CRXB16T

Here is the writeup by popular demand

This is a writeup on how to install a Heads Up Display (HUD) into an EF.

First, scour your local junkyards for mid-90s junked Pontiac Bonnevilles. Look for SSE or SSEi models. If you can find a newer style HUD out of a later Bonneville or GP, your lucky. They have motorized mirrors to adjust the image, instead of the cable actuated older style which this write up deals with. (there similar though, and will work sans radio function) Remember, your dealing with a Pontiac interior, so most of the trim panels you simply pull to release the clips. Remove the panel around the HUD and defroster grilles and the panel around the controls for the HUD by the steering wheel. Unscrew the two torx screws holding the controls to the dash, and clip the wires going to the plug, leaving enough room for you to splice into later on. Disconnect the mechanical adjustment cable by pulling it free starting with the base. it will unclip. Next, remove the 4 torx screws holding the HUD unit to the top of the dash. These are angled so you actually can get a screwdriver in there without too much trouble. The HUD will lift out giving you (limited) access to the connector on the front. Cut the wires for this as close to the main harness bundle as you can, giving you more room to work once it's in your car.

Now you will need the appropriate wiring diagram for your instrument cluster. The wires to concetrate on are:
+12v power to gauges
Gauges ground
High beam indicator
Left and Right turn indicators
+12v Gauges Illumination
Gauges Illumination dimming
and if your lucky enough to have a working low fuel light on your EDM cluster, the wire for that too.

Once you remove your cluster, look at the back by where the speedometer cable goes in. You will notice two screws under where the cable connects, that are terminals on the printed circut. On mine, I had a wire coming from one of these terminals, likely for the seatbelt control system in USDM cars. THose handier with electronics will also notice a diode symbol inline with the trace to the harness conector from that terminal. The one that goes to the diode is the one you want. (on mine, it was the one closer to the center of the cluster) If you get it wrong, the speed will just remain at 0 until you fix it. I would recommend using a diode, just to be sure everything connected to the VSS gets along well. You MIGHT be able to get along with out it, but I didn't test this. Have the end of the diode with the silver band go towards that screw terminal on the cluster. Use a ring terminal to connect it. Then solder a lead of the other end of the diode and heatshrink or tape the whole deal. This is your VSS lead.

Now for the connections. I will refer to the pin numbers found on the HUD connector, as wiring colors may have changed for some years/models.
Pin 1- <empty>
Pin 2- Connect to Gray wire on controls, and to +12v Gauges Illumination
Pin 3- Connect to White wire on controls
Pin 4- <when +12v applied, Low Fuel indicator>
Pin 5- Connect to Left Turn signal indicator
Pin 6- <when +12v applied, "Check Gauges" indicator>
Pin 7- Connect to Light Blue wire on controls
Pin 8- Connect to VSS pigtail mentioned above
Pin 9- Connect to High beam indicator
Pin 10- Connect to Right Turn indicator
Pin 11- Connect to Pink/Black wire on controls, and to +12v Gauge power feed
Pin 12- Connect to Black/White wire on controls, and to Gauges ground
--------
(Couldnt find pin markings on control plug, so I'll hope wire colors stayed constant.)

In order, from one end to another...

Pink/Black- +12v Gauges power, and Pin 11 of HUD. (Or any switched +12v that is convenient)
Gray- +12v Gauges illumination, and Pin 2 on HUD
White- Pin 3 on HUD
Black- Gauges Illumination dimming
Black/White- Gauges ground, and Pin 12 on HUD (or any convenient ground)
Light Blue- Pin 7 on HUD

Once all these connections are made, Reassemble and test out the functions of the HUD. If it all works, time to mount. You can cut the cluster bezel, and fab up some mounts with that. Just be sure to check where the display is projecting and that you can still aim it where you want it with the adjustments. I'm making a bezel from fiberglass as prevously mentioned, so I can't help as much here.

Here are some pictures

Heads Up Display Controls

HUD projector

Wiring everything up

Heads Up Display in action

And the final shot to verify its not a chopped photo.

manson

91_CRX

Can you get some clearer pics please? Hard to tell whats going on.

CRXB16T

Yeah after I got home from work.

YumVTEC

holy chit! my friend just put the Defi HUD in his DA and I was so jealous, now I'm going to try this and see how it works in my EF.

Question: did you have to use the reflective film material stuff on the windshield to make it work?

user 72830283

badass nice writeup..

TrackSpeedRacing

looks good man

fernruffryders

ok time to be a nub, what exactly is a hud, u do a great job explaining what to do, but never describe what its used for, id appreciate it. tnx.
from your daily nubs.

