Installed new deck, but lost all my information panel, help me get it back

[Mafty]

Okay, just had a double-din deck installed, but when you take the old head unit out, the LCD screen that holds all the car info (MPG, clock, outside temp, etc) is bolted to the old head unit. is there any way to attach this LCD screen to my new double-din head unit? the LCD has its own seperate wiring setup, so it could be reconnected except it would be floating there without being attached to something.


anyways, right now all thats there is an empty plastic piece. If anyone else has done something similar help would be appreciated.

specs: 08 mazda 3, pioneer nav headunit.

[5_Alive]

where did you buy your dash kit? It should have come with two plastic holsters so you can mount the LCD separately.

Worst case scenario, you can take the ones off of the factory deck and bend them so they mount up to the lcd, and the other hole bends to the shape so you can screw it to the dash..

[SpelingChampian]

Can you post a pic? I'm a bit confused at what isn't where...

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo359/SpelingChampian/Forum/Picture005.jpg

Are you missing the LCD above my headunit?

[Mafty]

^^ yes i am. howd you get yours to stay? my LCD is bolted to the original HU. were you able to keep your functional? or is it just do nothing now?

[5_Alive]

The LCD will display your temperature and HVAC settings.
The side where your clock, mpg etc. is, you may only chose one option, and stick to it. Once you remove the factory radio, you cannot scroll through.
I have mine set with the constant MPG display.

If you wish to cycle between Celcius and Fahrenheit, push and hold the power and media buttons for 5 seconds, release, and then unplug the factory deck. Make sure you DO NOT disconnect the LCD screen. Once you do, everything reverts back to factory settings, including the display you selected on the left hand side--- MPG, distance to empty, etc. that you selected.

Hope this helps, read it slow if it don't make sense, cause it may not at first. It took me some time to play and figure it all out.

[SpelingChampian]

You should be able to unscrew the LCD from the stock radio. At the moment it only displays the climate control information - but you can have it display one option (clock, MPG, avg MPG etc.).

[Mafty]

The LCD will display your temperature and HVAC settings.
The side where your clock, mpg etc. is, you may only chose one option, and stick to it. Once you remove the factory radio, you cannot scroll through.
I have mine set with the constant MPG display.

If you wish to cycle between Celcius and Fahrenheit, push and hold the power and media buttons for 5 seconds, release, and then unplug the factory deck. Make sure you DO NOT disconnect the LCD screen. Once you do, everything reverts back to factory settings, including the display you selected on the left hand side--- MPG, distance to empty, etc. that you selected.

Hope this helps, read it slow if it don't make sense, cause it may not at first. It took me some time to play and figure it all out.


You should be able to unscrew the LCD from the stock radio. At the moment it only displays the climate control information - but you can have it display one option (clock, MPG, avg MPG etc.).


sorry for the late reply, but did you guys do this yourself? or did you have someone do it for you. i already have my headunit installed (pioneer nav unit). and would really like that lcd back

[5_Alive]

I did mine myself, I'm positive SpellingChamp did as well.
You need to remove your Pioneer unit, re-install your factory unit, select which option you want to display in the left corner. When you do that, disconnect the factory unit but DO NOT unplug the LCD display from its harness.
Then you'll get one item.
I currently have mine set to Current Consumption rating; the constant L/100km readout.
No point to really have your distance to empty; we have fuel gauges lol.
Average speed, bah. Same with whatever else is on there.

[Mafty]

I did mine myself, I'm positive SpellingChamp did as well.
You need to remove your Pioneer unit, re-install your factory unit, select which option you want to display in the left corner. When you do that, disconnect the factory unit but DO NOT unplug the LCD display from its harness.
Then you'll get one item.
I currently have mine set to Current Consumption rating; the constant L/100km readout.
No point to really have your distance to empty; we have fuel gauges lol.
Average speed, bah. Same with whatever else is on there.

howd you get it to stay up there? did you make some kind of bracket? because the LCD is bolted to the stock headunit. i dont know how to make it stay in place.

BTW, the help so far is really appreciated.

[5_Alive]

No problem.. The brackets I got in the package with my dash kit.
I bought my dash kit through www.speedline.com and some other people have bought through Best Buy. I'm not 100% sure, but I would assume the Best Buy dash kit comes with the brackets.

