Digital Dash Swap?

[arco777]

That's sweet. Did you use laptop or a SBC? You should post a pic sometime. I have a 9" Acer laptop that matches the exterior color and fits well with the blue interior, but until I find a way to get the laptop mount I want from the UK to here, it just perches on the center armrest when I need it.

[geoph1986]

I took a 2.5Ghz desktop Pentium 4, gutted it and gutted the X's console. The p/s is below the cup holder, the motherboard is just below the lid, and the HDD is mounted to the back of the console on the inside. I have it all powered by a 350 Watt power inverter mounted under the dash, and have total control with an old 10.4" Datalux touch screen monitor, Centrafuse front end (carputer software) and on screen keyboard. The monitor sits below the ashtray and I get sound through the system from the hacked Ai-Net cable off the back of my Alpine deck. It's great. I have internet, GPS, video, and all the music I could ever want. If I wanted, I could configure it to use bluetooth for hands fee phone, Xm or Sirius radio, and if my truck were OBD-II, I'd be able to tune and monitor with it. But the carputer is a discussion for another thread. Once this is dash is done, I'll see about posting some build pics. If yuo want to know more about the world of the CarPC check out www.mp3car.com.

[NICE59FORDF100]

have you thought about those led strips for illumination?
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[geoph1986]

Originally Posted by NICE59FORDF100

have you thought about those led strips for illumination?
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Actually no I hadn't. I'm going to have to look into it. Where do you get them, and how much are they? Remember I'm in Canada, so a lot of times ordering from the USA, the shipping cost brings the price way up. My goal is to do this swap on the ultimate cheap so everyone can have one. Right from the 16 year old that can barley afford gas to the oldest richest guy that just doesn't want to part with his money.

[NICE59FORDF100]

ah well i dont know where you would get them from, search ebay? I just remember seeing the fellow who did the blue tint on the cluster, he put an led strip in his analog gauges. If you search around on that forum, its somewhere. When i get home ill look for the link
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[arco777]

Originally Posted by NICE59FORDF100

And to answer your question about the DCL wires, I found them on the explorer:

DCL + = Pin #28 on ECU Harness = T/O Wire

DCL - = Pin #9 on ECU HArness = PK/LB Wire

These wire colors you mentioned for (+) and (-) are opposite of the Cougar's (+) and (-) colors, so I double checked to be sure so I don't reverse polarity accidentally. I pulled up the pinout in my DSM's EVTM for the 94 Explorer; the wire color to polarity swap is true, but on my pinout, Explorer's DCL+ and DCL- are listed as pins 18 and 19, respectively. 9 and 28 are listed as MAF return and empty. I guess if 28 is actually empty on my car, that will confirm it.

[NICE59FORDF100]

quick question: our trucks have both a positive and neg vss signal. Which would go to the cougar cluster? (for some reason saying the phrase 'cougar cluster' just sounds so wrong )
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[NICE59FORDF100]

do'h, thats prolly because i pulled that for a 92 computer, not your 94 lol. Glad you double checked these things! Why on earth do i just naturally assume everyones truck is wired just like mine, lol
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[arco777]

92/94, no worries, it happens! Blame Ford for not sticking with what works

On the Explorer's side plug-in circuit board, the only places it goes to the wiring harness are to the pins for ground, start/run power, and fuel level input. Those were connected through the circuit board to a few gauges; I imagine it was for stabilization to keep certain ones from bouncing and may include oil pressure resistor. I can ignore that whole item.

On VSS+/-, I was thinking about that too. I am believing that it is likely VSS+, can't imagine the VSS- being anything other than a glorified ground. Unless anyone speaks up I'm going to use VSS+ at the PCM and if it doesn't work it's an easy fix, wouldn't even have to pull the cluster out.

For the fuel flow, where does that pin need to go? I think you mentioned PCM pin 34 might work - my pinout shows that as empty, which may be a good sign, but is that for sure what I need to connect to for a fuel flow signal?

The only other thing I need to do is sort out the whole oil pressure thing.

Below is my current cheat sheet, it's a to-do list as well.

Cougar 20pin:
pin 18 (red) e/m select - ignore, not used (would go to merc climate control)
pin 8 (gy/r) tach select - leave open and ignore for 6 cyl
pin 15 (pk/lb) DCL + runs to PCM pin 18, t/o wire
pin 16 (t/o) DCL - runs to PCM pin 19, pk/lb wire
pin 12 (dg/w) VSS+ - runs to PCM pin 3, gy/bk wire - TRY pin 6, pk/o, if 3 doesn't make speedo work
pin 11 (lb/pk) fuel flow - runs to PCM, but where?
pin 3 (o) EIC cluster buttons - runs to button panel orange

button panel:
-orange wire goes to cougar 20pin's pin 3 (eic switch input)
-lightblue/red goes to cougar 20pin's pin 13 (rheostat input, shared with X's pin 3 on gray plug)
-black goes to ground (rheostat input's ground)
-gray/red goes to ground (button input ground)

FIND OIL SIGNAL RESISTOR - KILL IT - INSTALL REAL OIL SENDER

Time to take a break and play some Grand Theft Auto!