Smokinsax

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pr3d &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">badass </TD></TR></TABLE>

teler86

clearer pics would be nice, how much did the mod cost you total

EFB16ACRX

i dont see a tach up there!

CRXB16T

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fernruffryders &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ok time to be a nub, what exactly is a hud, u do a great job explaining what to do, but never describe what its used for, id appreciate it. tnx.
from your daily nubs.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

HUD is short for Heads Up Display it is a vacuum fluorescent display that uses mirrors to project digital speed output, turn signal, high beam, check gauges, and low fuel indicators onto the windshield. It's useful because you can keep your eyes on the road and still know what your speed is.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EFB16ACRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i dont see a tach up there!</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yeah I know wish there was.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by teler86 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">clearer pics would be nice, how much did the mod cost you total</TD></TR></TABLE>
I went to the junkyard and picked up a set of ef door handles without keyholes, a clock out of prelude, and an ignition switch all for $10

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by YumVTEC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Question: did you have to use the reflective film material stuff on the windshield to make it work?</TD></TR></TABLE>

No reflective film needed works just fine without it, however in heavy glare situations it tends to wash out so reflective film can't hurt in that case.

CRXBart

Sweet nice writeup.

CRXB16T

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by teler86 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">clearer pics would be nice</TD></TR></TABLE>

These are as clear as I can get it.

These pictures make the double image very apparent, but while driving its not so noticable. Reflective film would probably solve this problem.





A shot with my fiberglassed console. still trimming it to fit then im gonna go over top of the HUD Projector to make it more integrated. Then smooth out the bezel and paint it. As you can see it is held down by packing tape until I can get the bezel finished


Point of view shot. It just slightly pokes up over the steering wheel blocking view of my windshield wiper. So its does not reduce visibility.


This is the HUD doing a bulb check. This shows you all the indicators.

CRX Toad

Dude your fiberglass work sucks. Of course mine would look like a big piece of poop. Props on this project. Are you going to move your switch somewhere else or mold it in?

TurboASR

Good shiet... You could probaly also use ones off of the 240's

CRXBart

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRX Toad &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Dude your fiberglass work sucks. Of course mine would look like a big piece of poop. Props on this project. Are you going to move your switch somewhere else or mold it in?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Todd you are just the fiberglass master aren't you? I called Brian and told him about this a few days ago. He was sooo pissed someone did it first, so guess what his next mod is? LOL.

If I was doing it, I would just mod the cluster hood, and then mold the hud into it. You can get those hoods at junkyards for like free you know? I just though of something though......HUD that goes to 199, means no more tranny calculator guesswork non-sense on topspeed runs.......Oh to the junkyard I go.

CRXB16T

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRX Toad &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Dude your fiberglass work sucks. Of course mine would look like a big piece of poop. Props on this project. Are you going to move your switch somewhere else or mold it in?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah I know I'm going to extend the wires and try and relocate it somewhere else. Not sure where, maybe under the dash. I'm limited to where I can put it because of the height adjustment cable.

Got any fiberglassing tips on getting that sucker smooth it needs alot of sanding. I had an 80 grit sanding wheel on a drill and it barely makes a dent on the fiberglass. I might just wrap in black vinyl if I can't smooth it.

DaveSmed

Anyone else try this yet? I'm pretty sure you could get away without the diode mentioned in the writeup with no ill effects.

This will also probably work on different bodystyles, because I believe thier VSS output is 4 pulses per revolution just like the EF's speed pulser. (also why the EF ECUs don't have a conniption when you change to the electronic VSS)


Oh, and Nice writeup ( )

ButterBall

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRXB16T &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Got any fiberglassing tips on getting that sucker smooth it needs alot of sanding. I had an 80 grit sanding wheel on a drill and it barely makes a dent on the fiberglass. I might just wrap in black vinyl if I can't smooth it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Here's a thread on mp3car.com about fabricating lcd monitor surrounds using fiberglass.

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulleti...29450

Long story short, he made an in dash lcd frame using fiberglass reinforced bondo, then used light weight bondo to make it more smooth and visually appealing. That thread is in a carputer fabrication forum. There are all kinds of threads about fiberglassing tips in there.

nice project

zccr-xsi

[QUOTE=CRXB16T]

These are as clear as I can get it.

These pictures make the double image very apparent, but while driving its not so noticable. Reflective film would probably solve this problem.



is that the thing like the vette has where it glows the speedo on the windsheld?

DaveSmed

That would be it. It's probably the same unit, but this one was in a Pontiac. (cool orange-y controls. )

zccr-xsi

i wish i had that in my car.

lmananT

i wish i didnt care about my car too

OneBadTurboCRV

I wish idiots wouldn't bump Threads to make pointless - worthless - useless statements...

What is your technical question?