You could very easily make your own using L brackets.

[Mafty]

No problem.. The brackets I got in the package with my dash kit.
I bought my dash kit through www.speedline.com and some other people have bought through Best Buy. I'm not 100% sure, but I would assume the Best Buy dash kit comes with the brackets.

You could very easily make your own using L brackets.

oh so youve just mounted the LCD back to new headunit on the sides? or did you mount the LCD to something else. lol sorry im a little confused. because i dont think my dash kit came with any brakets. and if it did i dont have them since someone else installed my headunit.

[5_Alive]

With the kit, you get two brackets, look like L brackets. Where your center dash stack screws into the dashboard, the L bracket screws into the side of the LCD, the other mounts on top of the center stack (where the vents are)..
Did you have the unit installed by a shop? Ask them about having them mount your LCD properly. That is an expensive piece if its just sitting in your dash loose.

[Mafty]

With the kit, you get two brackets, look like L brackets. Where your center dash stack screws into the dashboard, the L bracket screws into the side of the LCD, the other mounts on top of the center stack (where the vents are)..
Did you have the unit installed by a shop? Ask them about having them mount your LCD properly. That is an expensive piece if its just sitting in your dash loose.

yea i did ask them to install the LCD. the guy said "once i take out the factory headunit you lose the LCD with it". and i of course did not believe him, so i let him finish the install of the deck but now here iam online trying to rectify this problem. so at the moment i dont have any brackets, and i know the place that installed it probably doesnt, and if they did they will act dumb to me and pretend they didnt exist. so i kind of have to find my own brackets.

so essentially i need to somehow mount the LCD where the vents are? is that correct? theres no real way of mounting back to the new headunit i guess, probably differnet sizing and what not.

I guess the best option really now is to buy the dashkit you bought (since it came with the brackets to mount the LCD). would you know if the dashkit works on pioneer AVIC F-700 (its a double din nav unit)


edit: and my LCD screen isnt installed at all in my car right now. the dashkit they used gave a black piece of plastic that fills where the LCD was, so its not a gaping whole, but its just plastic now. kinda shitty lol

[5_Alive]

I also have a DD Pioneer nav unit. He dash kit I bought was a bit pricey, but very well worth it.
I think Best Buy has them for around $25, check with them first.

The LCD still sits where it used to be and everything. All the L brackets do is give it the OEM mount location for the screws.
Obviously whoever installed it didn't care or didn't know..

[Mafty]

I also have a DD Pioneer nav unit. He dash kit I bought was a bit pricey, but very well worth it.
I think Best Buy has them for around $25, check with them first.

The LCD still sits where it used to be and everything. All the L brackets do is give it the OEM mount location for the screws.
Obviously whoever installed it didn't care or didn't know..

yea i looked up a kit online and see what your talking about.

my only concern now is, because they already installed the new headunit, they soldered a new wiring harness on, so will my old H/U even be able to plug back in now to get the LCD working? because the new H/U required a dif wiring harness (i believe)

[5_Alive]

The only soldering of any kind they did was the new wiring harness to the Pioneer harness. Eg. speaker leads, remote, power, ground, etc.
Your LCD harness is not touched, nor is the cars main plug. You can simply unplug the pioneer from the harness (coming from the car) and plug the factory back in with the LCD.
Remember, the LCD has a separate plug that is linked, so your all good.

If you can locate some of those mounts for your LCD, that would be fantastic and a lot easier.

[Mafty]

The only soldering of any kind they did was the new wiring harness to the Pioneer harness. Eg. speaker leads, remote, power, ground, etc.
Your LCD harness is not touched, nor is the cars main plug. You can simply unplug the pioneer from the harness (coming from the car) and plug the factory back in with the LCD.
Remember, the LCD has a separate plug that is linked, so your all good.

If you can locate some of those mounts for your LCD, that would be fantastic and a lot easier.

ohhh ok. alright, i guess ill have to buy a new dash kit then, since the one i do have doesnt have brackets (and if it did, the guys who instaleld it tossed them). thanks for the help!

[phoenixrage]

semi-related, but what does the LCD hook up to? is there a control unit or does it just piggy back off the ECU?

I want to get the newer screen into my 05 when i goto an aftermarket dual din.

