Redoing my idiot cluster to use with aftermarket gauges
10-27-08, 09:16 PM
#1
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Redoing my idiot cluster to use with aftermarket gauges
OK i know it sounds a little strange, but I really miss my Idiot cluster, but I find some of the things on it annoying, and some things could be improved upon. So I had an idea at work, but I am not sure hot to go about it. I have all kinds of gauges in my car. EGT, water, oil pressure and temp so on and so forth and they are not all in easy view some are on the far side of my dash. So i had the grand idea, hey the idiot cluster is in good view imagine that, but only if it was more noticeable and there was a gauge hooked to it. I had the grand idea to somehow hook up for example my exhaust temp light to my gauge with a little buzzer, and a light inside the corresponding gauge to light up when the light on the cluster goes off.
My problem is, what would be the best way to go about this. Is soldering onto the idiot cluster a good idea, I have an after market ECU so I dont think I can hurt anything there.
My problem is, what would be the best way to go about this. Is soldering onto the idiot cluster a good idea, I have an after market ECU so I dont think I can hurt anything there.
10-28-08, 05:51 AM
#2
Your post is confusing.
Do you still have the warning light cluster installed or not?
At any rate, I kinda get what you're going for.
Say, have the "Low Oil" warning light in the oil pressure gauge, for instance.
You don't really need the cluster circuit board to do this, just the connector.
Looks like all those warning lights are just powered by the ignition switch and come on when the appropriate sensor grounds them.
So, for the oil level warning light you'd just need to wire the illumination for the gauge so it's ground went to the sensor in the oil pan. For this you'd only need access to the appropriate wire in the connector, the circuit board being redundant at this point.
Of course, this means you have no regular nighttime lighting for the gauge and adding an extra bulb isn't really possible with most gauges I've seen.
So, what to do?
I've been thinking about a similar idea, just implemented differently.
I have three gauges (oil temp & pressure, water temp) mounted in the radio bin.
This was simple but not ideal since I have to glance down to read them.
The warning cluster would be the best place to mount them as they'd be in direct line of sight ( there is even a pod made specifically for this) but then I'd lose the few warning lights I think are necessary (Low Washer Fluid hardly strikes me as worthy of a warning light).
It might be possible to move the whole warning cluster down to the radio bin (I haven't measured but it looks like it might be too wide to fit) or alternatively, just make a small enclosure to fit on top of the steering wheel surround and fit the desired warning lights in that. This has the added benefit of placing the lights right in an area where you look anyway, so a warning would not go unheeded for long.
Something to think about at least.
Do you still have the warning light cluster installed or not?
At any rate, I kinda get what you're going for.
Say, have the "Low Oil" warning light in the oil pressure gauge, for instance.
You don't really need the cluster circuit board to do this, just the connector.
Looks like all those warning lights are just powered by the ignition switch and come on when the appropriate sensor grounds them.
So, for the oil level warning light you'd just need to wire the illumination for the gauge so it's ground went to the sensor in the oil pan. For this you'd only need access to the appropriate wire in the connector, the circuit board being redundant at this point.
Of course, this means you have no regular nighttime lighting for the gauge and adding an extra bulb isn't really possible with most gauges I've seen.
So, what to do?
I've been thinking about a similar idea, just implemented differently.
I have three gauges (oil temp & pressure, water temp) mounted in the radio bin.
This was simple but not ideal since I have to glance down to read them.
The warning cluster would be the best place to mount them as they'd be in direct line of sight ( there is even a pod made specifically for this) but then I'd lose the few warning lights I think are necessary (Low Washer Fluid hardly strikes me as worthy of a warning light).
It might be possible to move the whole warning cluster down to the radio bin (I haven't measured but it looks like it might be too wide to fit) or alternatively, just make a small enclosure to fit on top of the steering wheel surround and fit the desired warning lights in that. This has the added benefit of placing the lights right in an area where you look anyway, so a warning would not go unheeded for long.
Something to think about at least.
