Gday all!

I just wondering if anyone has properly and sucessfully been able to install a clock type centre warning display into a TJ series 2? The reason being, is because my TJ didn't come with the clock version, instead the factory head unit was designated to show the time, but since the original owners removed it, I have no clock. So on friday I took a trip down to jolly's and pulled out and a bought clock type display unit for around $13.

Now when I looked at the connection cables, I found that my non-clock display had only 5 cables connected to it versus 20 for the clock version. Now I'm guessing most of the cables were for the other function that previous TJ's/TE's didn't have in the instrument cluster like in mine. I've found and downloaded the service manual and wiring diagrams for the TJ magna's .

Is the 5 cables enough to run the clock and the warning lights in the display? Or will I need to run off a cable that has power already running through it (i.e. radio power)? How do I go about changing it? Can it be done or have I wasted $13?

THanks all!

Ive got 1 comin in the mail for the same job.

If no-one else answers ya I'll put up something when I do the mod to mine. :happy:

Thanks ol' fart! I've got the service manual and the software to install it, so I've just got to try and find which cable is what and whether it can work without the other information being feed (i.e. Trip, avg fuel etc)

What is the part number on the "Clock" you bought?

The 5 wire plug for your centre-display (the non-clock one that was in your car) only runs the warning lights.

You may need a trip back to Jolly's to get the multi-wire plug and at least some length of loom to suit the unit you bought. The PDF files in "Workshop Manual" thread will give you the info about which wires are for warning lights and which are for clock - the remaining dozen or so will be for the trip computer which is almost certainly in the centre display panel you have bought.

With a fair bit of head-scratching, you will probably work out which wires you need to activate the warning lights and clock, and which you can ignore if you want to keep trip-display in the dash cluster. You may need to compare wiring diagrams for your TJ (II) and the wiring diagram for the car you got the display with clock out of (another reason you may need a trip to Jolly's - check the compliance plate and see what series/model you got the part from).

I also have a TJ (II) and have a non-clock Centre-display - my project will be to clone the trip computer display out of the dash cluster into the centre-display - I much prefer the larger and higher trip read-out...... I think it is safer up high near line-of-sight.

Don't suppose Jolly's is crawling with clock displays, and you could grab another one?

But definately get the connecting plug to suit your display and at least some wiring tails - that'll make the project so much more achieveable!!

If the clock is from a TL, then you can use a TF plug and adapt the wires to it I believe,

Also, from a point of the adjustment switches, it would be a great idea to match the wiring diagrams of the TL magnas, (located in your service manual) as they have the clock in the message display and the trip computer in the clusters.

This is important as the Clock is adjusted when the key is the in the ACC position using the speed alert buttons.

Also, I would grab a TF speed alert display as well. This is because the panel with all the warning lights printed into it, can be used with a TL Clock version (which has none of the lights).

Good Luck.
Mike

i have a TH advance with the tripcomputer, how hard is it to change it up to the clock + trip computer display?

i have a TH advance with the tripcomputer, how hard is it to change it up to the clock + trip computer display?

Piece of cake. I did to my magna back in 2001, also mikes just done it recently as well

Piece of cake. I did to my magna back in 2001, also mikes just done it recently as well
what do you require to do this?

What is the part number on the "Clock" you bought?



The 5 wire plug for your centre-display (the non-clock one that was in your car) only runs the warning lights.

You may need a trip back to Jolly's to get the multi-wire plug and at least some length of loom to suit the unit you bought. The PDF files in "Workshop Manual" thread will give you the info about which wires are for warning lights and which are for clock - the remaining dozen or so will be for the trip computer which is almost certainly in the centre display panel you have bought.

....

But definately get the connecting plug to suit your display and at least some wiring tails - that'll make the project so much more achieveable!!

After I realised the differences in the plug, I found another 3rd magna that had all the looms open and bare (dash was completely guttered) and cut the plug and a good amount of wire off as well. So I just need to figure out how which cables from the main loom (going to the dash) is power, and how to get to it.



check the compliance plate and see what series/model you got the part from).


Well I think it was a TF infact. I remember the 3 Tj's that jolly's had didn't have clock type ones or none at all, so I went searching for other magna's. There were different clock type ones too (one was really long - like 15cm long). Do the compliance plates differ much between the TF's?



I also have a TJ (II) and have a non-clock Centre-display - my project will be to clone the trip computer display out of the dash cluster into the centre-display - I much prefer the larger and higher trip read-out...... I think it is safer up high near line-of-sight.


I wouldn't mind doing this as well if I don't loose or stuff the one already in my instrument cluster. It'd probably involve taking out the instrument cluster. If I take it out - will I need to recalibrate the needles or will I loose how many k's are in the display already (its digital)?



