here says.

[J Wikoff]

Talking with a couple coworkers that have been working with can-bus and engine programming. They say the can-high and can-low wires should be twisted around each other.

Thoughts?

[GTPprix]

Thats true, they are twisted pair. I thought for sure they would be picking up the frames of the LS single wire bus I haven o idea why they set these up the way they did because truthfully I dont remember any dimming info being passed on high speed CAN thats the wierd thing :)

[G8-SSV]

Thats true, they are twisted pair. I thought for sure they would be picking up the frames of the LS single wire bus I haven o idea why they set these up the way they did because truthfully I dont remember any dimming info being passed on high speed CAN thats the wierd thing :)

no dimming info on high speed CAN

dimming must go to BCM

http://www.forum.grrrr8.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1966&stc=1&d=1243141739

[GTPprix]

Sheeeeeesh WAY to many yellow wires in there to lose track of LOL so pin 18 on C3 of the BCM.

[G8-SSV]

Sheeeeeesh WAY to many yellow wires in there to lose track of LOL so pin 18 on C3 of the BCM.

yeah, it's the only yellow which is actually going to yellow.
I believe that yellow is actually going to every LED illuminated switch in the car.

[J Wikoff]

PeterG22000 has been saying to NOT use the yellow wire in the headlight switch. He hasn't said it in reference to this specific problem, just general backlighting behavior.

[G8-SSV]

Holden /HSV Schematics
http://www.forum.grrrr8.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1966&stc=1&d=1243141739

BCM X3 Connector info
PIN 18 0.3 YE 6817 LED Backlight Dimming Control

HeadlampSwitch
PIN 8 0.3 YE 6817 Interior Lights Dimming Switch

looks to me BOTH on Circuit No. 6817

[G8-SSV]

1 Communication Enable Relay Supply Voltage
2 LED Backlight Dimming Control
3 Ignition 1 Voltage
4 Ground
5 High Speed GMLAN Serial Data Bus+
6 High Speed GMLAN Serial Data Bus-

[4 DOR VTT]

I love the gages but too much of a PITA... for me:)

[J Wikoff]

With PeterG22000's advice about dimming, I've switched it to the white wire with silver bands. It doesn't flash anymore and dims like it should. But it doesn't light up with the remote start anymore either.

I'll drive with it like that for a while, then decide if I liked the lit remote start gauges and keeping the dimmer out of a certain range, or if I like no flashing no matter where the dimmer is.

[GXP25]

Holden /HSV Schematics
http://www.forum.grrrr8.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1966&stc=1&d=1243141739

BCM X3 Connector info
PIN 18 0.3 YE 6817 LED Backlight Dimming Control

HeadlampSwitch
PIN 8 0.3 YE 6817 Interior Lights Dimming Switch

looks to me BOTH on Circuit No. 6817

I believe there's an issue with these gauges and automatic headlamps.

I too am having the same issue as J Wikoff: Having the gauge lights on no matter what. I am not encountering the flickering.

I even completely disconnected the "LED Backlight Dimming Control" wire and the lights still lit up, dimmed, and turned off using stealth mode. They also continued to display the correct values.

When looking up the wiring for the gauges, I am seeing conflicting circuit numbers and wire colors.

Based upon gmh308's post (http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?118857-HSV-gauges-in-G8-flashing&p=1523914#post1523914), a white and yellow wire is to be used and not a yellow wire. This matches the following connector diagram (circuit 1080) which will eventually be wired to the BCM (WH/YE):

http://i61.tinypic.com/15hhniq.jpg

BCM connector C5/X5 with the white and yellow wire but with the matching circuit number (1080):

http://i59.tinypic.com/o8yt6v.jpg

It is important to note that this circuit is different than the headlamp switch "Interior Lights Dimming Switch" which is circuit 6817:

http://i62.tinypic.com/dyvlld.jpg

Using circuit 6817 seems to do nothing in a G8. I have personally tested this with this wire not connected at all. The lights on the gauges still light up and dim. It is apparent to me that the dimming is controlled by the two switches (pins 7 and 12) across the CAN bus. and not some wire within the headlamp switch. That wire, pin 8 (circuit 6817), most likely relates to the light that lights the physical headlamp switch. It is only activated once the lights are turned on. Just because the HSV gauges are on during the day does not mean that pin 8 is properly lighting the gauges. Instead, the gauges are on even without the illumination pin connected; I have personally confirmed this. In other words: you'd be wasting your time trying to wire pin #8 to the gauges.

I will attempt to wire into BCM connector C5/X5 pin 24 (circuit 1080) either tonight or tomorrow and will follow up.

EDIT: Here's a thread I just found on the subject where Crazy Paul initially advised using BCM connector C5/X5 pin #24.

http://forum.grrrr8.net/showthread.php?t=20281&page=2

[GXP25]

With PeterG22000's advice about dimming, I've switched it to the white wire with silver bands. It doesn't flash anymore and dims like it should. But it doesn't light up with the remote start anymore either.

I'll drive with it like that for a while, then decide if I liked the lit remote start gauges and keeping the dimmer out of a certain range, or if I like no flashing no matter where the dimmer is.

I briefly encountered the flashing when I swapped/switched the wires (ignition voltage and illumination) in an attempt to solve my issue, thinking that the provided harness was accidentally wired wrong.

Basically, I switched the wires, turned on the car, and then attempted to dim the lights. At a certain point throughout the dimming, it started to flash.

Regardless, I switched the wires back and used pin 24 on BCM connector C5/X5 as the solution to the problem for the OEM/authentic HSV gauges. The lights no longer come on during the day and automatically turn on at night. Likewise, during the day, they will turn on once you turn the switch to the parking lamps or to the headlamps/low beams.

In other words:

USE PIN #24 (WH/YE - CIRCUIT 1080) ON BCM CONNECTOR C5/X5 PER THE HSV WIRING!

[Chewy]

Mine flashed like MAD when I first installed them, then stopped and haven't done it since. NO CLUE!!

(knocking on wood)

[J Wikoff]

What I found was, with the lighting circuit I originally had it connected to, the gauges would either not be lit, they would flash, or they would be on bright depending on how I had the dimmer set. It turned out that I was in the range that made them on full bright. It took a while before I happened to move the dimmer out of that range. Try running your dimmer through the range, stopping a few places from full bright to dim and see what happens.

[GXP25]

What I found was, with the lighting circuit I originally had it connected to, the gauges would either not be lit, they would flash, or they would be on bright depending on how I had the dimmer set. It turned out that I was in the range that made them on full bright. It took a while before I happened to move the dimmer out of that range. Try running your dimmer through the range, stopping a few places from full bright to dim and see what happens.

If you haven't done so already, but using pin #24 should fix your issue with remote start and the lights.

Basically, using pin #24 gets the HSV gauges to light up as the main cluster lights up.

Pin #8 in the headlamp switch does absolutely nothing to the HSV gauges and is a waste of time to wire.

[J Wikoff]

Oh, yeah, it's been fixed for six and a half years.