A bit of spare time and a small modification was born...

Following the topic here http://www.freel2.com/forum/topic17821.html , where you can change the firmware for MY2007-2009 cars in order to show the time and have instant fuel consumption in the center display like on MY2010 and later, I've said to myself:
Why not displaying the autobox's gear on the dash, not only on Command Shift mode, but in Drive and Sport modes also.
So I've modified the firmware in order to do that, I've rebuilt the VBF file with the new modifications and I've flashed it back to the cluster.

The result here:

Now you can see how car's behaving and changing gears and, with a quick glance, you can know in which gear the box is.


Revision 1
Password: gearonipc
Add-ons:
1. Clock on dash
2. Autobox gear display for Drive and Sport

Revision 2
Password: revision2
Add-ons:
1. Clock on dash
2. Autobox gear display for Drive and Sport
3. Correction/linearization of the temperature gauge.

Revision 3
Password: revision3
Add-ons:
1. Clock on dash
2. Autobox gear display for Drive and Sport
3. Correction/linearization of the temperature gauge.
4. Battery voltage as a new item on the on-board computer

Revision 5
Password: revision5
Add-ons:
1. Clock on dash
2. Autobox gear display for Drive and Sport
3. Correction/linearization of the temperature gauge.
4. Battery voltage as a new item on the on-board computer
5. Instant speed as a new item on the on-board computer

Files here (courtesy of our Russian colleagues): https://yadi.sk/d/U7N6bA88e5G7T


The thread contains additional information about each version/revision.

Take care, because this is intended for the following set of files, just like in the other topic:
SBL: 6H52-14C025-AA
EXE: AH52-14C026-AD <- this one is replaced
DAT: AH52-14C088-FD (diesel, km) or AH52-14C088-DD (petrol, km)

This set of files seems to work OK with the MY2009 clusters, like I had. BTW, the EXE I had was 9H52-14C026-AB.
And may work OK with MY2007 (like gruodis, from the other topic, has) and MY2008 (because I've flashed the clock modification to a friend with MY2008).
There are other clusters, for example the ones from MY2010, that may have different hardware (and therefore software) and maybe on those wont work.

Make a backup of the old firmware/file in order to flash it back if it wont work.
Worst case scenario, if the flash process is failing, the instruments wont boot/start.
The cluster is responsible for powering up the column steering lock (CSL). If the CSL doesn't disengage, the car wont start.
If this happens, depending on when is failing - during the flash or during the boot, you may need to retry.
If not, flash back the original file. Normally, you can't brick the cluster. It will allow you to retry the flash process.

Anyway, as seen on the movie, it works OK on my car and its hardware (ECU HWN: 6H52-14C226-FD)
If you try it, you try it at your own risk. Please don't hold me responsible if something will go wrong.

And without trying to show off, if you are asking how this can be flashed into the cluster, better don't try it.
You MUST know exactly what you are doing when you're handling/flashing the ECUs of a 20K+ quids car.
The method for flashing with SDD is explained a few posts later at http://www.freel2.com/forum/post222919.html#222919

Last edited by alex_pescaru on 19th Mar 2019 5:44 pm. Edited 12 times in total

Thats good but how do us mere mortals do it.

+ 1 on above.

Bill T. Life Honorary Member of Wallasey Motor Club.
Licenced MSA Radio Operator for 35+ years.
Rallying is the only sport.

I can give you the file, but you'll need a method/way to program it into the cluster.
By the use of SDD (dealer tool) or an aftermarket tool.

Good job.
Can you send me the file? I have a Rotunda VCM (chinese) and the SDD software, so I guess I can write it.

agardim, you have PM.

Alex, thank you. Got the PM. If I try it and it works for me I will tell it here.

Hi Alex!

How to switch this feature on for MY2013 ?

The feature was enabled by modifying the firmware (the EXE part) and not some configuration data.
So, the MY2013 cluster, as it has a different hardware and therefore firmware, must be studied and modified too.
For my type of cluster I had a "guinea pig" cluster bought from ebay and so it was easy to do the studying and programming.
As I don't have a MY2013 cluster / car around for testing purposes, it will be pretty hard to do it on MY2013.

PS:
I've answered to your question on the Russian forum too.
I hope they didn't mind that I've wrote on English. Still learning Russian and don't want to use Google translate...

No , they don't
Thank you Alex

Alex I am in awe of your talents.

Pity you don't live close by as I have a host of "comfort" projects that K would like on her Freelander: heated steering wheel, electric tailgate lift, and heated rear seats. And no she won't sell her FL2.

Had the Evoque for a week - not enough boot space for her emergency medi kit. So no.
Had the new RRS - she said it was too tall and wide so she didn't like driving it in the very narrow streets to some patients' houses. And the multi layered info screen was distracting - just too complicated. So no.
And finally she does did not think it is worth buying a new Freelander as it is not that different from her model (we had one from Duckworth's for a day when they had her's in their workshop for a modification project) So no.

Therefore may have to drive to Constanta for a workshop holiday

Unless of course in the meantime you are overrun by hordes of marauders in army fatigues masquerading as Russian tourists and there's no room left on the beach

Greg777 wrote:

great job, thank you! Can you please tell us little more about VBF editing?

Greg777 wrote:

is there any way (except of disassembling) to know which processor type used in a module? Automatically windshield heat switching really makes me hurt)

Good job Alex that's really how it should have been from the start, or given an option to have it displayed permanently or not.

Did you know that the engine temperature needle, for the diesel engine, has the following characteristic?

This mean that between 75 deg and 113 deg Celsius it stays on the middle.
And between 113 and 118 (during only 5 degrees) the needle will jump from middle to maximum.
On the opposite, from lower white line, which means 50, to middle, which is 75, are 25 degrees.
I didn't like it that way and I've modified its map to make it linear.
Now I can know exactly which temperature the engine has, as between the two white lines, lower and upper, is completely linear.
Now the lower line means 50 deg. and upper 110 degrees. Center is 80 degrees.

Last edited by alex_pescaru on 3rd Sep 2019 11:04 am. Edited 1 time in total

Alex, I guess you are a disguised land rover engineer!