VX220 clocks

[Iain]

Whats the dealio with the VX220 clocks then? Easy to wire up with the original fuel level sender, rev counter wire from coil neg etc?

Are they the same as the Elise clocks or is that totally different?

[Iain]

Having done some reading on here it looks like the fuel gauge reads backwards and the speedo is the problem... I have a Nova SPI transducer somewhere so wonder if that would feed it the right speed signal.

[Iain]

Just noticed revcounter goes to 7k rpm so isn't that great, someone please delete thread lol

[Stuart]

There are elise clocks that goto 8
The main issue on the VX220 clocks is the temperature sender which doesnt conenct directly and needs some pissing about with. I believe the Elise ones dont need this

[Iain]

Ah that's interesting. I have a separate Stack oil temp, pressure and water temp gauge so I could live without the temp sender working on the dials.

Will look into the Elise ones as 8k sounds more useful.

[Stuart]

You will need to register, but try talking to this chap as he breaks Lotus'sssss like there is no tomorrow http://forums.seloc.org/member.php?action=viewpro&member=junks

[Pistol Pete]

Got these in mine. Speedo needed a transducer and a pulse converter. Rev counter on mine is abit juddery. Temp and fuel gauge couldn't get to work.

[Balley]

Got these in mine. Speedo needed a transducer and a pulse converter. Rev counter on mine is abit juddery. Temp and fuel gauge couldn't get to work.

Is it worth it then? seems a lot of effort if half the dash doesn't work.

[Stuart]

Its a cheap stack if you get a non turbo VX220 set...

[mowgli]

i'm mystified as to why the temp sender would not be compatible... is it some unique lotus one????

as for the fuel one, a simple potential divider circuit should suffice.

[Stuart]

No, the mk4 Astra had this funky thing too, the temp sensor goes into the ecu and the ecu then outputs a very non linear signal to the dash, maybe for rudimentary diagnostics etc but even so.

the lotus dash uses a 1:1 output from the ecu lol

[mowgli]

typical

[Southie]

Plenty to read on this regarding issues:
http://www.migweb.co.uk/forums/projects-restorations/373220-time-fit-vx220-dials.html#/forumsite/20932/topics/373220

[Stuart]

I've never managed to get to a mk4 Astra ecu with an oscilloscope to test the temp in vs temp out. I know some people chuck the mk4 ecu in with bare minimum wiring to get the temp to work.

[Pistol Pete]

^ whs.

This was an option, but to be honest alot of messing about for a temp gauge! Many days of keen driving and a few track days and no concerns!

[Pistol Pete]

Plenty to read on this regarding issues:
http://www.migweb.co.uk/forums/projects-restorations/373220-time-fit-vx220-dials.html#/forumsite/20932/topics/373220

Also quite a good guide closer to home...

http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showthread.php?164822-VX220-Dash-Guide

[Iain]

Nobody says how to successfully get the temp and fuel gauges working on that MIG link boo.

[Iain]

How is the fuel gauge displayed? Digitally? So if its empty it says 40L for example?

[Pistol Pete]

Fuel gauge and temp gauge you May get working if you were to run a mk4 ecu alongside. Seems abit of agro though. I run a fuel gauge from my old clocks. Temp gauge, I check my fan cuts in lol

[Iain]

Temp isnt an issue for me as I have decent stack gauges for that. What does the fuel gauge actually show then?

[Stuart]

If its a real vx220 stack, then it shows full, 32......6,refill. If its the fake stack from the lardy rubbish turbo then its just a bar graph

[Iain]

Cool and the lotus will be similar I guess.

[Stuart]

Yeah, iirc the lotus one does the bar graph

[Pistol Pete]

As stu said. Shows full 36 6 etc. Not 100% sure how you would get it to work tbh. I you do work it out let me know!!

[Iain]

As long as you can trll when it's empty and full that'll do tbh. I think I'll try and source some Elise 8k dials and follow your colour wiring guide :)

[Iain]

Having seen this the Lotus one is a number so it'll say 36 when empty? Is that what you mean?

http://images.pistonheads.com/nimg/23869/stack%20instruments-L.jpg

[Pistol Pete]

No. Mine said full after I installed them and the tank had a 5l Jerry can emptied in it!!

[Iain]

So there's no way of running it at 5-10 litres without completely guessing how much is in there, hmm OK.

[Edd]

come on hurry up and do a full on guide with everything working

[Iain]

Yeah Pete what you slacking off at lol

[Edd]

so temp gauge you deffo need a mk4 astra ecu installed? guessing they have a car ecu separate from engine then?

surely there is a way of making the fuel gauge work ?
cant you somehow use the vx/lotus sender?

[Iain]

I guess the fuel gauge issue depends on what you can install in the fuel tank on a Nova....