Don't suppose Jolly's is crawling with clock displays, and you could grab another one?


Mate they're flooded with them, there are at least 5-8 centre warning display's for TE/TF's. There was even one for a Tj with low fuel warning light but it was really large (like 15 cm long - wtf?).

I probably could grab one but by the time you pay for postage it'll probably be as much as buying from your local wrecker anyway. Remember you need to pay $5 extra for warranty. I'm happy to grab anouther one, but I wouldn't be able to do it for a few days as need to make time to actually go down there and remove it (need an hour or two).

I might go back tomorrow infact to get some more wiring loom - doesn't hurt to have extra ;)

Dash Cluster: Removing the gauges from the binnacle does not affect the odometer etc.
Take a couple of screws out of the bezel - they screw UP into the underside of dash, then remove the bezel (plastic surround) from around the gauge cluster..... drop steering wheel to lowest setting, and take care doing this removal (or refit) - I have snapped one of my bezels.

There are screws at either end of gauges, undo those and the gauges just lift out. The cluster connects to the loom with two multi-contact connectors, but it just pulls away with no need to unclip. Its likely the rear of your guages will be a smooth plastic cover, and that your cluster is lit with surface-mount LEDs -- - older models had twist-in bulb holders for cluster illumination and warning lights etc.

Wiring: You may have access to some of the dash loom with the gauges removed - off to the left of the "hole" where the cluster sits. If I ever get around to "cloning" my trip-display, that's where I hope to patch into the bulk of wires going to the cluster.

The advice above about TF connectors etc sounds good. If you only want to activate the clock function and keep the trip display in the cluster, it should only be a handful of wires, plus re-routing/connecting your warning light wires to corresponding pins of the "new" centre display unit.

No worries about the clock unit, I may get to Melb next month, and might make a pilgrimage to Jollys if time permits.

OK. I have done this mod in my TJ II. It was a nightmare to sort out but i am happy with it. You will need, as MCS said, a centre unit from a TL. You then need the "black light panel" from a TF speed alart as this has the oil light and battery light symbols in it. I cant remember which wiring loom i got to pplug in to it but i play\ed with a few over the MONTHS that it took me to get this right. From the TJ II centre display, i did away with the seat belt light. From the wreckers i got two globe holders with wire attached that were the right size to fit in to the rear of the display unit to light up the battery light and oil light. I then wired these in to the existing TJ II loom. The orange wire from memory was the oil light and i am not sure of the battery wire colour. Then changed the blacklight panel from the TF to the TL display. After playing with the loom wires now out of the back of the TL display unit, i figured which ones were power, acc,earth and lights (for dimming at night). The next headache was the adjusting buttons. They work off an earth when the switch is pushed so i got 2 very small momentary switches and connected one side to earth and the other side to the minute adjustment wire and the other one to the hour adjustment wire. I then mounted these in the glovebox. The clock works a treat. The adjusting buttons are not ideal in the glovebox but you rarely have to adjust the time anyway. If i can be of assistance, give me a yell. Otherwise. G O O D L U C K

OK. I have done this mod in my TJ II. It was a nightmare to sort out but i am happy with it. You will need, as MCS said, a centre unit from a TL. You then need the "black light panel" from a TF speed alart as this has the oil light and battery light symbols in it. I cant remember which wiring loom i got to pplug in to it but i play\ed with a few over the MONTHS that it took me to get this right. From the TJ II centre display, i did away with the seat belt light. From the wreckers i got two globe holders with wire attached that were the right size to fit in to the rear of the display unit to light up the battery light and oil light. I then wired these in to the existing TJ II loom. The orange wire from memory was the oil light and i am not sure of the battery wire colour. Then changed the blacklight panel from the TF to the TL display. After playing with the loom wires now out of the back of the TL display unit, i figured which ones were power, acc,earth and lights (for dimming at night). The next headache was the adjusting buttons. They work off an earth when the switch is pushed so i got 2 very small momentary switches and connected one side to earth and the other side to the minute adjustment wire and the other one to the hour adjustment wire. I then mounted these in the glovebox. The clock works a treat. The adjusting buttons are not ideal in the glovebox but you rarely have to adjust the time anyway. If i can be of assistance, give me a yell. Otherwise. G O O D L U C K

Thanks alot for the huge post there mate. Very helpful indeed. I discovered that I basically paid $18 for a TE speed alert, so I'm heading back tomorrow to see if I can track down a clock version off a Verada or something. Otherwise I might need to follow you're way of installing it.

I would've thought I just need the identify what my 5 cables are for, and then connect to the matching cable on the 20-pin plug - isn't that all I need to do?

