Rebody Rebody - Dashboard Electrics?

[Duncodin]

There's tons of info around the forum where people ask questions about how to connect up a period looking dash in their ReBody. Some threads on the topic just died out without a definitive answer.

So please allow me to start a thread specifically for questions about ReBody Dashboard Electrics.

I suppose my first question is what do you guys do with all the signals such as Seat Belts, Handbrake, ABS, DSC/ASC?

I don't fancy the idea of a load of little lights in the dash with stick on labels.

Make the dash look like a ransom note.

@Jezza In a thread last year you were asking about connecting up the various brake warning lights to one light in the speedo? I can see how that would work. Thank you for posting your findings re: wring colours. But did you ever get that working? What ETB Spedometer are you using? I can't see one on their website with built in warning lights. What did you do in the end? Please post a photo of the finished dash. Lit up?

Another thing I haven't fully got my head around is the instrument cluster. Leave it in there hooked up somewhere out of sight? I'd like to remove it if I could. Anyone managed that?

So, guys, did you do something in your dash that you think is different to what others have done? Please tell us what you did.

 

[Jezza]

There's tons of info around the forum where people ask questions about how to connect up a period looking dash in their ReBody. Some threads on the topic just died out without a definitive answer.

So please allow me to start a thread specifically for questions about ReBody Dashboard Electrics.

I suppose my first question is what do you guys do with all the signals such as Seat Belts, Handbrake, ABS, DSC/ASC?

I don't fancy the idea of a load of little lights in the dash with stick on labels.

Make the dash look like a ransom note.

View attachment 339185

@Jezza In a thread last year you were asking about connecting up the various brake warning lights to one light in the speedo? I can see how that would work. Thank you for posting your findings re: wring colours. But did you ever get that working? What ETB Spedometer are you using? I can't see one on their website with built in warning lights. What did you do in the end? Please post a photo of the finished dash. Lit up?

Another thing I haven't fully got my head around is the instrument cluster. Leave it in there hooked up somewhere out of sight? I'd like to remove it if I could. Anyone managed that?

So, guys, did you do something in your dash that you think is different to what others have done? Please tell us what you did.

The Speedo from ETB is ordered as 'for the DNA 250 California'. These were commissioned by DNA and so are not on the website but if you call ETB and ask for them they have a kit including the 7 clocks and matching senders for oil temp, oil pressure and water temp. The oil warning light is taken from the Z3 feed on the cluster wiring harness.
The Speedo has a brake warning light which I initially connected up to the handbrake warning light. This is the light I wanted to used for 3 events - handbrake on, low brake fluid and brake pad wear. I figured that the handbrake was off, and the light illuminated it would then indicate a problem with either brake fluid level too low or brake pad wear. This could then be investigated.
I took my other warning light feeds directly from the cluster PCB which is behind the dash. I am sure it is necessary to keep the cluster PCB for other things to function correctly but in any case I thought it was easier to use this for the other warning lights. These are check engine, abs and (fake) airbag. Now that I have had the V5 changed and the car is no longer a Z3 on any database, I will swap the airbag light for the traction control light. If the car is not a BMW Z3 then not having any airbags or lights will not be a problem at MOT.

 

[Jezza]

The Speedo from ETB is ordered as 'for the DNA 250 California'. These were commissioned by DNA and so are not on the website but if you call ETB and ask for them they have a kit including the 7 clocks and matching senders for oil temp, oil pressure and water temp. The oil warning light is taken from the Z3 feed on the cluster wiring harness.
The Speedo has a brake warning light which I initially connected up to the handbrake warning light. This is the light I wanted to used for 3 events - handbrake on, low brake fluid and brake pad wear. I figured that the handbrake was off, and the light illuminated it would then indicate a problem with either brake fluid level too low or brake pad wear. This could then be investigated.
I took my other warning light feeds directly from the cluster PCB which is behind the dash. I am sure it is necessary to keep the cluster PCB for other things to function correctly but in any case I thought it was easier to use this for the other warning lights. These are check engine, abs and (fake) airbag. Now that I have had the V5 changed and the car is no longer a Z3 on any database, I will swap the airbag light for the traction control light. If the car is not a BMW Z3 then not having any airbags or lights will not be a problem at MOT.

The ETB rev counter also has left right indicator and full beam warning lights FYI.

 

[Pond]

What he said!
The extra 3 lights I am putting in (plus the fog lights 'on' lamps) are ABS, DSC and SRS (!!). I am using tiny (6mm) LED lamps with chrome bezels, so will have stickers on them, but only for the MOT man. I will take them off after and print a 'legend' to keep in the glovebox just in case I, or anyone needs them in future.

 

[Duncodin]

How do you guys connect up the speedo? Is it off the Z3's original feed or do you put a sensor somewhere?

 

[Jezza]

How do you guys connect up the speedo? Is it off the Z3's original feed or do you put a sensor somewhere?

With ETB Speedo we use the Z3 feed that goes to the instrument cluster.

 

[Jezza]

With ETB Speedo we use the Z3 feed that goes to the instrument cluster.

Pin No2 on the blue blue at the back of the cluster. That's the Speedo signal wire.

 

[Pond]

Pin No2 on the blue blue at the back of the cluster. That's the Speedo signal wire.

That's not the information I have! @Pingu did a very useful ETB to BMW wiring legend (it's in a thread on here somewhere). According to this the speed signal comes from connector X271 (black) on the cluster, pin 4 which is brown and red. I haven't connected mine yet and I know @Jezza has so this is concerning me!