Another missing piece to the puzzle, Dom on MIG no longer makes the pulse convertors so not sure if the speedo would be accurate with one of those.

[Edd]

how come he's not doing the convertors anymore?

[Iain]

Nov 21 2014


Unfortunately I'm not building / selling any more stuff for the foreseeable future as I've started work full time and also have gone back to college so have no time to build / sell / support these units

[Edd]

Game over then

[meritlover]

from the parts manual, the Lotus Stack seems to use an ABS reluctor ring on the driveshaft as a speedo pick up. All you would have to do is find out how many teeth are on it and make your own driveshaft trigger. Probably find a corsa ABS drive shaft has the amount of teeth as the rover/toyota if youre lucky. Then use an ABS hub and pick up and it should be easy to get it to work acurately. I cant see any info on the VX gauges to see how they work.

the temp sensor thing seems odd, why not just use the lotus/VX/Rover/toyota sender with the Stack? i very much doubt it runs through the ECU first as they usually use separate sensors.

[Stuart]

I'll dig through the wiring diagrams I have for the Elise and see what's what.

the mk4 Astra, like many cars of its era (and the beginning of the modern good era) have an engine controller (what most call an ecu) and then a body control module which is also an ecu since it means electronic control unit lol

[meritlover]

I'll dig through the wiring diagrams I have for the Elise and see what's what.


thank you, need to get an expert on the case.

[meritlover]

- S1 Elise => STACK unit with discrete inputs, direct resistor input for coolant temperature and direct connection to (inductive) pickup on rear axle toothed ring for speedo
- S2 Elise with Rover engine => (8000rpm dial max) Original STACK and later Shurlok: very close to VX220 (http://stat.dealtime.com/DealFrame/DealFrame.cmp?bm=271&BEFID=96477&acode=282&code=282&aon=&crawler_id=1932217&dealId=emUyBdCybvfGR8pCh-ko5g%3D%3D&searchID=&url=http%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F711-57618-1854-0%2F2%3Fkwid%3D1%26mtid%3D570%26crlp%3D1_240251%26 linkin_id%3D%7Blinkin_id%7D%26sortbid%3D%7Bbidamou nt%7D%26fitem%3D161219153398%26mt_id%3D570%26mpre% 3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.ebay.com%252Fitm%252Flike %252F161219153398%26mid%3D503280%26sdc_id%3D%7Bsdc _id%7D&DealName=Tesla%20Roadster%20Opel%20Speedster%20Vau xhall%20Vx220%20Transparent%20Hardtop%20Basic&MerchantID=503280&HasLink=yes&category=0&AR=-1&NG=1&GR=1&ND=1&PN=1&RR=-1&ST=&MN=msnFeed&FPT=SDCF&NDS=1&NMS=1&NDP=1&MRS=&PD=0&brnId=2455&lnkId=8070676&Issdt=150209050347&IsFtr=0&IsSmart=0&dlprc=2590.0&SKU=161219153398) with discrete inputs, PWM coolant signal from ECU and speed signal from ECU
- Early Toyota S2 Elises (111R) => (10k rpm dial max) CAN based for some functions, still some discrete inputs
- Late Toyota S2 Elises/Exiges => (10k rpm dial max) Full CAN based connection, new dash design at later date (eg. black back plate on dials). May still have discrete speed pulse input for odometer counter

The coolant temperature display on the S1 STACK is done via a direct connection from the STACK to a temperature sensor (NTC resistor) in the cooling system.
The vehicle speed signal on the S1 STACK is taken directly from a sensor on the rear axle with a toothed ring on the outer CV and inductive pickup on the upright (low voltage sine-wave signal)

So this needs no interaction with the ECU. You just need to install the correct sensor(s) and a speed pickup with the correct toothed ring for it to work.

The coolant temperature display on the S2 STACK is a PWM coded signal from the ECU (like the VX220/Speedster from the engine ECU).
The vehicle speed signal on the S2 STACK is a high voltage pulsed signal from the ECU (like the VX220/Speedster from the ABS controller)



manual: http://www.sandsmuseum.com/cars/elise/information/misc/pdf/LotusEliseServiceManual11.pdf

fyi

[Stuart]

I've been looking at making ABS sensor -> dash convertor for the VX folks as many want to do away with the ABS completely but its at the bottom of my development pile lol

[Iain]

Can I pre-order it now please Stu, my CVs have ABS rings on so all good there

[kevster]

Ian I have all the info needed to get the gauge working in a nova , I'm spending the weekend with the family, but Monday i will grab the wireing diagram and the little box of magic that sorts the speedo and Rev gauge as for the fuel I've sorted that out to .

just give me a shout

[Iain]

Ah interesting thanks. I've not actually bothered to buy any and stuck go standard but I'd love a wiring diagram handy in case I fancy it again in the future.