[NICE59FORDF100]

Originally Posted by geoph1986

Actually no I hadn't. I'm going to have to look into it. Where do you get them, and how much are they? Remember I'm in Canada, so a lot of times ordering from the USA, the shipping cost brings the price way up. My goal is to do this swap on the ultimate cheap so everyone can have one. Right from the 16 year old that can barley afford gas to the oldest richest guy that just doesn't want to part with his money.

Here is the thread talking about the led strips...Its a little extra wiring, but might be easier than using the florescence lights and with the led strips, you might still be able to retain the dimming feature

http://forums.tccoa.com/showthread.php?t=107258

and another one:

http://forums.tccoa.com/showthread.php?t=124918

And what I found on ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/12V-4...Q5fAccessories

[arco777]

Since I'd like to retain the digital panel's display housing with the light bar behind it, I have been working on that.

Attached is a double picture of the light bar, which originally had the blue base bulbs installed. I hooked up 1.5v to the connector and nothing happened. Then I hooked up a 13.5v supply in both directions and nothing happened. The bulb filaments were all blown. I replaced them with gray base bulbs and hooked up the 13.5v again, and they light up fine. However, my normally silent power supply starts to buzz while powering them. Since the fan didn't come on and it's a 10A supply (also, same noise with one bulb as with 6), I don't believe it's an amperage issue. Why the buzz?

EDIT: I checked the strip without bulbs and resistance is infinite (no continuity) so it's not a short...

[NICE59FORDF100]

Ok guys, look this over, and see if I made any errors.....

You'll notice the wiring for the cougar, for the most part, matches that of the explorer. And yes, I did it for a 92, but 92 shouldn't be way off different. Let me know what you think!

[arco777]

That is a neat chart!

Any idea on the buzz/hum or on the fuel flow pin?

[BrooklynBay]

Which program did you use to make the chart?

[NICE59FORDF100]

Microsoft Excel,

No idea on the buzzing...

And you have to actually install a wire onto the pin 34 connection. this link provides a neat way to do so:

http://www.fordfuelinjection.com/?p=74

[geoph1986]

NICE59, thanks for the chart. I'll have to go over it a bit better, but at first glance, it seems pretty accurate.

Arco, I couldn't get the blue socket bulbs to power up either, but switching them to the other bulbs and the light bar lit up. I read somewhere that the blue socket ones are a halogen. I wonder if that has anything to do with them not lighting up.

My progress is kinda slow. I finally got the backlight from the laptop to light up on it's own, but it's not long enough to provide light at all areas of the merc cluster. Where it is providing enough light, it looks great, so ultimately I have to rethink my lighting. Once I get everything physically together, I will start on the wiring. Hopefully it will be this weekend.

[NICE59FORDF100]

did you look at those led strips?
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[arco777]

Originally Posted by geoph1986

Arco, I couldn't get the blue socket bulbs to power up either, but switching them to the other bulbs and the light bar lit up. I read somewhere that the blue socket ones are a halogen. I wonder if that has anything to do with them not lighting up.

My blue-socket bulbs were all blown - maybe yours were too? They appeared fine at first until I looked closer. The bulbs pull out of the socket and appear to be identical to all the other bulbs used, but the plastic socket is different, I think so they fit better into the strip. If you had no problems powering up your light strip that's a good sign, I think in that case then the buzz was just a fluke.

I may go to the PickNPull shortly and get another digital dash if I can find one, for purposes of spare parts and to test if I can cut the displays. They close just after I leave work so my project may be stalled until Saturday.

[geoph1986]

Nice59, I have looked at the LED strips, and they're not very expensive. I have a bunch (about a dozen) super bright white LED's, I'm going to see how those light it up, and if they work well I'll probably get an LED strip.

Arco, when I asked about the ATX psu, you mentioned about using a battery for testing, then it occurred to me that I have 12v, 7ah, alarm batteries, so I've been using one of those for testing. If you can find another cluster, that's great. Around here they're super rare.

[arco777]

I pulled an identical cluster from a T-Bird today; from a dozen cars that could be optioned with these dashes, only two there had them. However there is another parts yard about 20 minutes away that has a better selection, so if you or anyone needed one of these clusters I could probably get a few more.

Oh, and check out the attached picture. It's true, when completely submerged this glass can be cut with a scissors without much difficulty. I wouldn't recommend leaving even a corner of the glass out of the water though, just in case. It doesn't make the cleanest edges but that shouldn't be an issue if you're covering the cut parts with a faceplate. I plan to practice cutting on these panels and do the final cut on the ones to be installed.