10-28-08, 11:47 AM
#3
It might be possible to move the whole warning cluster down to the radio bin
Found here
http://azrx7.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=5098
10-28-08, 08:05 PM
#4
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Your post is confusing.
Do you still have the warning light cluster installed or not?
At any rate, I kinda get what you're going for.
Say, have the "Low Oil" warning light in the oil pressure gauge, for instance.
You don't really need the cluster circuit board to do this, just the connector.
Looks like all those warning lights are just powered by the ignition switch and come on when the appropriate sensor grounds them.
So, for the oil level warning light you'd just need to wire the illumination for the gauge so it's ground went to the sensor in the oil pan. For this you'd only need access to the appropriate wire in the connector, the circuit board being redundant at this point.
Of course, this means you have no regular nighttime lighting for the gauge and adding an extra bulb isn't really possible with most gauges I've seen.
So, what to do?
I've been thinking about a similar idea, just implemented differently.
I have three gauges (oil temp & pressure, water temp) mounted in the radio bin.
This was simple but not ideal since I have to glance down to read them.
The warning cluster would be the best place to mount them as they'd be in direct line of sight ( there is even a pod made specifically for this) but then I'd lose the few warning lights I think are necessary (Low Washer Fluid hardly strikes me as worthy of a warning light).
It might be possible to move the whole warning cluster down to the radio bin (I haven't measured but it looks like it might be too wide to fit) or alternatively, just make a small enclosure to fit on top of the steering wheel surround and fit the desired warning lights in that. This has the added benefit of placing the lights right in an area where you look anyway, so a warning would not go unheeded for long.
Something to think about at least.
Do you still have the warning light cluster installed or not?
At any rate, I kinda get what you're going for.
Say, have the "Low Oil" warning light in the oil pressure gauge, for instance.
You don't really need the cluster circuit board to do this, just the connector.
Looks like all those warning lights are just powered by the ignition switch and come on when the appropriate sensor grounds them.
So, for the oil level warning light you'd just need to wire the illumination for the gauge so it's ground went to the sensor in the oil pan. For this you'd only need access to the appropriate wire in the connector, the circuit board being redundant at this point.
Of course, this means you have no regular nighttime lighting for the gauge and adding an extra bulb isn't really possible with most gauges I've seen.
So, what to do?
I've been thinking about a similar idea, just implemented differently.
I have three gauges (oil temp & pressure, water temp) mounted in the radio bin.
This was simple but not ideal since I have to glance down to read them.
The warning cluster would be the best place to mount them as they'd be in direct line of sight ( there is even a pod made specifically for this) but then I'd lose the few warning lights I think are necessary (Low Washer Fluid hardly strikes me as worthy of a warning light).
It might be possible to move the whole warning cluster down to the radio bin (I haven't measured but it looks like it might be too wide to fit) or alternatively, just make a small enclosure to fit on top of the steering wheel surround and fit the desired warning lights in that. This has the added benefit of placing the lights right in an area where you look anyway, so a warning would not go unheeded for long.
Something to think about at least.
10-28-08, 08:23 PM
#6
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Ding that is what I am trying to say. When I say i have gauges, I have ALOT of gauges, I am very critical on knowing just exactly what is going on all the time. So my problem is not placement, but spotting. A nice buzzer, and a light on my idiot cluster lighting up could alert me of something I may miss.
10-28-08, 08:55 PM
#7
This is good stuff. I have been pondering what to do about the idiot lights for a while, I currently have an AFR monitor mounted in their place. I like the idea of putting the oil level light in the pressure gauge, coolant level light in the coolant gauge etc....Just wire an extra LED in the aftermarket gauge using the signal for the desired stock waring light.
Thanks for the idea gents!
Thanks for the idea gents!
Last edited by NJGreenBudd; 10-28-08 at 08:59 PM.
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10-29-08, 12:34 AM
#8
Banned. I got OWNED!!!
This is all very confusing.
