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Fitting a Buick Riviera instrument cluster in a Fiero (finally?) with OBDII by Chris Eddy
Started on: 05-16-2016 07:39 AM
Replies: 16 (1032 views)
Last post by: Chris Eddy on 07-23-2020 09:45 PM
Chris Eddy
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Report this Post05-16-2016 07:39 AM Click Here to See the Profile for Chris EddySend a Private Message to Chris EddyEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
[img][img]Greetings from a Noob, I just signed on to the forum.
I bought a rough Fiero in Feb, and have been getting it (a) road safe and (b) legal.
I noticed in my research that a few folks had had great aspirations to put a Buick Riviera (1990) instrument panel in a Fiero. So I thought, why not. It is the sort of challenge I like. So I bought a cluster and BCM from a 1990 Riviera. It took me 4 sets of schematics (shew) to get ones that covered the BCM I had, but alas, I connected the two up on the bench and persuaded them to talk to each other. I connected an embedded processor to the 8192 comms, and captured the messages. I pulled them into my software, figured out the checksum, and did get my processor to talk to the instrument panel. I am plodding though bit by bit changes to discover what parts of which messages control which objects on the panel.
You can see the current progress at youtube, https://youtu.be/n0Kuv5vYFUo
So my plan..
I want to make a box with an embedded controller that marries the Fiero's 160bps data to the Riviera's commands. I will have to process the speedometer and tachometer signals, as the Fiero IPC processed that. And while we are at it, I am going to add OBDII to the box. That way I can use a modern reader to troubleshoot the car.
Maybe a good idea for the community would be to release a project just to marry OBDII to the Fiero ECM, as most folks will not want to do the instrument panel swap, but may want OBDII.
Are some of the folks that wanted to do the Riviera retrofit still lurking around here?[/img][/img]
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Dennis LaGrua
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Report this Post05-16-2016 10:34 AM Click Here to See the Profile for Dennis LaGruaSend a Private Message to Dennis LaGruaEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
This is a very interesting post. Deciphering the code that operates the Riviera digital dash is a nice achievement and if you program an embedded controller to do an analog to digital conversion, I have no doubts that you will make it work.
That dash panel looks very large though. It certainly appears that there is little room to fit it in the Fiero speedometer console area. How do you intend to install it and will it fit?

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Chris Eddy
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Report this Post05-16-2016 12:17 PM Click Here to See the Profile for Chris EddySend a Private Message to Chris EddyEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
So there was this post some time ago on this forum..
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/A...0314-1-058885-4.html
Look about half way down the posting. Wicked86 shows this instrument cluster. I seem to recall another post where he plops the cluster in place of the Fiero cluster, and took a pic. And it fits nice and dandy.. but I cannot find that post. It is not as big as it looks.. the overall dimensions are 12" wide by 7.5" tall. Hopefully Wicked86 is still on this list, and chimes in!
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Synthesis
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Report this Post05-16-2016 05:39 PM Click Here to See the Profile for SynthesisSend a Private Message to SynthesisEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
I'd be VERY interested in this cluster setup in my stock ECM 86 GT.

I'm also considering moving to the 7730 ECM down the road. I assume that this cluster would work with the 7730 as it has a faster baud?
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Chris Eddy
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Report this Post05-16-2016 05:44 PM Click Here to See the Profile for Chris EddySend a Private Message to Chris EddyEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
It is possible that I can detect auto-baud rate. It would be nice to have it do just 160, for ease of install.. but if there are ECM's out there, that would be the 87-88 manual 4cyl, that are 8192, maybe I can do both.. the issue is getting my hands on (for days or even weeks) every example of ECM. I was hoping that the 160 data is the same across them all. I have another thread running right now on this very question.
I am hoping that the old hands will check in to let me know what the variations are.
The 7730.. did that come in any Fiero, or is it strictly swap fodder?
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Report this Post05-16-2016 05:54 PM Click Here to See the Profile for PatrickSend a Private Message to PatrickEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
 
quote
Originally posted by Chris Eddy:

You can see the current progress at youtube...




OMG... what a geek!

