TheDukeZip

Ever since I got my TSX I have toyed with the idea in my head of sticking a microcontroller right before the MID LCD in the gauge cluster so that I may intercept what is going to be displayed there and (optionally) put my own stuff on the MID.

Some things I'd put on there
- Stealth Valentine One display (auto-mute V1 below certain speed, do not display V1 below certain speed)
- Time in different time zones
- Overwrite "Welcome Driver 1" with "Welcome [ My name here ]"
- Possibly OBDII info
- Who knows what else
- Depending on the LCD protocol, I could possibly draw the Acura logo when starting up the car

My work actually falls along the same lines so it's not really a matter of if I can do it, but should I?

To start, I'd need to purchase a new gauge cluster to toy with since I don't want to screw with my stock one and have to take it in and out all the time. Best price I can find is about $410. Then I'd need a small portable logic analyzer to take out to my car to capture some real data, $550. Plus I'd need to stick a small microcontroller prototyper's board in there (already own a few.) Not to mention I don't even own a Valentine One yet. Countless hours of programming and testing....

So my question to all of you is, am I crazy? Should I just spend my money on Hondata reflash and Icebox instead? Is having a stealth V1 display on my car worth all this trouble?

Mskierki

go for it. let us know how it turns out.

jlukja

That would be way cool if you could do it. A lot of effort/$$ on your part but it would be a great benefit to the TSX owners who have MID.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

If you come up with something that would allow us to customize some of the display text, or even add new functionality like the V1 concealed display info, then I am pretty sure that you could find a few people here who would be willing to buy your product (including possibly me, if the V1 concealed display thing works out).

JTso

iTrader: (2)

If that's your area of interest, I'd say go for it. I like to see cool stuffs!

TheDukeZip

I was looking in the TSX bible (aka Helms book) about changing your gauge cluster and it talks about how you have to use the Honda tool to copy over your odometer reading into the new cluster. Obviously I could have my dealer do this but it lead to me thinking... If I crack open a gauge cluster, modify it, then install it in my car, have I tampered with the odometer? Of course I wouldn't actually tamper with the odometer or change the reading it displays on the screen, but if it's all one contained unit, cracking it open is tampering right? arrgg... Need to research odometer laws

TommySalami

We won't tell anyone

fish008

This sounds awesome, I would love to see it done. Recoup your costs by selling them once you figure it out.

RGlesing

I'd say your just about one step away from a fashionable new orange jump suit .
BEND OVER AND PICK UP THAT SOAP, B*TCH!

LukeaTron

Whoa, you need to back off the caffeine or something there.

I thought I recalled something when I was researching the car before I bought it about how the gauge cluster using some sort of serial interconnect to minimize the number of wires needed. If that's the case you're going to have to figure out the protocol used to talk the PIC (probably several of them) in the cluster. It's an awesome idea, I just think you're likely to run into some pretty high hurtles in making it happen. I assume since you do this for a living you've got a full blown test bench to work with. I can't see the requisite reverse engineering being possible without it.

godfather2

that's insanely creative, don't stall, just get to work

TheDukeZip

You may be thinking of BMW's I-BUS. I know a few guys figured it out and then a company sold a stealth V1 display for BMWs LCDs for a while.

Even if Acura does has some car-wide bus I was thinking it would be easier to just plug my own unit in series right before the LCD. That way, in a normal state, I'd just be copying input over to output all the time. If I detected a signal from the V1 or wanted to write my own screens on there, stop copying the input buffer to the output buffer and draw whatever I want in the output buffer. This way, I don't have to reverse engineer anything except the protocol for the LCD. And my guess is the LCD protocol won't be too hard to figure out, if it's not a standard one.

The fact that random graphics get drawn on the screen sometimes (such as fasten seatbelt, doors open) leads me to believe it is possible to draw graphics on the LCD bit by bit. So I basically could draw huge arrows just like the V1, maybe even have them flash between yellow and blue to attract your attention.

I genuinely appreciate all the input from everyone, it sounds like most people think this is a really cool project. Yes, I have a full test bench available at work that we are allowed to use for personal use on weekends, but our logic analyzers are not portable. I think I would need to take one out to my car to capture some data while the car is on to have some real data to examine and play back. We do have one 'USBee' at work but they are pretty protective over it so I'd probably want to buy my own.

