Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications General Mods digital voltmeter in dash project (pics)?

i was thinking of putting a digital voltmeter in my dash, specifically here, in the middle piece:




in case you cant see the images, here are the links:
http://www.spymac.com/upload/gallery/user_20795/medium/upload_82622.jpg
http://www.spymac.com/upload/gallery/user_20795/medium/upload_82624.jpg
http://www.spymac.com/upload/gallery/user_20795/medium/upload_82399.jpg
http://www.spymac.com/upload/gallery/user_20795/medium/upload_82621.jpg


so there's the location- i could probably cut out a hole for the voltmeter in the plastic removeable piece, and wire it in there somehow...and the great thing is, if i made a mistake, a new dash piece is probably like a buck...so what do you guys think? do you know of any sites for really really small voltmeters?
here are some ive found so far, but im not sure if they'll work or if they'll fit...
this (no backlight, but cheap):
http://www.martelmeters.com/products.php?cat=4
or this- the first one listed- (nice red color):
http://www.redlion.net/products/digitalandanalog/digitalpanelmeters/dcvolt.html
both of these would work, correct? do i want a DC voltmeter or what...?

here is the list of voltmeters that a site carrys (search for "voltmeter"):
http://www.digikey.com
i need one that is as small as possible...
so what do you guys think? good idea? how hard do you think this would be to do? any suggestions/help would be great b/c im gonna need some ideas...

Nate, whenever you post a pic I never see anything, not even a red x.....

Is the voltmeter backlit??

pics look fine to me...
..the second voltmeter i listed is red and looks backlit. the first one isnt backlit but is cheap. www.digikey.com has a list of them, some of them even have green backlights which would match the rest of the lights in my car...the only problem is that they dont have any pictures and sizes of the voltmeters...

I see them on my wifes computer. My internet firewall on my computer must be set too high.

Nate, that piece is the same I modded. But that back support needs to be cut out. I used a hacksaw to cut down the short sides of that rectangular box back there. That opened the entire length of the insert.

If you take the entire instrument cluster surround off (three screws in those inserts, two up by the cluster) you'll see you have a lot of room behind that piece.

Good Luck!

N.

ok i just cut out the rectangular piece in the back using a razor...not too hard...thats all you cut right? you didnt cut the 2 long clips off, right? and what did you use to cut the front of the piece, a dremel?

No those two long pieces secure it to the dash.

I don't have a dremel (my birthday is soon....hmmmm)

I used a tiny drill bit and went around the perimter of the rectangle I had scratched into the surface of the piece. Then with the razor knife I cut between each little hole. It's a messy way, if you have access to a dremel I'd do it. But you need to start the hole, and a drill with a small bit works best.

Nate, I'm posting pics of the working lights here soon. Keep your eyes open.

Not sure about them measurements but I would go with:

i actually found one on digi-key that has a 18mm tall cut out, should be ALMOST right...it comes in green with a backlit lcd..
http://dkc3.digikey.com/pdf/T041/1254-1258.pdf
CDPM731-ND or CDPM733-ND
if it doesnt fit exactly i can always trim the clips a bit..the drill bit method is a good idea, since i dont have a dremel either.
ok so to make this work now, what do i need?
do i need these (this is what my friend is telling me):
+5V regulator
a 27k and a 3k resistor

Looks good. I think it'll fit, but if you cut too big a hole the piece will be pretty flimsy. But if you cut it, insert the V meter and glue it in, that should provide enough support.

Good luck!

alright...i trimmed it down a bit, im pretty sure it will fit. anyways, the only thing im worried about is mounting it...the front of the dash piece is curved, as you know, and the lcd and trim piece are straight...so do you think it will look ok when mounted?