Originally Posted By CrAzYMoPaRGuY
Originally Posted By poorboy
Dakota's are easy! Full size trucks are a different story. If you want a simple wiring harness with the full size truck, I recommend a Hot Wire harness, not cheap, but they work with connecting 4 wires. If the idea of digging through a factory wiring harness makes you nervous, I strongly suggest the Hot Wire harness. www.hotwireauto.com

With the early (90 & 91) Dakota, the EFI part of the harness is pretty easy to separate from the rest of the wiring (start at the computer and separate all the wires connected to it). The EFI is really a pretty much stand alone set up, you just need to split it apart. The 92-96 is a bit more inner connected, but you should still be able to separate the EFI from the other stuff. You will need to keep all the engine sensors and their wiring. it looks like a mess, but they are all grouped together. You will keep most of the motor harness intact.

The EFI computer is not connected to the instrument cluster other then providing the info the dash can supply to the driver, and none of that is required. There is nothing in the instrument cluster the computer needs for the EFI to function. You do need to keep all the motor sensors, the computer uses them. So if you are using a different oil pressure gauge, you will need to keep the computer one, and add a "T" to connect what ever you need for your OP gauge. The same thing with the water temp sending unit, you need to keep the computer sender, then add what ever you need to run your temp gauge.

The only thing the computer needs from the steering column is the ignition power through an ignition switch (what ever ignition switch you want to use). Everything else is simply someplace the factory hung stuff for the driver convenience.

The computer needs brake light switch input, and the electronic speedo (after 90 or 91) gets its info from the speed sensor on the trans, the computer also uses that info. I believe the 90 was the last year for the cable speedo drive, and it has the electronic switch added to the cable connection on the trans. You will need an electronic speedo on anything newer then 90, but you don't have to use the factory unit.

What I discovered the hard way is that everything under the dash on 91 and newer is ran through a dash black box. You will need that black box if you want to retain any original Dakota switches (like cruise) or gauges.

If you have any other questions, let me know. Gene


Here come my questions!!! lol
Why does the computer need oil pressure for the EFI?
I don't want an electronic speedo, that might be a deal breaker unless I can figure a way to get around it.
The 46RH is an A518 no? We just used one in a 1969 B body and a buddy's 39 Fargo 360 truck, cable kickdown and pressure switches and/or overdrive button, but aside from that the trans was stand alone. Just the 2 or 3 pin switch mattered. I think trans we can sidestep.
What is the speedo input for?
The black box is SEPARATE from the ECU I assume? The needed input sensors I can just leave, if I leave the sensors hooked up can I just power up the ECU and the pump and see where the connected sensors take me?
Why would an engine management system need input from the brake pedal switch?
I don't mind if I need to run an aftermarket ECU and sensors if worse comes to worse.
I guess I will dig in and see where things go....

Thanks Gene


Oil pressure switch: If I Remember right, the auto shutdown relay needs to detect oil pressure or it will cut the fuel pump power.

Speedo: The modern auto transmissions do not have the cable drive mechanism in the trans tail stock. They were set up for the electronic speed sensor, not a cable attachment. I'm not absolutely sure which year that happened, but I believe the change over occurred between the 90 and the 91 model year for the Dakota, but it could have been 91 & 92 model year. My 93 only has the electronic speedo sensor. I think the year of the trans is what determines the mechanical cable or the electronic speed sensor speedo output.

The input from the speedo and the input from the brake switch may only be for cruise control operation, wires from both feed into the ECU.

The dash black box is not connected to the ECU. I believe it is the buss bar system that converts all the under dash switches and components from off/on to digital. All the Mopars I've seen after about 93 use this system. Gene