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[ZaneKaminski]

Hi everyone. I own 2001 Cadillac Catera (badge-engineered Omega B) and I am gonna try and install the Omega B's instrument cluster assembly, including the color LCD screen, which the Catera does not have. I'm not interested in using the stock GPS functionality (do US maps even exist for it?). Instead, I wanna display some of my own information on the screen.

Can anyone give me any technical data about the screen? I'm firstly wondering whether the assembly which I am calling the screen is just a screen, or if it includes whatever navigation computer used to output to the screen? But beyond that, any technical data about the screen would be very helpful, particularly about the signaling protocols used to communicate with it.

[zirk]

Its not a stand-alone screen, its electronically paired (Coded) to the Double Din Siemens Head Unit (some earlier Single Din where available for other Vehicles but a lot rarer now), all the Mapping is done within the HU and the Map Display is fed by a RGB Cable to the CID, the other Computer Information, MPG Display etc is fed via the HU through its standard wiring.

The Catera's never had the Screen Hole in the Dash, but had additional 2 guages, Oil and Volts I believe. So retro fitting a Dash would have to be from a Non UK (RHD) ie, Opel one (LHD) from Euro Land which will be in Kph not Mph, having said that, not even sure it woukd be plug and play with the US Catera Dash.

Some have messed with the installed HU and CID set up by feeding RGB or Composite Video via additional Home made interfaces.

Personally, in your case, I would say its a bit of a non starter, or a lot of work for a limited result. Might be easier just to modify your existing Dash with a Standard off the shelf RGB Screen that you could make fit and then just feed it with your own signal information.

Chris.   

[TheBoy]

The screen is an LQW5 (IIRC), made by Sharp. Datasheets available off tinterweb

[TheBoy]

Or was it LQ5W?

[ZaneKaminski]

You guys are much more helpful than the people at the Catera forum I visited haha. My thought was that I could retrofit just the instrument cluster frame from a RHD European model and then put my current MPH speedometer in the frame. You are right to raise the question of whether the instrument cluster is pin-compatible with the Catera's. I'll have to look into the wiring diagrams.

At the same time, your thought to just build in the LCD to my current dash is maybe the best option, since I then get my own choice of screen and don't have to buy an Omega B's instrument cluster assembly. I didn't really consider that as a real possibility, but I guess there's nothing stopping me. I will take some measurements of the dash and see what can be done. It would also be good to keep the panel with the low coolant light and all that stuff.