So maybe I will examine my budget for the next month and see if I can order an extra instrument cluster to start playing with. Maybe I could even start a blog if people are interested in seeing what I'm up to.

Edit: Oh and I researched the odometer fraud, it turns out it's not illegal to modify your dash as long as you don't screw with the odo reading, so I'm good. And I haven't had any caffeine today although this post may lead you to believe otherwise

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

The company was Jaric Design and it looks like they are no longer selling the StealthOne.

Honestly, if you could create a concealed display for the V1 that would integrate with the MID and sound the warning chime and pop up to show the relevant data (much like how the low fuel warning sounds and displays) in the LCD, I would definitely be interested in that as that would allow me to start thinking of creative ways to mount a V1 in a hidden manner in the car while still getting all of the functionality and having the cops go crazy wondering why they cannot find a radar detector in the car.

Would be even sweeter if the V1 came with a K40 style integrated installation where you can set the antennas into your bumpers. Combine that with a fully integrated stealth display and one could have peace of mind when driving around the streets of VA.

TheDukeZip

After doing a little more research I did find that the TSX has an IEBus called GA-NET II. It may be possible to use this to communicate with the MID. There is a guy working with this bus here . Unfortunately I don't have the ETM so I'll have to look through my Service Manual to see if I can find this out or not. Either way, the ETM is probably a good thing for me to have so I may end up ordering it anyways. If it turns out you can use the bus to display things on the MID, this may be the better route for me to take, since it won't involve breaking open the instrument cluster.

TSXRudebwoy

I am really interested with this project aswell. A friend of mine just bought an 07 passat 2.0t and the make a module thats pnp for his car that shows boost and all kinds of stuff. I immediately got jealous so I need to get the one up on him, please make this work! lol heres the link to the product, maybe you can get some ideas from it.

http://store.l-c-t.com/merchant2/mer...ry_Code=passat

TheDukeZip

That is pretty sick and almost exactly like what I want to do. I ordered my ETM which should be coming in this week so I can decide how I need to proceed. I definitely have not given up on this project

studville

If you get something like that to work.. you'll join the ranks of the guys who did the non-nav to nav conversion. Those guys are insane!

SeanS627

in my book this is a much more impressive mod then the non-nav to nav, basically because you have a layout to base your installation for the conversion from the schematics of the actual navi model

this would be a from scratch idea and would definitely draw a lot of interest if it's able to be done, so to the OP i say if you plan to sell these you could easily recoup your costs if it works out

just my

TommySalami

This blows away a non-navi to navi conversion

RogerPodacter

i'm looking into just replacing an 04 instrument cluster with an 06. but they are different with the MID on the 06. anyone think this is just a simple swap? i would think that there would be certain wires/connections that are not present on the older 04 which would make this too involved to do. plus it would reset the odometer back to zero if i unplugged it.

rj17

any update on this project?

RogerPodacter

well i can update you on my project. i successfully swapped out the newer dvd drive into my 04 tsx, and all is working perfectly! updated maps and super fast menus. i still cannot find a connector to wire up my bluetooth. but when i do i will add the HFL. however i will not replace the MID and instrument cluster until later because it will reset my mileage and i have to plan that out accordingly.

acn684

odometers wont set to 0 if you unplug them.

Simba91102

Please don't take offense at this, but this has to be someone with waaaaaaaaaaaay too much time on his hands.

davidspalding

I dunno, putting your radar detector display on there is a marvelous idea. I usually blank the MID when I drive, I don't want the distraction there. If the RD could be wired into the car's "alert bell" sound, even better. Who needs a wannabe R2-D2 bleeping like crazy?

clee109

I think it's a cool idea! Even just a regular radar display would be cool. Seems like it could be costly though. But please, do it, it's different and unique!

TheDukeZip

I'll be sure to bump this when I have something worth mentioning. I now have the ETM in addition to the Service Manual but a few personal things cropped up in the last week so I didn't get a chance to look at the ETM in depth...

RogerPodacter

but i would have to replace it with the newer odometer with MID which would be set at zero. its something i am still debating just to have the little display functionality. might not be worth it. unless i replace it at an even mileage on my old one. so i can always easily know the total mileage on the car. but then it might be considered fraud if i go to sell the car, even if i disclose the info up front. might be more problems than its worth.