I'd like to spend less time with my eyes on the dash and my ECUTek data display supports a shift light switch, so can anyone recommend a cool, small and cheap shift light (preferrably LED?) I want something stealthy, perhaps mountable by the gauges or somewhere out of sight. I checked around and all I found were giant ricer flashlight-size monsters designed to be mounted on the dash with your second tach(!).

 

 

Do a search for Pivot Shift light.
I got lucky and got one from another member. I don't have any pics handy of it, but it's about the size of a nickle and LED. The control unit is rather small.

check here.
http://www.modernperformance.com/all...ftlights.shtml



I mounted mine right at the 6,000 rpm line on the tach. Draws your eye nicely and keeps you from staring at the guages or frequently taking your eyes off the road in order to look at the guage.

 

The TXS knocklite has a decent shift light built into it. Might be worth looking into. Although it sound like you more so are looking for a light only to interface with your EM...not a light and controller unit.

You could also get DIY-ish and mount a high visability LED somewhere and run the leads to your EM output.

 

why not just listen to the engine :??

 

good point. you should know your car.

 

Umm....not to be a dink....but the audible difference between 6000 and above can be hard to distinguish. A nice visual warning indicator adds that little bit extra security and that is one reason for a shift light, which is why the STi comes with a built in shift light.

Case in point, driving through a tunnel with a bunch of your fellow Suby enthusiasts...it may be near impossible to distinguish the sound of your engine over all the noise.

Which is why I have mine.

 

you can mount it in the air vent on the driver's side...i've seen it mounted like that. my buddy has a sleeper all-trac celica, and that's how he mounted his.

 

In a tunnel...I see. Now I know why everyone loves to get the loudest catback

 

found it....here is my setup. Shift light is near the 7,000 rpm range.



Well...stock boost gauge is no longer there, it's been replaced with an HKS meter that is mounted near the A-pillar.

 

The EM unit is just providing a switch, it doesn't actually power the shift light. I need something that has a power circuit that I can just splice into the display, or a self-contained shift light that won't use the unit at all. Unfortunately I am not thrilled by the idea of using the cigarette lighter port; I don't use mine for anything but occasionally charging the cell phone, but having something plugged into it all the time is going to be ugly.

 

You should be able to wire the Pivot Shift light directly to the power. I'll have to look and see if the Japanese directions show how to do it. I know it can be done as a hardwired power supply vice cigarette lighter.

 

I've been driving manual shift cars for over 20 years, including several with no (or no working) tachometer, so I can shift by ear just fine. However, with 1/4 inch of Dynamat in the trunk, the stereo at 10 and the A/C on, telling the difference between 6000 and 6600 RPM isn't science, its guesswork; anyone who claims they can do so is a liar. Bouncing off the rev limiter is a poor way to drive (and to treat the car) and why not have one more piece of data to use when driving. A properly-positioned shift light is bright enough that you can see it in peripheral vision, so you don't have to look down at all. They do come stock on many vehicles, so it seems a small bit of time and expense for some added safety.

 

i second the just listen to your car, but you should also be able to feel it, especially if you are really into driving. but, if you are going to get a shift light, you should be descrete unless you want to be ricey and a cop target... you could put it in the vent, but then again thats not much higher than your guage cluster.... so i bet youll have to buy one that mounts to the dash, just try to avoid too much rice

 

get a sti dash