My PLX AFR & Boost Install Notes
04-23-2009, 12:45 PM
#1
My PLX AFR & Boost Install Notes
I searched before doing this install and was not successful getting anything better than the PLX manuals and for some reason their paper work didn't sit well with me so I'll post this in hopes it helps others behind me.
I purchased AFR and Boost modules and DM-5 gauges to go in a dual pod pillar mount. Business was with EDO and went very well.
I daisy chained them thinking I would have a cleaner wiring setup but it only left one wire unused so it's a wash. I also had a sensor bung welded in to avoid the usage of the OE bung and fooling the PCM to think it's still there.
PLX states I needed 24 inches from the exhaust and I only had 16 so I called. He was good with it because I was not running some hot hi-boosted turbo. While I had him on the line I asked about sensor placement before or behind the cat. He says no matter. Being the AFR readout is primarily for WOT and the cat is not making a difference @ WOT because of the high flow it's going through them. He said some Dyno shops are lazy and just stick a sensor tube up the tail pipe. He told me to take every measure to get it before the cat but it's not a total loss if I had to go after. I went pre-cat.
You get plenty of cable for both sensor and gauges. Plenty. Ten foot of loomed sensor cable. The sensor has about a foot on it. I did not measure the gauge wires but there is plenty enough.
I went from the passenger side pipe up behind the motor by the tranny dip stick tube then behind the motor to the drivers side and through the fire wall. Drilled and grommeted a hole well above the gas pedal and still had room to run it all under the console cup holder if I could get it in there. It's too tight.
The modules are tiny compared to how they look on their site. I could not for the life of me get them to slide together. One of the back plates looked like it was blocking them so I removed it and no go. I have them sitting in the fuse panel by the drivers door. I coiled up any access wire and tucked it back in there somewhere.
The power wires are already terminated to the plugs. No soldering or crimping as shown on the site papers.
The PLX tech says do not ground to the body or frame or motor. I asked what's up with your paper saying "use battery ground?" Does it mean I am to run a ground wire from the battery into the cab? He says no, ground to the ignition circuit. And get power from the same. And you can connect both modules power cords to the same power source and the ground cords to the same ground.
So I got the meter out and found an unused pin in the junction block under the dash on the fire wall. I metered to a known body ground and started touching pins in the same junction block until I got an indication of a ground and used it. Got to be careful there. Some of those pins are hot all the time.
Connecting the modules and gauges.
TX is transfer and RX is receive. You have to have the type of gauge and it's module in the same order in the chain. In my case AFR then Boost gauges then AFR then Boost modules.
So starting from the first gauge in the chain we have a wire from the (AFR Gauge RX wire ) to the (Boost Gauge TX wire) then the (Boost Gauge RX wire) to the to the (AFR Module TX terminal) and a jumper wire from the (AFR module RX) terminal to the (Boost Module TX) terminal. The last module leaves the jumper terminated. Pull the jumper from the first. All these wires have male and female plugs ready to go.
The power plugs for the gauges have the Lambda wire clipped. You need to connect it if using Lambda. Not me.
Hide all the tangled mess and power up and enjoy!
I purchased AFR and Boost modules and DM-5 gauges to go in a dual pod pillar mount. Business was with EDO and went very well.
I daisy chained them thinking I would have a cleaner wiring setup but it only left one wire unused so it's a wash. I also had a sensor bung welded in to avoid the usage of the OE bung and fooling the PCM to think it's still there.
PLX states I needed 24 inches from the exhaust and I only had 16 so I called. He was good with it because I was not running some hot hi-boosted turbo. While I had him on the line I asked about sensor placement before or behind the cat. He says no matter. Being the AFR readout is primarily for WOT and the cat is not making a difference @ WOT because of the high flow it's going through them. He said some Dyno shops are lazy and just stick a sensor tube up the tail pipe. He told me to take every measure to get it before the cat but it's not a total loss if I had to go after. I went pre-cat.
You get plenty of cable for both sensor and gauges. Plenty. Ten foot of loomed sensor cable. The sensor has about a foot on it. I did not measure the gauge wires but there is plenty enough.
I went from the passenger side pipe up behind the motor by the tranny dip stick tube then behind the motor to the drivers side and through the fire wall. Drilled and grommeted a hole well above the gas pedal and still had room to run it all under the console cup holder if I could get it in there. It's too tight.
The modules are tiny compared to how they look on their site. I could not for the life of me get them to slide together. One of the back plates looked like it was blocking them so I removed it and no go. I have them sitting in the fuse panel by the drivers door. I coiled up any access wire and tucked it back in there somewhere.
The power wires are already terminated to the plugs. No soldering or crimping as shown on the site papers.
The PLX tech says do not ground to the body or frame or motor. I asked what's up with your paper saying "use battery ground?" Does it mean I am to run a ground wire from the battery into the cab? He says no, ground to the ignition circuit. And get power from the same. And you can connect both modules power cords to the same power source and the ground cords to the same ground.
So I got the meter out and found an unused pin in the junction block under the dash on the fire wall. I metered to a known body ground and started touching pins in the same junction block until I got an indication of a ground and used it. Got to be careful there. Some of those pins are hot all the time.
Connecting the modules and gauges.
TX is transfer and RX is receive. You have to have the type of gauge and it's module in the same order in the chain. In my case AFR then Boost gauges then AFR then Boost modules.
So starting from the first gauge in the chain we have a wire from the (AFR Gauge RX wire ) to the (Boost Gauge TX wire) then the (Boost Gauge RX wire) to the to the (AFR Module TX terminal) and a jumper wire from the (AFR module RX) terminal to the (Boost Module TX) terminal. The last module leaves the jumper terminated. Pull the jumper from the first. All these wires have male and female plugs ready to go.
The power plugs for the gauges have the Lambda wire clipped. You need to connect it if using Lambda. Not me.
Hide all the tangled mess and power up and enjoy!
04-23-2009, 05:23 PM
#5
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Hey OP, just some info, if you remove your dash bezel, then remove the A/C vent/headlight switch panel on the left side of the steering wheel, you can set the modules back in there. I ziptied mine back there, you'll never see them. There is PLENTY of room. Just a headsup in case you are looking for places to mount them.
04-23-2009, 06:03 PM
#6
Hey OP, just some info, if you remove your dash bezel, then remove the A/C vent/headlight switch panel on the left side of the steering wheel, you can set the modules back in there. I ziptied mine back there, you'll never see them. There is PLENTY of room. Just a headsup in case you are looking for places to mount them.
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