Thank you for your offer TeeJay but I don't waste too much of your time, so I will try as hard as I can to do it my own before I annoy someone else.

No it is not just a matter of connecting the 5 wires to the 5 wires. The wires behind the original centre display are ONLY for the lights as there is nothing else in there. You have to locate all the other wires and connect them. It is not as hard as it sounds but can be time consuming. I did all of mine on the bench with a 12 volt power adapter before putting it in the car. Give me a yell if i can help you. Same goes for you Ol Fart

TheKovac,

If you just hook up your 5 wires, you will not have the clock activated, just the warning lights you already had (assuming of course, the replacement display has those warning lights present).... as stated above, different models/years had different combo's of warning lights in that panel.

The OEM way to adjust clock was to use the speed alert buttons with the car not running and the ign key in a particular position, but at least MCSXI has worked out what made it adjust and done a work-around - this might be very useful info for my plans!

If you find a "clock" unit, be sure to get the corresponding plug and at least some wiring tails - more of the loom towards cluster if you can get it..... and note whta year/series/model the unit comes from. You'll need to know the "donor" so you can find the proper wiring diagram in the Workshop Manual and decode your wiring colours, both for warning lights but also for the clock.

Just remembered something about losing fuel guage by swapping stuff..... best search old threads, am pretty sure someone in SA (possibly JasonsVRX) posted a thread where a swap/cut of wire at centre display brought back the fuel guage - was either a centre-display-swap project or a cluster-swap project.....

I completed this mod to my Series 2 VRX about 6 months ago - I was sick of looking at the blank panel that is the trip computer in my MY02.

One piece of advice after doing this mod. When looking through the wiring diagrams, DO NOT connect the clock to the dedicated fuse wire. The clock from memory will need - constant voltage wire (for clock memory), IGN + ACC, there are two ground wires and the hour and minutes adjustment wires. If you want the warning lights there are two (or three) more wires.

Now - The unit you ultimately want, is one from a Series 2 Verada - this will have the clock and the three warning lights (battery, oil and seat belt).

If you can't get the above unit, a clock only (not speed alert ;)) unit from a KE/KF/KL/KW Verada or TL/TW Magna is your next best option.

If you want a clock + trip computer unit, I have a spare one - just let me know.

Cheers.

P.S: Will get a pic of my mod soon.

how much for the clock/trippy thing..?? i take it this is out of a KH or similar Verada....

There are two different models of the Clock/Trip meter.

They both look and function the same, but are wired differently. Both can be re-wired to work in any Magna/Verada with a bit of work.

Of the two models, one was used in KH and early KJ (Series 1) Veradas and the other was designed to be plug and play with TJ's - This unit was found in some late 01 Sports/VRXs and all limited edition TJ VRXs.

The unit I have spare is from a KH Verada. If you follow the guide (from JasonsVRX, I think) - you can rewire this unit to work 100% with your TJ. The unit without being re-wired will plug in and function OK, clock, etc - but you will loose your fuel gauge (in your cluster) and the Range to Empty will not function until it is re-wired.

I had planned to put this unit in my TJ MY02 by re-wiring it, but was lucky enough to score a unit from a TJ Sports - that was plug and play!

PM me if you are interested.

Cheers.

There are two different models of the Clock/Trip meter.

They both look and function the same, but are wired differently. Both can be re-wired to work in any Magna/Verada with a bit of work.

Of the two models, one was used in KH and early KJ (Series 1) Veradas and the other was designed to be plug and play with TJ's - This unit was found in some late 01 Sports/VRXs and all limited edition TJ VRXs.
The unit I have spare is from a KH Verada. If you follow the guide (from JasonsVRX, I think) - you can rewire this unit to work 100% with your TJ. The unit without being re-wired will plug in and function OK, clock, etc - but you will loose your fuel gauge (in your cluster) and the Range to Empty will not function until it is re-wired.

I had planned to put this unit in my TJ MY02 by re-wiring it, but was lucky enough to score a unit from a TJ Sports - that was plug and play!

PM me if you are interested.

Cheers.

Yep the unit i used in my TH magna was a KJ verada one, Part Number MR908656

Just to bring back an old thread with a new problem, I have a TJ2 with the electronic instruments (trip computer in them) and a centre message display with just 3 warning lights.

I have installed a TL clock (modded with a TF warning lights strip so the lights will function).

All works very well. Warning lights are fine, clock is powering up fine. The wiring diagrams show the speed alert button buttons going direct to the instruments. Then 3 wires go from the instruments to the TL clock. I have wired this up as per the diagrams.
While I have wired it up to the diagrams, the clock will not adjust!

If someone has one, can they post a pic of the plugs behind the TL instruments. Or even better, If anyone knows how to make it all function as per factory, please let me know.

Mike