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Modifying Instrument Cluster
Nourish - 22/12/16 at 06:56 PM

I quite like the look of the white faced Zafira/Astra instrument cluster. I appreciate it won't wire up to the ST170 ECU but would it be possible to wire it up as 'Stand alone' cluster?

britishtrident - 22/12/16 at 07:05 PM

No it All model cars have the instrument cluster controlled by the various computerised modules around the vehicle.
So without the PCM, BCM, LCM and probably the ABS it won't play.

Mash - 22/12/16 at 09:04 PM

Why not use a display from an ST, they have white faces?

Nourish - 22/12/16 at 10:04 PM

I want seperate round dials and the Zafiras 9.5cm dials are just the right size.
I have the St's clocks but they look far too complicated to try and seperate them and make seperate faces - although that would of been perfect.

nick205 - 23/12/16 at 08:38 AM

quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
No it All model cars have the instrument cluster controlled by the various computerised modules around the vehicle.
So without the PCM, BCM, LCM and probably the ABS it won't play.



My understanding also! Cars are so full of interacting computerised comms modules these days that parts from one car are very unlikely to work with parts from another car or "stand-alone". Personally I prefer individual dials anyway.




[Edited on 23/12/16 by nick205]

dinosaurjuice - 23/12/16 at 01:17 PM

yes entirely possible. You will need to make your own micro controller based CANbus converter and spend a good few hours of trial and error finding the correct ID's and HEX values for each light/dial/LCD etc. Theres a few examples of people doing this for displays on gaming chairs etc. quite interesting project but very involved and software heavy

Slimy38 - 24/12/16 at 11:36 AM

If it's just the cluster you like the look of, couldn't you just take the face off and replace the instruments with more standard stuff? As long as it all physically fits and the needle sweep is the same you should be fine.

Nourish - 24/12/16 at 05:12 PM

What standard stuff can I use with the St170 engine and Type9 box? - I can't imagine having new faces printed would be over expensive

big_wasa - 24/12/16 at 06:30 PM

If your using the st170 ecu ? You could use the st170 dash but you will need a speed healer device to bring the two signals in line.

The oil temperature and pressure gauge is fake. There are no sensors, the ecu feeds them a suede signal. They do have the voltage regulator for the luminescent back light on the main pod.

The dash will still show faults for the missing abs/ traction controls ect.

If your not using the st ecu. Forget it. Everything is sent down the bus from the ecu. Speed, tacho the lot.


You could make a hybrid dash with the guts from a pre 1999 dash

Nourish - 25/12/16 at 12:35 AM

I am using the ST ECU but I want seperate dials and not the ST styled clocks - unless I can split them and make up new faces - that would be ideal.


"You could make a hybrid dash with the guts from a pre 1999 dash" - tell me more - any ford dash? - bearing in mind that I can join two wires together but that's almost about as far as I can understand!

big_wasa - 25/12/16 at 09:11 AM

A pre 1999 focus dash has the same pod as the 1999~2004 focus but it uses individual sensors.

So you can make it look like an st dash. But it won't through a wobble with the lack of bus signals. I don't know if you would split the st dash due to the luminescent back lighting.

Nourish - 26/12/16 at 11:43 AM

Hi Big Wassa - No I don't want my dash to look like the ST dash I want seperate clocks.
Making a hybrid dash - I've looked on our favourite auction site looking for 1997 items and what comes up are clusters like the ST(but black) and date between from 1998 - 2004 - these have a digital mileometer - so I'm presuming these are all canbus?
Now the Mondeo clocks from 1996 - 2000 have the dials in the right position for what I want and have the tumbler type mileometer - is this what I should be lookiing at?
Or of course I may have got the wrong end of the stick and infact the the pre 1999 digital mileometer will correspond to the ST ECU - if so could I use a pre 1999 digital Mondeo cluster?
[Edited on 26/12/16 by Nourish]

[Edited on 26/12/16 by Nourish]

Nourish - 29/12/16 at 10:31 AM

Bump

Can I use an early Mondeo dash cluster with the ST170 ecu?
A speedo with the tumbler type mileometer would negate the need for the memory or wil adigital one work?


Nourish - 9/1/17 at 05:59 PM

More thoughts on the subject :-



I wonder if I can mount the ST170 circuit board remote from the clocks and link it to the seperated clocks with wiring.
The bulbs and the stepper motors look quite straight forward, the digital screen and the Tripometer cancel button would be a little more difficult but I would of thought not impossible.
This way I could make the dials and their spacings to fit.
For the ECU to recognise this Clock Cluster there must be some sort of memory on it - anybody know where? And how does the 'luminescent back lighting' work?

[Edited on 9/1/17 by Nourish]

[Edited on 9/1/17 by Nourish]