Looks really interesting. Good luck with this!
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Synthesis
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Report this Post05-17-2016 09:34 AM Click Here to See the Profile for SynthesisSend a Private Message to SynthesisEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
 
quote
Originally posted by Chris Eddy:


The 7730.. did that come in any Fiero, or is it strictly swap fodder?


Swaps only. It's a much faster unit both in processing and in baud rate.
It runs at 8192 Baud.
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Chris Eddy
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Report this Post05-17-2016 03:01 PM Click Here to See the Profile for Chris EddySend a Private Message to Chris EddyEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
Yes, I see that folks seem to like the 7730 on the 3.8L.
It appears that my 87-88 4 cyl manual is unique in that the 1227748 is 8192 bps with different messages. So I will solve this one example to complete the project. Sorry 160 bps!
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Report this Post01-22-2018 09:09 AM Click Here to See the Profile for CajunSend a Private Message to CajunEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
What ever became of this project? Any further progress?
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Chris Eddy
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Report this Post01-22-2018 09:25 AM Click Here to See the Profile for Chris EddySend a Private Message to Chris EddyEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
Yes, I have the PC board built, and software written.. have been working on getting it to run on the board.
Analog inputs (batt, fuel, coolant) circuit did not work, will not until revision.
Getting closer!
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Report this Post01-24-2018 08:32 AM Click Here to See the Profile for CajunSend a Private Message to CajunEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
Thanks for the feedback.
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Report this Post01-24-2018 04:37 PM Click Here to See the Profile for unboundmoSend a Private Message to unboundmoEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
I remember( rickady88gt )'s ride.. I think it was a 3.5L but a Malibu instrument cluster?... I saw it at westfest back 12 or so years ago

[This message has been edited by unboundmo (edited 01-24-2018).]

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Reallybig
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Report this Post01-25-2018 10:55 AM Click Here to See the Profile for ReallybigSend a Private Message to ReallybigEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
I am in line waiting for this product!!!!
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Chris Eddy
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Report this Post05-14-2019 03:22 PM Click Here to See the Profile for Chris EddySend a Private Message to Chris EddyEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
I know.. 3 long years..
I have the device working. I made a module to convert fiero wiring into Riviera instrument panel serial data.. call it the Fiero BCM.
It is all working on the bench. A few of the fellows on the forum have shown interest in the next step, that of fitting and wiring it into a car.
I am linking here a video, and a PDF..
The PDF is a wiring diagram of how the BCM and Riviera IPC would wire into a Fiero.
Working..
Speedo, tach, fuel level, coolant temp, oil pressure, door ajar, high beam, turn signals, fasten belts(?) brakes on, SES.
Done but not tested are:
light dimming.. a function of the Riviera panel. The transistor will be removed from the Fiero to allow this to work. Speedo and tach not yet tried on a car.
Not implemented yet:
Receiving data from the ECM, and no software yet for the OBDII port.
https://youtu.be/orMCmOmQZKA
https://d.pr/free/f/KroDg5
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Report this Post05-14-2019 06:31 PM Click Here to See the Profile for pmbrunelleSend a Private Message to pmbrunelleEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
FYI, mixing tin and gold contacts is not recommended.

Stick with gold-on-gold or tin-on-tin.

What kind of enclosure will the board go into / where should said enclosure be installed?
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Report this Post05-15-2019 06:38 AM Click Here to See the Profile for CajunSend a Private Message to CajunEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
Thank you for sharing...
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Chris Eddy
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Report this Post07-23-2020 09:45 PM Click Here to See the Profile for Chris EddySend a Private Message to Chris EddyEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
An update on this project..
I have the circuit board fully operating and programmed.
Cajun has been working on mechanical fitment on his end, and is getting close.
The final solution includes some stuff that Cajun needed.. cruise, resume, and some other stuff.
The speedo and tach are working, and there is an odometer. The trip odo does not work.
There are three buttons on the circuit board to set the odometer and tach cylinders, and it stores that in non volatile memory.
There is no software yet for ALDL or OBDII.
So far so good, we will get some pictures taken next.
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