[arklan]

ok so i have had a look/search and cant find a compilation of all info needed to make the oem dash stuff work without an engine running etc since modern stuff needs the ecu.
so im gonna collect a bunch of info and then compile it all for the wiki, atleast thats my plan.

so a few questions for the brains trust..
those of you who have done a conversion with a relatively new car, how did you get the speedo tacho fuel gauge to work?
how did you get electronic power steering to work?
how did you interface with the ecu and or canbus?

at evworks they converted a few focuses for the government and they made a little pulse generator to trick the ecu in to thinking the car was running so that it would all light up.
tim there is wanting to do something like that for his rx8 but hasnt had much luck so far.
using a basic aftermarket ecu would probably make things easier as then it can be put in to any car.

ps: may ask some dumb/common sense questions but i want to be thorough!
thanks !

https://carfromjapan.com/article/car-maintenance/types-of-sensors-used-in-automobile-engine/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAbSwQlczDU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hOsdEH6YZw
http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/showthread.php/9238-20v-T50-what-to-do-about-speed-sensor
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=196189.0

 

[Nabla_Operator]

I'm converting a 1974 vehicle, Arklan and can tell you that dashboard compatibility is a major requirement: it costs 60 hours per feature (fuel tank indicator , heater , gear lever changer , throttle pedal) if you want to keep the outside to look as-was and under the dashboard you change the hardware + connectivity. And after introduction of the CAN bus I would expect more difficulties. Paul.

 

[DrJeff]

I'm just in the process of tackling this challenge with the TesLorean (DeLorean with a Tesla drive unit) and it is not trivia for a pre-CAN car. The root lies in the analog design of the instrument cluster and the incompatibility with digital inputs.

For example...
- The Tach expects a high voltage (24-50v) pulse from the coil driving the spark plugs
- The Oil and Fuel gauges need 90-0 Ohm on a 12v line to register

By the time I've put enough parts together to drive just these three gauges I've spent as much as providing a new stepper motor to drive the gauge.

The solution I cam across with the help of a DeLorean customizer (Rodolfo on DMCTalk.org) was to create a new instrument cluster. My plan is to get a new face print (Black Cat Custom Automotive - requires a fully developed Abode Illustrator file) and build a new instrument cluster from a set of OEM GM stepper motors.

Jeff

 

[arklan]

could you not simply put a cheap tablet in where the cluster usually goes, and have a obd2 bluetooth connector to the tesla drive unit?
or they dont have one??

 

[Nabla_Operator]

hihi. I recognize your sentence. Heard it before:

NOT.... yes; why not? You (the person who accomplished something), you explain to me why I can't do it my way?

SIMPLY ... until you think about it deeper

Bluetooth, wifi, and other modernities of which software crashes within a year and the first soldered component breaks in 3 years.