[5_Alive]

The LCD screen in my car has its own plug. The harness ties into the deck's harness(or it may not, its all taped up together), and then to the ECU or wherever it goes, I honestly have no idea.

[New2Mazda]

Can someone post all the options that the LCD can display that you have to choose from?

I was thinking of buying a mazda 3 s hatch and wanted to put in a sound system as I commute and the factory one didn't sound that great on the test drive.

One of the reasons I considered this car is the trip computer as I used the DTE, L/100km and so forth. If I put a stereo in I want to know which ONE option would be best for me.

[New2Mazda]

I was able to download the 2007 Mazda Owners manual. On page 6-55 it shows the LCD.

I just wanted to confirm the only section affected by an aftermarket stereo is the Trip Computer/Clock. Obviously the Audio display is affected since there is no audio. However is the Climate control/Ambient temperature displace on the right hand side affected? I will be getting a fully load mazda 3 2007+ with the auto climate.

The trip computer can display the following:
The current fuel economy.
The average fuel economy.
The approximate distance you can travel on the available fuel.
The average vehicle speed.
The current time (clock)

I can live with it showing just the current fuel economy, but I don't think I want to live without the climate control?

As a side note what is a place to put a decent amp in the mazda 3 hatchback without putting it in the trunk or on the back seats? Can it go under the driver / passenger seat or under the bench in the back?

As well is there any recommendation on types of speakers to install? Maybe a combined tweeter mid in the front doors and a small sub or low end in the back?

[New2Mazda]

has anyone used one of these products?

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_cleansweep_pages.php?page_id=94

apparently keep your factory radio and allows you to connect amps and speakers so there would be no loss of factory functionality?

[coyote]

I've made a little box that will interface the trip computer with you steering wheel controls. It also uses infrared to control your aftermarket deck. Works with Alpine Pioneer and Kenwood.

[gabbygenier]

has anyone used one of these products?

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_cleansweep_pages.php?page_id=94

apparently keep your factory radio and allows you to connect amps and speakers so there would be no loss of factory functionality?

There is a thread for this.

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=27415&highlight=cleansweep


I've made a little box that will interface the trip computer with you steering wheel controls. It also uses infrared to control your aftermarket deck. Works with Alpine Pioneer and Kenwood.

so what does this little box do exactly?

[coyote]

It connects to the steering wheel buttons to control the stereo and the trip computer. Made for '06 models and up. It comes preprogramed but the functions can be changed.

[b0b0]

It connects to the steering wheel buttons to control the stereo and the trip computer. Made for '06 models and up. It comes preprogramed but the functions can be changed.

Is this something you've modified or made from scratch?

I would be very interested in something like this... My current plan is to put in a Pioneer F700BT, with the adapter for the steering wheels control... The issue being of course the loss of CONTROL over the LED clock and trip computer.

Based on your post; I understand that you figured out a way to resolve this. Please let us know more...and where we can buy one! :)

[phoenixrage]

i too am interested, i have an 05, and looking to get an 07 LCD screen for when i put in an aftermarket deck. if it can work the LCD screen w/o being hooked up to the original deck, and just some wiring into the ECU, that'd be cool

[coyote]

I think I need 50 posts before I am allowed to sell on here. Not really sure what the rules are as well for something I make myself. I'm trying to get a business going (apart from my day job). If the moderators allow you can PM me for details. I have a few units available.

I really don't know about wiring a '07 into a '05. It might work, it might not.

[phoenixrage]

I think I need 50 posts before I am allowed to sell on here. Not really sure what the rules are as well for something I make myself. I'm trying to get a business going (apart from my day job). If the moderators allow you can PM me for details. I have a few units available.

I really don't know about wiring a '07 into a '05. It might work, it might not.

if it does work, or can be rigged up in some way, i'd be interested.

[tvmaster]

I think I need 50 posts before I am allowed to sell on here. Not really sure what the rules are as well for something I make myself. I'm trying to get a business going (apart from my day job). If the moderators allow you can PM me for details. I have a few units available.

I really don't know about wiring a '07 into a '05. It might work, it might not.

So, are you still making these work? How might I see one function, if possible. I have a 2007 that is about to get an aftermarket and I don't want to lose LCD functionality, if possible.