Soooooooooooo you want a light in your aftermarket oil pressure gauge to go off when the oil pressure drops below a certain point? If that's the case you will need an aftermarket sender. Then wire it up. Getting an LED into an aftermkt gauge seems near impossible to me. An LED mounted in the gauge cup would be a good idea. However, if you already have an aftermkt ECU thatsupports can
And be done with it. There are 6 warning lights on the sides, mine will be set for
Overheat water, overheat oil, low oil pressure, low oil, low 2-stroke, low fuel pressure. All the info that you need is right there. Just for sport though where the idiot lights themselves used to be will be a boost gauge, a fuel gauge and a voltometer.
Since that pic I have added 6 other LED's on the side of the unit for turn signals, brights, low fuel level, brake and low washer
Soooooooooooo you want a light in your aftermarket oil pressure gauge to go off when the oil pressure drops below a certain point? If that's the case you will need an aftermarket sender. Then wire it up. Getting an LED into an aftermkt gauge seems near impossible to me. An LED mounted in the gauge cup would be a good idea. However, if you already have an aftermkt ECU thatsupports can
And be done with it. There are 6 warning lights on the sides, mine will be set for
Overheat water, overheat oil, low oil pressure, low oil, low 2-stroke, low fuel pressure. All the info that you need is right there. Just for sport though where the idiot lights themselves used to be will be a boost gauge, a fuel gauge and a voltometer.
Since that pic I have added 6 other LED's on the side of the unit for turn signals, brights, low fuel level, brake and low washer
10-29-08, 05:54 PM
#10
Banned. I got OWNED!!!
It's very easy to see and all the pertanent information is right there. RPM, Speed, and four readouts of your choosing. You can toggle the bottom two giving you 6. So in all total with the push of a button, that little dash replaced 8 gauges. Think about how much one would pay for eight gauges and warning lights.
Now if I could only finish my car I could enjoy all of this wicked electronic trickry
Now if I could only finish my car I could enjoy all of this wicked electronic trickry
10-29-08, 06:49 PM
#11
I did somethign clsoe to this and this pic might help you out.
This is an S4 idiot pinout. Not sure of S5 changed.
1st stage: Determine how you will warn and then send a message
2nd stage:figure out which warning lights you don't want and cut the PCB traces and solder on your own wire from said warning source.
This is an S4 idiot pinout. Not sure of S5 changed.
1st stage: Determine how you will warn and then send a message
2nd stage:figure out which warning lights you don't want and cut the PCB traces and solder on your own wire from said warning source.
10-29-08, 07:08 PM
#12
Seems like it would be hard to pick out 8 different reading while driving with that display. I'd like to try it out though, it looks and sounds pretty wicked.
I was thinking about this today and came up with the idea putting the LED right beneath the gauge in the panel rather than trying to fit it in the gauge somehow. This is a much more sensible location for the warning light.
Now your saying that rather than use the stock oil level light and coolant overheat light signals that we would have to use aftermarket senders? I'm gonna check out what I can find and try to get this setup soon.
I was thinking about this today and came up with the idea putting the LED right beneath the gauge in the panel rather than trying to fit it in the gauge somehow. This is a much more sensible location for the warning light.
Now your saying that rather than use the stock oil level light and coolant overheat light signals that we would have to use aftermarket senders? I'm gonna check out what I can find and try to get this setup soon.
10-29-08, 10:53 PM
#13
Banned. I got OWNED!!!
Look at some of the pics online and you'll see that it's not hard at all. Regardless though, every sensor has a threshold that will set off a warning light at a predetermined level. In other words, you never have to look at the dash except to check your speed. Everything else is fine until a warning light goes off.
10-30-08, 02:04 PM
#14
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This seems like a badass idea, but couldnt you just run the gauge pod where the idiot lights were, and then just wire up some LEDs or somthing and attach them to the blank spot below an aftermarket head unit and label the lights? id imagine that you would be able to notice them down there if one went off. how hard would it be to hook up a few of the important lights individually?
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