Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

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Robsey
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Robsey »

Don't know if it is of any interest to other Cav / Calibra owners, but I am mid-way through installing a CD70 Navi Head-Unit and Graphic screen from a 2005 Signum Elegance into my Cavalier.

I know it sounds odd, and it isn't perfect...no Board Computer functions and no Temp gauge, however I have a GSi Fuel Computer anyway.

Just gauging interest....fell on deaf ears at Cavaliercrazy...no response whatsoever.

Electrically everything is sorted, just mid-way through cutting and shutting my dash...
I will also be moving my heater controls to where the fag lighter / ashtray sits (I don't smoke).

The graphic screen will sit where the heater controls usually sit.

Hopefully be done complete in a couple of weeks.
Image017.jpg
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Mort
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Mort »

That looks VERY interesting. I can't wait to see it finished, make sure you get some pictures up. Also have you been taking pictures as you go, might make a very interesting How2 for other people...
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Squig »

yes really interested in this buddy can you get some more piccies up?
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Robsey »

Continueing on, I have done a trial fit in my car today...
Not for the faint hearted, had to hack a few sections out of my dash to allow the rather tall screen trim to fit under the centre air vents, and also remove the centre cross spar that holds the plastic shell that locates the radio cage.

As a temporary thing, I tucked my blower cables out the way and set the blower to speed two, before tucking the switch away also...This will all be relocated where the ashtray sits indue course.

Gave it a test on the way home and all the following functions worked perfectly..
Sat Nav...took about twenty minutes to lock onto the car, but this only applies on first power up after installation.
Radio...works brilliantly even with the aerial down (there are two tuners in the nav unit...the second is for TMC)
CD and MP3 with ID3 tagging...if you can read my display in the picture, you will see I'm an 80's music fan.

So here it is installed!!!
nav2.JPG
As it is a trial fit I will be taking several pictures in due course
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Squig
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Squig »

thats awesome dude well impressed
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Gaz »

that is really good!
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Colorado »

Thats Bloody Amazing Really love it.
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Sphinx »

that looks great, wonder if it will fit in my tigra
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Robsey »

Don't know about the Tigra!!! If the centre console / facia is roughly the same shape / size as the Cav one, then it could be a goer, but as I said above this is not for the faint hearted....unless you have a spare facia to revert back to standard.
That would help if it just doesn't look right, or it all goes belly up.

Shouldn't really fit the Cav, but I did some extensive cutting away of the hidden panelling behind the main facia display....There is virtually no panel left between the air-vents and the top of my display...just enough to hide the join.

Thinking of the join, the more astute amongst you will notice that the trims are not bonded properly yet and so don't quite sit squarely together.

As a final thought, you could use a pre-facelift C I D (colour info display ) with full colour maps....the facelift onward CID's are wider!!
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by humbucker »

any pics of the lower section where you relocated the heater switches?
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by humbucker »

great work btw!
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Robsey »

I still haven't fitted the heater section yet...not able to spend much time or money on the car yet, however I use it everyday for work!!

Luckily the lever for hot/cold is to the left side of the clutch pedal and just within reach...so that deals with the change in weather.
The fan switch is set to position 2..as this is my usual speed anyway and the switch is tucked away on the end of the loom.

I have trimmed the heater facia to fit where the ashtray did, but more trimming of the area behind this to take the depth of the heater control assembly.
Image014.jpg
There will be just enough space next to this to take a Vec-C charger socket, or my original cig-lighter.
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Envoy CDX »

Impressive. Just a thought - using the aircon bowden cables will give you a little bit extra play as from memory are slightly longer :)

Certainly looks like you've put alot of thought and effort into this :)
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Robsey »

More luck than judgement :)

Thanks for the tip about the a/c bowden cables...may just need that extra length to get around the radio.
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Envoy CDX »

Robsey wrote:More luck than judgement :)

Thanks for the tip about the a/c bowden cables...may just need that extra length to get around the radio.
Failing that, I'd start looking at alternative heater boxes :)
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Robsey »

luck seems to be still going my way!!!

I've undone the cable ties that hold the loom for the heater panel and hazard light switch to the right side of the facia, and guess what??

Well the loom was easily manipulated to allow the heater panel and demister switch to be dropped into the lower panel position AND the hazard wires still reaches comfortably.

Just got to look at new longer bowden cables, and also to trim out the back of the facia to fit the deep profile of the heater lever assembly.
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Envoy CDX »

good progress :)
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Robsey »

Now fitted heater panel...so we are nearly there!!
heater ctrl.jpg
heater ctrl.jpg (24.89 KiB) Viewed 2973 times
Just waiting for my clock surround to arrive to finish off with...will be putting cig lighter in the space to the left of the heater panel...note the plug is there ready.
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by TurboDan »

If them heater controls work as they should then i'll be seriousely impressed!

I love real custom stuff like this :D
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Robsey »

The hot / cold slider works...lovely long cable
The two smaller sliders aren't connected yet, but I'm sure that I could make up something to do this...modified cycle brake / gear cables perhaps.

However I can change fan speed, turn on / off rear screen demister and said above I can vary the heat of the air...just in time judging by recent cooler weather spells :)

The job has been a real pig, making / modifying and cutting out sections just to get a reasonable looking finish... :wall
I don't recommend this to anyone except those who desperately want to do this...lucky for me I work in an NHS hospital manufacturing facility that has had scrap materials and workshop facilities.
Without these I'd have given up years ago...I just didn't want to waste a £600 sat nav system.
Would have been much easier to fit a Tom Tom ...
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Gaz »

Yea but no where as much fun.....
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Envoy CDX »

Robsey wrote: lucky for me I work in an NHS hospital manufacturing facility that has had scrap materials and workshop facilities.
As I was reading I thought you were going to type "nut shop" lol :lol:
All good work though, would love to see it when its finished :)
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by humbucker »

got any more pics of this? hows it working out for you?! update would be cool ;)
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Robsey »

I have stirred up abit of a fuss on Vectra C.com....
There have been a lot of requests from there for wiring diagrams etc...

I have recently made up a mini loom to control the radio facia and display lighting and temperature input control...this is done on post 2002 cars via a "body control module" or bcm.
Amazingly this has proved successful...
The car does not look any different, however I shall post up some pics over the next few hours.
CD30 shown with working lights and temperature read out
The "spare" cd30 shown with working lights and temperature read-out
The "spare" cd30 shown with working lights and temperature read-out
cd30withlights.jpg (27.1 KiB) Viewed 2992 times
12 volt inputs...only one wire is required (the odd red/black one in the image
This is the 12volt live inputs...although the odd coloured wire is the only one needed
This is the 12volt live inputs...although the odd coloured wire is the only one needed
fusebox side.jpg (22.58 KiB) Viewed 2992 times
The 78 pin connector with the voltage / signal control feeds
The 78 pin output side of the body control module
The 78 pin output side of the body control module
78pin plugside.jpg (34.79 KiB) Viewed 2992 times
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Putting Full CAN Infotainment in a Cavalier

Post by Robsey »

To explain things...the CD30 was the wife's original radio before I fitted a colour CD70 sat-nav in her car for her... :D

This is my finished dash....
The down side is that my gearstick obscures the heater controls...
finished dash1.jpg
finished dash1.jpg (37.23 KiB) Viewed 2799 times
Sadly, I wont be able to attend the club meet at the end of the M67 on 22nd Nov...taking the wife to Liverpool Airport :(

Also Cav is having it's MOT tomorrow...going to be very expensive me thinks...leak from fuel pipe, blowing back exhaust box, water leak from heater hose etc etc... :cry
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