TVR digital dash
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Discussion

the pits

Original Poster:

4,290 posts

262 months

Wednesday 5th July 2006
quotequote all
I've come to the conclusion that the TVR computer screen thing is genius. I was fully expecting mine to pack up or perform badly in some way but it's been fautless despite the pummelling my S6 and suspension gives it on every drive.

Things I like about the TVR digital dash:

The information is very comprehensive.

It says 'Sagaris' on it.

The access buttons hidden behind the wheel is very well done and don't in any way spoil a stunning steering wheel.

In traffic jams you can fiddle with the settings to help pass the time.

Perhaps best of all, the recall function allows you to see how it's been driven by the dealer when you hand it over for a service.

Mine has an area entitles 'sports' which I think was going to feature a lap timer among other things. Does anyone know what happened to that?

witty

95 posts

242 months

Wednesday 5th July 2006
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I like the way it turns invisible in sunlight!

_DeeJay_

5,047 posts

276 months

Wednesday 5th July 2006
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the pits said:

Mine has an area entitles 'sports' which I think was going to feature a lap timer among other things. Does anyone know what happened to that?


There was talk of a 'sports pack' at one point which supposedly enabled that. I'm not sure what use it would be though - don't most track day organisers prevent that kind of thing from being used?

DJC

23,563 posts

258 months

Wednesday 5th July 2006
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The Stack display is pretty good aye, shame the software is so f**king awful! If I had the time, inclination or I thought I could turn my effort into profit, Id look at playing with that also. In fact one day, I might just get so p**sed off with how the fuel is calculated I may actually rewrite the whole bloody lot, but do it our way. The whole lot makes Windows 95 look like a work of bloody genius!

the pits

Original Poster:

4,290 posts

262 months

Wednesday 5th July 2006
quotequote all
Lets give them a bit of credit here! Lotus offer precisely bugger all info apart from revs, speed, water temp and fuel. Not many cars on the market are anywhere near as comprehensive in terms of info. A Nissan Skyline R34 might be one but that's about it. And I actually like that very british 'early computer alan turing style programmer' look in space invader green.

It must have cost a bit to develop. Is is actually made by Stack? If so then there certainly are some exciting lap timer possibilites to be had. Stack do things like minimum speeds and predictive lap times, eg whether you're up or down on your previous lap. Now that is uberkool.

oil pressure and oil temp should be compulsory on every performance car.



scottwade

477 posts

238 months

Wednesday 5th July 2006
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The thing that bugs me is the erratic nature of the water temp, presumably this is because it is giving a true and accurate reading every second...this makes me nervous when I see it go up 2 degrees... I think I prefer the less accurate needles as they only seem to move when things are actually not right...hope that makes some sense ??

According to the manual the display should return to the last view you were viewing when the car was shut down, am I understanding this correctly?? on mine it returns to a screen not of my choice anyone else get this ??

I should also say I think it is a cool little gadget to play with in traffic

Edited by scottwade on Wednesday 5th July 19:43

steve11

522 posts

267 months

Thursday 6th July 2006
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scottwade said:


According to the manual the display should return to the last view you were viewing when the car was shut down, am I understanding this correctly?? on mine it returns to a screen not of my choice anyone else get this ??

Edited by scottwade on Wednesday 5th July 19:43


Its only the Parameters (options to view either oil, water temp etc) that can be saved, you still need to flick through the various screens to get back to the saved items.


honahonT350

230 posts

236 months

Thursday 6th July 2006
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The whole lot makes Windows 95 look like a work of bloody genius![/quote]

Indeed, but just imagine if the car run on win 95 you wouldnt make it down the road without breaking down!..

NickP_Tam

158 posts

263 months

Thursday 6th July 2006
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My screen has missing pixels in horizontal lines right the way across the display on some days, other days its fine. Very strange.

Not sure I want to start poking around behind the display or under the dash. The wiring looks like a ball of wool that had a fight with an IDE-like ribbon cable and its all held in place with cable ties!


chalky white

421 posts

237 months

Thursday 6th July 2006
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NickP_Tam said:
My screen has missing pixels in horizontal lines right the way across the display on some days, other days its fine. Very strange.

Not sure I want to start poking around behind the display or under the dash. The wiring looks like a ball of wool that had a fight with an IDE-like ribbon cable and its all held in place with cable ties!




My tuscan 1 display does this as well.

nubbin

6,809 posts

300 months

Thursday 6th July 2006
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DJC said:
honahonT350 said:
The whole lot makes Windows 95 look like a work of bloody genius!


Indeed, but just imagine if the car run on win 95 you wouldnt make it down the road without breaking down!..


