Keeping display?

[mikesul]

I had a new Pioneer head unit installed today in my '09 MS3 GT and would like to know if it is possible to reinstall/reactivate the display. It came out with the stock unit and the installer said he didn't think there was a way to keep it functional w/o the stock head unit. Anyone ever done this or did I just give it up.
Thanks
Mike

 

[icspots]

Yes you can keep it. Since '06 the LCD wiring has been separate from the main HU harness. Once it's hooked back in you'll get your ambient temp. display and your ACC display back. If you plug in the OEM HU you'll be able to set/select one thing to display on the left side (i.e. clock, or one of the DIS options) but you won't be able to change them after unplugging the OEM HU.

Some aftermarket dash kits have brackets to attach the LCD to... some of them you have to fabricate something to hold it in place. Either way your installer is wrong.

 

[mikesul]

Thanks for the "heads up!".
Mike (yes)

 

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

Just remember to keep the factory head unit where you can lay hands on it if you do any mods that require disconnecting the battery, because the system will forget what you selected for the display. I used to do that but finally got tired of it. There`s been nothing on the left side of my display for almost a year now.
Some enterprising electronics company needs to come up with something to restore this for those of us who swapped out their head unit.

 

[UHATEIT]

here's mine:

display still works on the right side to tell ac stuff, mine was the 08 sport model, pretty much the only model where you can't setup the trip computer on the left side.

 

[mikesul]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it. Hated to lose the display after only having it 10 days.
Mike

 

[ohhryan]

Has anyone who's savvy in electronics looked into the possiblity of keeping the factory display?

I've seen a lot of people say that the programming is in built into the factory head unit, however I would tend to think this functionality is part of the factory computer and we simply need an interface to access it.

Doesn't the dashhawk provide this same information by interfacing with the vehicles computer?

 

[mikesul]

Has anyone who's savvy in electronics looked into the possiblity of keeping the factory display?

I've seen a lot of people say that the programming is in built into the factory head unit, however I would tend to think this functionality is part of the factory computer and we simply need an interface to access it.

Doesn't the dashhawk provide this same information by interfacing with the vehicles computer?

I do wish someone would come up with a marketable product, I would buy one!

 

[ohhryan]

I'm going to start looking into this in my spare time. My roommate was an electrical engineer in college and I think him and I could possibly figure out how the system works.

I've started by getting a wiring diagram for the stock HU which I noticed has (2) wires labeled as "Data Lines". Does anyone know specifically what these are for?

 

[DaleNixon]

There's that one headunit that looks almost factory and retains the display's functionality. It even shows sources like DVD etc.

http://www.caradvanced.com/products...een-with-GPS,-DVD-player,-bluetooh,-Ipod.html

I wish my pioneer did that.

 

[Wildbill]

It would be really cool if we could make it say something other than hello when you turn the car on.(stooges)

 

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

I'm going to start looking into this in my spare time. My roommate was an electrical engineer in college and I think him and I could possibly figure out how the system works.

I've started by getting a wiring diagram for the stock HU which I noticed has (2) wires labeled as "Data Lines". Does anyone know specifically what these are for?

The data lines are exactly what they sound like. The problem is that they carry the signals from the steering wheel controls as well as from the buttons on the head unit, so it isn`t just a matter of grounding it or putting a high voltage to it (not just a switch). Testing it would require setting up an oscilloscope in the car to see what signal goes across the line when you press what button then create a circuit to duplicate the pulse.

 

[Northstar CX7]

where did they mount your GPS receiver and mic?