Racing PDM Installation

[Black_Cat_DSM]

Hello Everyone,

I am currently in the midst of preparing my 96 Talon AWD for GridLife competition and I am trying to reduce the weight and complexity on the car as much as possible.
As such, I am looking to install a power distribution module to the car.
The car came to me with a very messed up dash harness from previous owners installing aftermarket security systems, gauges, and whatever else. It's a mess and needs to be removed.

I have ECMLink with the factory ecu. I don't intend on switching to a standalone for a number of reasons, mainly cost and complexity.
So, I need to keep the current factory harness and wiring for the engine (more or less).
I'll be going to a pretty bare-bones chassis harness as well - mainly just lights, wipers, and possibly a Go-Pro on/off switch.
Everything else will be engine or sensor inputs.

My question is, who has done this kind of installation before, and are there simple schematics available that I can work off of?
I have a fairly good idea but there are some nuances that I may be forgetting or overlooking.

 

[Vegas Smith]

Hmm, are you asking about using a PDM with ecmlink? I'm not sure if that's possible because the ecu controls the PDM, I believe. I know you mentioned staying with ecmlink, but if you're going to be competing and using a PDM then a stand-alone would be a million times better while not being that much more expensive.

 

[Black_Cat_DSM]

The intention is to remove the factory PDM and basically all of the chassis harness.
The only things that are needed are:

Engine (ECU, fuel, ignition, starter, rad fan)
Chassis (brake lights, switch head/tail lights, gauges)

Every other function will be deleted.
I can keep the engine bay fuse box since that’s all connected through the engine harness.

I disagree that going to a standalone with PDM would be marginally more expensive.
It would run around $4000 for a Haltech 2500 + PDM.
I can build the harness with a simple Eaton PDM for around $500.

 

[llxkevinxll]

The intention is to remove the factory PDM and basically all of the chassis harness.
The only things that are needed are:

Engine (ECU, fuel, ignition, starter, rad fan)
Chassis (brake lights, switch head/tail lights, gauges)

Every other function will be deleted.
I can keep the engine bay fuse box since that’s all connected through the engine harness.

I disagree that going to a standalone with PDM would be marginally more expensive.
It would run around $4000 for a Haltech 2500 + PDM.
I can build the harness with a simple Eaton PDM for around $500.

When you say factory PDM, do you mean the fuse/relay box? A simple generic fuse or relay block would suffice in trimming this down to bare bones if that is what you are after. But to be clear, the Haltech PDM and other similar devices cost what they cost for a reason. Solid state devices, CAN comms, Current draw feedback to the ECU etc. The schematics would be the factory electrical diagrams. If you are using the factory controls (turn signal stalk for example) and the factory loads (wipers, lights, etc), then I don't see why the factory schematics wouldn't suffice.

 

[Vegas Smith]

The intention is to remove the factory PDM and basically all of the chassis harness.
The only things that are needed are:

Engine (ECU, fuel, ignition, starter, rad fan)
Chassis (brake lights, switch head/tail lights, gauges)

Every other function will be deleted.
I can keep the engine bay fuse box since that’s all connected through the engine harness.

I disagree that going to a standalone with PDM would be marginally more expensive.
It would run around $4000 for a Haltech 2500 + PDM.
I can build the harness with a simple Eaton PDM for around $500.

Oh, I guess you’re talking about a basic fuse/relay panel and not an electronic pdm.