You mean your car doesn't? Shit!

chalky white said:
NickP_Tam said:

My screen has missing pixels in horizontal lines right the way across the display on some days, other days its fine. Very strange.

Not sure I want to start poking around behind the display or under the dash. The wiring looks like a ball of wool that had a fight with an IDE-like ribbon cable and its all held in place with cable ties!






My tuscan 1 display does this as well.


There's only one way to cure this - get a second hand dash pod from a breaker (about £150) and replace the unit. It is very simple to do, and I have done it as mine had exactly the same fault. if you want to go down this route, let me know and I'll talk you through it, but it really is very basic stuff.

scottwade

477 posts

238 months

Thursday 6th July 2006
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Nubbin

if you have a few basic steps on how to remove the lcd pod I would be very interested ?

mine will sometimes glow bright and the next time I turn the ignition on it will go dim, I am hoping it is a loose connection but to check I need to get the thing out ??

cheers
S

chris watton

22,545 posts

282 months

Thursday 6th July 2006
quotequote all
scottwade said:
Nubbin

if you have a few basic steps on how to remove the lcd pod I would be very interested ?

mine will sometimes glow bright and the next time I turn the ignition on it will go dim, I am hoping it is a loose connection but to check I need to get the thing out ??

cheers
S


I think they're meant to do that, and it can be annoying! It stays bright/lit for about 5-10 minutes, before 'fading' I used to be able to change the settings by using the same back light settings as shown in photos in the Tam users manual, but since mine was updated, that doesn't work! I hear warning beeps when I'm driving, but buggered if I can see what the warning is, on the LCD, although I can always take a pretty good guess!

nubbin

6,809 posts

300 months

Thursday 6th July 2006
quotequote all
scottwade said:
Nubbin

if you have a few basic steps on how to remove the lcd pod I would be very interested ?

mine will sometimes glow bright and the next time I turn the ignition on it will go dim, I am hoping it is a loose connection but to check I need to get the thing out ??

cheers
S


Sorry, I've been out at work all afternoon.

If you look under the dash cluster, (stick your head in the driver's footwell under the steering wheel and look up!) you'll see the cowl over the dash pod is only held on by two Allen bolts. Undo these, and the dash cowl will come loose, attached by ribbon cables to the fan/light switches. The Dash pod is basically a metal frame containing about 6 layers of PCBs, and can be released from the dash cowl by removing the 6 Allen bolts attaching it at the back to the fibreglass. Then cut the zip ties which fix the two main ECU ribbon cables to the dash assembly, and the dash pod is free. It's really that simple, but needs a bit of juggling of the cowl and dash pod over the steering wheel.

Edited by nubbin on Thursday 6th July 21:01

alt

1,879 posts

304 months

Friday 7th July 2006
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Thanks for the tip Nubbin as that could be useful.
But how many breakers' yards are going to have pods from smashed by T cars?

dickkark

748 posts

243 months

Friday 7th July 2006
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DONT know about Sagaris but lcd rev counter in Tuscan1 is a joke,it just looks like its gone tits up when you accelerate or rev it.
The speedo should have been the rev counter and the lcd should have been for speedo,but I suspect that would also be unreadable when "pushing on",
the other functions are fine though a lateral G display would be nice and maybe an electronic brake bias function.
Also if you find yourselves sitting in traffic constantly fiddling with your knobs then prehaps you should find quieter roads to drive on!

nubbin

6,809 posts

300 months

Friday 7th July 2006
quotequote all
alt said:
Thanks for the tip Nubbin as that could be useful.
But how many breakers' yards are going to have pods from smashed by T cars?


The place in Bristol whose name escapes me - they will have some. If anyone gets one, make sure you ask for the black palstic pod surround - then will you send me the spare please, because they didn't send one with my replacement pod, and I have an alternative use for one....

This is the place - check the pics out!





Edited by nubbin on Friday 7th July 09:29

scottwade

477 posts

238 months

Friday 7th July 2006
quotequote all
nubbin said:
alt said:
Thanks for the tip Nubbin as that could be useful.
But how many breakers' yards are going to have pods from smashed by T cars?


The place in Bristol whose name escapes me - they will have some. If anyone gets one, make sure you ask for the black palstic pod surround - then will you send me the spare please, because they didn't send one with my replacement pod, and I have an alternative use for one....


Great info thanks nubbin, this is very useful

alt

1,879 posts

304 months

Friday 7th July 2006
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Thanks Nubbin. I've come accross Bell Hill Garage before when I phoned them up to see if they wanted my old clutch and shocks: they weren't interested in either!