This is a Dakota Digital GSS-1000. The GSS-1000 is an electronic Gear Shift Position Sender. I think they should have named it GSPS but who listens to me ;)
The GSS-1000 will supply the signal to the alphanumeric digital gear position readout that's part of the tachometer. The tachometer also includes a High RPM Recall and shift light, but we'll talk about that later.
The Dakota Digital universal gearshift sender consists of 3 main components; the sensor, decoder, and mounting brackets. The sender normally mounts to the transmission and converts the transmission linkage arm position into an electrical signal. The decoder converts the electric signal from the sender into the individual outputs for each gear. This unit also provides neutral safety and backup features.
I'm going to be different (as usual) and mount it to the shifter instead of the transmission. One of the coolest things about this unit is that it doesn't matter where you mount it. You can even mount it backwards (with the wires switched around) or upside-down and it will still work with any automatic transmission.
The sensor is basically a variable relay (potentiometer) that gives a variable reading as it is rotated. Each gear position will have a unique reading. The decoder allows you to set your shifter in the desired gear and program it. Programming is done using a push-button switch and watching the programming lights located by the gear outputs. Because of this it really doesn't matter how the sender is positioned, just as long as it has as much throw as possible so the sender readings aren't on top of one another. It's actually pretty simple yet ingenious at the same time.
Mounting it to the shifter will keep it away from the heat and elements under the car and make it easier to wire and service in the future – not that I ever foresee a need for this.
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The B&M shifter came with a cable operated shift indicator that was a part of the huge plastic cover. I'm going to use the cable attachment area on the shifter to operate the sending unit.
I formed a simple mount using a strip of aluminum from the scrap bin that was originally intended as a mount for the transmission cooler.
The mount will cradle the GSS-1000 in it and it will nestle beside the shifter on the passenger side. The aluminum rod that comes with the unit will need to be modified to fit the cable mount for the "original" gear indicator.
A small wire stud was glued to the aluminum rod with epoxy and bent at a 90-degree angle to fit the small stud on the shifter where the cable mounted.