Cadillac 12" Full Digital Cluster...You guessed it, in a 12 Regal GS

[pwntbywombat]

holy shit that's a lot of projects going at one time!! Great job and initiative to go places with the car many would be afraid to start. You did to your interior the equivalent of what Kranz did to the motor. Unbelievable things. What do you do for a living because you're really good with electronics and wiring?

I work IT. Recently running the department.

I'm enjoying this build & nice choice on the PS8.

*If you still have the door panels off*, can I suggest taking some of the RattleTrap scraps you have leftover and wedging little pieces in the small gap between the door card and the switch assemblies (window switches especially).

If you've got any closed cell foam laying around, make something like these joints---> Fast Rings

Is it weird that I want to check out your laboratory and go through your tools?

I need to get more foam. But I used plenty of it insulating the rear deck. I also added quite a lot of foam to my driver seat (both bottom and rear) to add more cushion and lower back support. MADE A WORLD of difference.

...and no, my friends think my "laboratory" is out of control. Only cause they super jelly.

Did I miss the updated cluster install pics?

No. Havent fabbed the enclosure for it yet.

 

[nizerims]

Let me know when you figure out a way to control the output of the stock alternator.. I'm seriously considering installing an aftermarket alternator and living with the battery warning light and warning messages on the dash every time I start the car.

 

[pwntbywombat]

Let me know when you figure out a way to control the output of the stock alternator.. I'm seriously considering installing an aftermarket alternator and living with the battery warning light and warning messages on the dash every time I start the car.

How do you mean...?

 

[nizerims]

Driving down the road the car reads the current draw and tells the alternator when and how much to charge.

I stay around 12.5- 12.9 volts with the radio down and no accessories on. I can force it to charge at 14.2- 14.7 by turning the hvac fan to full blast and turning on the headlamps or heated seats. The fan blowing at full tilt is really cutting into my sound quality.

Before the days of ECU controlled alternators you could get a voltage control module and tell the alternator to keep the battery at whatever voltage you wanted.

Sitting in the driveway at idle is a whole 'nother monster. The rpm's aren't high enough to keep a decent charge... I installed a battery isolator and a second AGM battery because I was dropping to like 11 volts with the lightest bass drop (class D amps). Showing my setup to friends or playing test tones and adjusting dsp settings is close to impossible without each battery hooked to a smart charger or the AC on.... I can deal with that, but I'd like to drive around and listen to music without the fan mudding up the vocals and midbass.

Just figured you may run into this issue and find a solution that doesn't involve a new alternator and warning chimes. The charging system is the weak link in my setup.

 

[pwntbywombat]

The alt voltage is a function of the BCM, I found it in there when I swapped to a 2015 BCM for the IO6 swap. I will probably end up building a circuit with an arduino to vary the voltage output of the alt if I need it. It shouldnt be hard.

>arduino+canbus shield
>open GDS2
>send load request (high voltage)
>capture frame with arduino
>send the no load request (low voltage)
>capture frame

Then all you need is some simple logic in the arduino or hell even just a switch on your dash tied to the GPIO on it.
Switch = ON >>> high voltage
Switch = OFF >>> NO MESSAGE SENT (IE whatever the BCM actually wants)

 

[nizerims]

I might look into that if my current project is unsuccessful.

I started a negative run from the front to the back battery through the battery current sensor.

 

[pwntbywombat]

I might look into that if my current project is unsuccessful.

I started a negative run from the front to the back battery through the battery current sensor.

I've played with GDS enough to know that you can have the BCM command more alt voltage with the push of a button. Totally doable. Speaking of weird electrical shit; When I'm at a stop my speed will occasionally bump to 1mph. Then to 0. Then 1. Repeat. Only sometimes. Never consistent. It's impossible to google that problem too. It did it with my original cluster, the 2014, and even the Cadillac one. So it isn't the cluster. It isn't the BCM either. I have tried three different ones (glad I can program them myself 😛 ). Any suggestions?

 

[nizerims]

.....command more alt voltage with the push of a button. Totally doable.

I would love that button. Flip a switch get 14.5. Gonna need a quick walk through if you end up doing this.

I've seen 15.2 - 15.4 volts at highway speed a few times a year when the car decides to try desulfating the battery for almost my entire drive to work.

Speaking of weird electrical shit; When I'm at a stop my speed will occasionally bump to 1mph. Then to 0. Then 1. Repeat. Any suggestions?

Do you keep something permanently plugged into the OBD-II port?
Does it only happen on the digital MPG screen, or did it also happen to the speed needle on your 2012 GS cluster?



I had a 2012 and it did the 1-0-1 thing occasionally, but only after like a year of owning it. During that year I was constantly plugging and unplugging things into the OBD. PC-Bluetooth adapter-PC-, over and over and over. I noticed it after a while only on startup when the OBDLink MX was plugged in. Never noticed it at stoplights or in traffic... I wanted to, but couldn't solely blame the Bluetooth adapter because I did tap into a few wires on the back of the OBD and gave the connector a solid beating. Too many variables to pinpoint why this started happening. (only remember seeing it on the DIC)

I keep an OBD splitter plugged in on my 2014. If it starts getting loose or beat up I can replace it. One side running to my P3 gauge the other is for service/PC/Bluetooth. Never noticed it until I started using the splitter and had the P3 always plugged in... Again only happens after starting the vehicle. Never noticed it in traffic and I have yet to tap into any OBD wires.

