Help with R33 G Sensor! GTR sensor (2 plug) in to GTST (1 plug)?

[jacobzking]

My 93 R33 GTST came with the Active LSD (I DO want to make it work).  After all the trouble shooting I can do, I've determined that its most likely a bad G Sensor (based on the ECU codes).  Problem is, in the US I can't find any local.  I bought one from Canada on eBay, and another from JPJDM, but both arrived with the red "excessive impact" mark.  So the only 2 I've been able to get my hands on, both arrived damaged.  Both sellers swear they were in good condition prior to shipping.  And the packing was fine, so I'm thinking maybe they "explode" in transit due to air pressure in the plane?  

In any case, Do-Luck makes a sensor replacement for the GTR, but not for the RWD GTST (only for AWD).  But, the plug on my GTST is the same as one of the ones on the GTR.  Has anyone ever tried using a Tarzan Do-Luck G Sensor on their GTST with just the one plug?  Here's the GTR vs GTST plugs for comparison... 

[joshuaho96]

  On 13/06/2023 at 4:40 PM, jacobzking said:

My 93 R33 GTST came with the Active LSD (I DO want to make it work).  After all the trouble shooting I can do, I've determined that its most likely a bad G Sensor (based on the ECU codes).  Problem is, in the US I can't find any local.  I bought one from Canada on eBay, and another from JPJDM, but both arrived with the red "excessive impact" mark.  So the only 2 I've been able to get my hands on, both arrived damaged.  Both sellers swear they were in good condition prior to shipping.  And the packing was fine, so I'm thinking maybe they "explode" in transit due to air pressure in the plane?  

In any case, Do-Luck makes a sensor replacement for the GTR, but not for the RWD GTST (only for AWD).  But, the plug on my GTST is the same as one of the ones on the GTR.  Has anyone ever tried using a Tarzan Do-Luck G Sensor on their GTST with just the one plug?  Here's the GTR vs GTST plugs for comparison... 

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They don't explode, the indicator just releases dye when damaged by excessive force. Probably most sellers don't know you need to pack that particular sensor like you're shipping an egg. The AWD cars have pinouts that look like this:

 

I would see if power and ground are on the same pins. If it is then more likely than not it will work, when I check the R33 wiring diagrams I see that the AWD CU uses the same pins as the RWD A-LSD ABS/A-LSD CU for the same things. It actually seems to me that you might be able to leave the other part of the harness disconnected altogether. Only issue I can foresee is potential fitment issues if the brackets are different.

 

[Duncan]

Keep in mind that the indicator being red isn't a guarantee the unit is not working (and vice versa, an unbroken indicator doesn't mean a working unit). 

It is just a g sensitive tag, the unit itself is independent and may still be fine.

[joshuaho96]

  On 13/06/2023 at 8:34 PM, Duncan said:

Keep in mind that the indicator being red isn't a guarantee the unit is not working (and vice versa, an unbroken indicator doesn't mean a working unit). 

It is just a g sensitive tag, the unit itself is independent and may still be fine.

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It isn’t absolute no but I wouldn’t want to install one that indicates excessive shock. And I’m not sure a used one is a good idea anyways, the springs and pots in there have probably aged significantly. Modern MEMS like the Do-Luck or Midori Seibi sensor are the way to go IMO. 

[jacobzking]

  On 13/06/2023 at 8:34 PM, Duncan said:

Keep in mind that the indicator being red isn't a guarantee the unit is not working (and vice versa, an unbroken indicator doesn't mean a working unit). 

It is just a g sensitive tag, the unit itself is independent and may still be fine.

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OK, thank you! It seems obvious to just plug it in and see if it makes the error light go away, but my car has been at the shop for the last month that I have not been able to drive it. So as soon as I get it back, hopefully next week, I will plug-in one of the “damaged “sensors. Thanks!!!

[jacobzking]

  On 13/06/2023 at 7:20 PM, joshuaho96 said:

They don't explode, the indicator just releases dye when damaged by excessive force. Probably most sellers don't know you need to pack that particular sensor like you're shipping an egg. The AWD cars have pinouts that look like this:

 

I would see if power and ground are on the same pins. If it is then more likely than not it will work, when I check the R33 wiring diagrams I see that the AWD CU uses the same pins as the RWD A-LSD ABS/A-LSD CU for the same things. It actually seems to me that you might be able to leave the other part of the harness disconnected altogether. Only issue I can foresee is potential fitment issues if the brackets are different.

 

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Lol… the one I got from JPJDM was packed like it had delicate eggs in it. Tons of bubble wrap, foam, boxed, more bubble wrap, packing peanuts and then boxed again. 
 

I suppose I will try and plug-in one of the ones that has the red indicator on it and see if it fixes my issue. If that does not work, I may just try and order one of those DoLuck ones and see what happens with just one plug, I have tried reaching out to them, but have not gotten a response. 

[GTSBoy]

  On 13/06/2023 at 9:37 PM, jacobzking said:

Lol… the one I got from JPJDM was packed like it had delicate eggs in it. Tons of bubble wrap, foam, boxed, more bubble wrap, packing peanuts and then boxed again. 

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Unless a box has excruciatingly clear fragile marking and you pay triple for careful handling, any freight company's trained apes will throw any box 40 feet from the belt to the far end of the truck. Bubble wrap does not really stop G loadings from sudden change in velocity from 5 m/s to 0 m/s.