 

[Duncodin]

That's not the information I have! @Pingu did a very useful ETB to BMW wiring legend (it's in a thread on here somewhere). According to this the speed signal comes from connector X271 (black) on the cluster, pin 4 which is brown and red. I haven't connected mine yet and I know @Jezza has so this is concerning me!

Mmmm.

Looking at the diagram bottom right there's a wire coming in to X271 from X383 which is a connector on the rear right of the differential. I assume that's the sensor in the diff.

But look in the upper right of the diagram. There's a wire coming in to pin 2 of X17. That's clearly named 'speed signal'.

So it's as clear as mud.

If jezza's works then that's what I'd go with that.

 

[Jezza]

All I can say is I've built 2 of these California's and both worked using pin No 2 of X17 for the speed signal to the ETB speedo.

 

[Pingu]

The speed signal from X17/Pin 2 is a signal wire that is used by...

On-Board Computer (BC Low)
Wash-Wipe module
DME Control Unit
Cruise Control Module
Radio


X271/Pin 4 is the raw signal pulse from the reed pulse switch in the diff.

X271/Pin 4 will give you a certain number of pulses for a certain speed. This is what the ETB speedometer needs to work, but the speedometer needs to be calibrated following the ETB instructions.


It may be possible to use the X17/Pin 2 output, but this isn't what I did. In addition, you will need to have the instrument cluster connected for X17/Pin 2 to generate the output. X17/Pin 2 would be dead without the instrument cluster. Hence why the wipers don't work correctly with the instrument cluster removed.


[edit] Looking at @Duncodin wiring diagram, he is using the YELLOW ETB wire connected to X17/Pin 2 to supply the speedometer, whereas I used the RED/BLUE ETB wire connected to X271/Pin 4.

Either option is acceptable. Just don't mix them up., and don't do them both.

 

[Pond]

Hence why the wipers don't work correctly with the instrument cluster removed.

Mine do!
I have everything disconnected at present but when I turn the ignition on the wipers work absolutely fine. I am 90% sure the normal speed does the intermittent thing aswell (as it's stationary).

I can't work out why there would be two 'speed signals' going into the BMW instrument cluster. Could it be either for the 'solid state' mileage recorder, or for something as simple as the intermittent wipe when stopped?

One of them (can't remember which TBH) is on the same fuse as the OBC, so it could be linked to fuel consumption calculations? I dunno.

 

[Jezza]

I can confirm that I also used the yellow ETB Speedo wire connected to pin 2 of X17.

 

[Pond]

I have looked into this 'speed signal' confusion a bit further (although I am certainly no expert).
Pin 4 on connector X271 is an input signal and pin 2 on X17 is an output signal.
So my guess is that the X17 wire is a speed signal for something else (OBC maybe?) and the X271 is the 'main' signal (as @Pingu said) into the cluster.

It looks like either works with the ETB speedo gauge, so happy days.

 

[Duncodin]

I have looked into this 'speed signal' confusion a bit further (although I am certainly no expert).
Pin 4 on connector X271 is an input signal and pin 2 on X17 is an output signal.
So my guess is that the X17 wire is a speed signal for something else (OBC maybe?) and the X271 is the 'main' signal (as @Pingu said) into the cluster.

It looks like either works with the ETB speedo gauge, so happy days.

My initial thought was that the Z271/4 is the 'Raw' signal from the sensor in the diff goes which goes IN to the binnacle PCB. The Binnacle PCB does stuff, maybe smooths the signal, moves the odometer, shows the speed etc. Then the binnacle OUTputs the signal via X17/2 to the control system so that the rest of the car knows how fast the car is traveling independently of the wheel speed sensors.

Or something like that.

 

[Pond]

My initial thought was that the Z271/4 is the 'Raw' signal from the sensor in the diff goes which goes IN to the binnacle PCB. The Binnacle PCB does stuff, maybe smooths the signal, moves the odometer, shows the speed etc. Then the binnacle OUTputs the signal via X17/2 to the control system so that the rest of the car knows how fast the car is traveling independently of the wheel speed sensors.

Or something like that.

That theory is sound IMO IF @Jezza connected from the connector end of the cut wire, not the other end. If his connection is connected to the wire before it gets to X17/2 that theory doesn't hold IMO (unless there are more wires for speed sensor-related stuff).

Considering the Z3 is supposed to be a fairly 'simple' car, electrically, these days; it is very complex!
I couldn't imagine trying to re-wire my 2024 Audi.

 

[Pond]

Another question on this for @Jezza and @Pingu.....
Am I correct in thinking that if a given wire is an 'input' to the cluster I connect my wire before it goes into the connector and if the given wire is an 'output', I connect my wire to the connector wire? If that makes sense.

 

[Pingu]

Another question on this for @Jezza and @Pingu.....
Am I correct in thinking that if a given wire is an 'input' to the cluster I connect my wire before it goes into the connector and if the given wire is an 'output', I connect my wire to the connector wire? If that makes sense.

A connection is a connection. I don't really understand.

The only difference is that an input wire doesn't need the cluster to be in place, whereas an output wire does.

 

[Jezza]

A connection is a connection. I don't really understand.

The only difference is that an input wire doesn't need the cluster to be in place, whereas an output wire does.

It depends if the wire was spliced into, or cut and redirected. If the wire is an output from the cluster and the wire was cut, and the other end (non cluster end) connected to the ETB Speedo then one would assume it would not work.

 

[Jezza]

It depends if the wire was spliced into, or cut and redirected. If the wire is an output from the cluster and the wire was cut, and the other end (non cluster end) connected to the ETB Speedo then one would assume it would not work.

And I can't remember if I spliced or cut and joined. I'm not taking my dash out to check