*brainstorming*
Both vehicles have been modified, but I only see the 1-0-1 on startup... Any chance this is a bug and it has to do with acquiring GPS signal? The car is connecting to multiple satellites at the same time. Even though the wheels aren't moving the coordinates from each satellite jump can be off by like 20 feet depending on obstructions and the current atmosphere... The car thinks it's moving and the GPS speed leaks through to the DIC...

Just a thought.

 

[pwntbywombat]

I would love that button. Flip a switch get 14.5. Gonna need a quick walk through if you end up doing this.

I've seen 15.2 - 15.4 volts at highway speed a few times a year when the car decides to try desulfating the battery for almost my entire drive to work.




Do you keep something permanently plugged into the OBD-II port?
Does it only happen on the digital MPG screen, or did it also happen to the speed needle on your 2012 GS cluster?



I had a 2012 and it did the 1-0-1 thing occasionally, but only after like a year of owning it. During that year I was constantly plugging and unplugging things into the OBD. PC-Bluetooth adapter-PC-, over and over and over. I noticed it after a while only on startup when the OBDLink MX was plugged in. Never noticed it at stoplights or in traffic... I wanted to, but couldn't solely blame the Bluetooth adapter because I did tap into a few wires on the back of the OBD and gave the connector a solid beating. Too many variables to pinpoint why this started happening. (only remember seeing it on the DIC)

I keep an OBD splitter plugged in on my 2014. If it starts getting loose or beat up I can replace it. One side running to my P3 gauge the other is for service/PC/Bluetooth. Never noticed it until I started using the splitter and had the P3 always plugged in... Again only happens after starting the vehicle. Never noticed it in traffic and I have yet to tap into any OBD wires.

*brainstorming*
Both vehicles have been modified, but I only see the 1-0-1 on startup... Any chance this is a bug and it has to do with acquiring GPS signal? The car is connecting to multiple satellites at the same time. Even though the wheels aren't moving the coordinates from each satellite jump can be off by like 20 feet depending on obstructions and the current atmosphere... The car thinks it's moving and the GPS speed leaks through to the DIC...

Just a thought.

I regularly see 14v. Kinda scares me the voltage can get over 15...guess it's just a testament of how well the vreg on all these components are built. It wouldn't be hard to make something to send a pirated signal to the alt to trip it into HO mode.
Currently working on a board that takes the 2014+ resistor values for cruise from the steering wheel, and pumps out the 2012 values that the ECU is expecting. It's pretty much done prototyping and just needs to be shrunk and deved a bit more.

My 12 didn't have nav. It did this before I started tearing into it for the 2014 intellilink (io6) swap. It does have nav now via the HMI NG2.5 and I've also upgraded the on* to generation 10 with LTE Hotspot.
My original cluster, original BCM, 14+ cluster original BCM, 14 cluster replacement BCM, caddy cluster original BCM, caddy cluster 15 BCM. I don't keep something plugged into obd at all times.
I tuned the car years ago with HPTuners. Pulls like crazy (considering it's a fat ass car with a tiny 2.0) with all my bolt ons. Occasionally I'll log something or change minor things to correct for changing weather (fueling, boost %DC, idle, timing, etc), or if i am programming a module with my snapon passthrupro 3.

 

[pwntbywombat]

Finally started fabbing the cluster. Coming out pretty nice! Ass load of work though for sure!

Please excuse my mess 😛

Skeleton made with good old cyanoacrylate and perf board!

 

[pwntbywombat]

Getting ready for glassing!

Sanding time!

 

[pwntbywombat]

Bondo is a pain in the ass....but I'll be damned if it isn't starting to look like a cluster!

After sanding....FOR HOURS

 

[pwntbywombat]

Touching it up with some putty before a final sanding and paint!

 

[wungun]

You sick puppy 😉
A lot of work but it'll be worth it in the end.

 

[pwntbywombat]

You sick puppy 😉
A lot of work but it'll be worth it in the end.

It's looking pretty nice so far. After the first coat of paint, seen here, I sanded, wet sanded, and primered again. Gotta fill those pits and grooves somehow! But god damn is this thing looking good.

 

[wungun]

Find some high-build primer and lay down a few coats of that...

 

[pwntbywombat]

Find some high-build primer and lay down a few coats of that...

I use the Rustolium Self Etching Primer. It works the best out of all I found.

 

[wungun]

Yeah, the commercial off the shelf stuff in a can ain't the best...
If it isn't working out, check a local paint supplier and/or talk to the painter at a hotrod shop. I've used stuff that had incredible fill and build properties...if I could only remember the name.

 

[MikeC725]

I've worked on clusters for the last 6 years. Believe me, you don't want the inside surface, flat (you want some sort of "Grain" and you don't want it shiny (a flat paint works best). This will keep the reflections down. Looks good so far.

 

[pwntbywombat]

I've worked on clusters for the last 6 years. Believe me, you don't want the inside surface, flat (you want some sort of "Grain" and you don't want it shiny (a flat paint works best). This will keep the reflections down. Looks good so far.

Yep. No shiny here. It might look shiny in the pics but I went with satin black to match (as best I can) the dull, smooth, while at the same time slightly textured black of the factory Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene enclosure/bezel. In contrast to a semi gloss finish you'd find on most of the other panels in the car which are made out of Polypropylene. I knew glossy or any type of reflective finish would be a glare factory with the Polycarbonate cover glass. While at the same time a flat black will absorb more light than it reflects making the cluster look like it's in a tunnel sitting very far away from the drive. Hence my choice of satin with a 1000 grit wet sand as final finish.

Some pics of how it turned out before the final wet sand and enevitable assembly: