Has anyone retrofitted GR86 cluster into a 1st Gen yet

[vanko25]

Hi all,

I have been wandering if anyone messed with the idea of retrofitting the GR86/2022+ BRZ cluster in a 1st gen cars?

I have a Euro spec GT86 to which I have retrofitted the 2017+ cluster and it has been working fine using the Gerald's kit.

As the steering wheel seems the same I was wondering if swapping in the 2022 cluster would work as the connector on the back is the same too and there are few used ones on eBay too.

Thanks
Ivan

[norcalpb]

I’ve seen a picture of the gr86 cluster plugged into a Gen 1 car with all lights working but when I asked about it the guy was kinda secretive about it. I assume this means the connector is the indeed the same but I’d also like to find out more.

[gpvecchi]

Is shape the same?

[Teseo]

Maybe Kevin could know

[geraldjust]

Unfortunately it will not work. There is some pins are different. And they are arranged in different ways. Not to mention that some of the modules talk in different communication protocols like UART. Also all the canbus signals are completely different from both cars. So there is no level of plug-and-play like it was with the previous ones. Building a patch harness, and canbus translator might be possible, it would take so much R&D that it would make it in-practical in price.

[vanko25]

Originally Posted by geraldjust

Unfortunately it will not work. There is some pins are different. And they are arranged in different ways. Not to mention that some of the modules talk in different communication protocols like UART. Also all the canbus signals are completely different from both cars. So there is no level of plug-and-play like it was with the previous ones. Building a patch harness, and canbus translator might be possible, it would take so much R&D that it would make it in-practical in price.

Didn't expect them to go and change CANBUS signals and addresses. But maybe after the addition of the "smarter" Head unit and all the safety sensors/cameras there was a need for that.

Thanks for your comment Gerald.

Ivan

[Maafeu]

I purchased a new cluster and just connected it into my 1st gen. It lit up like a christmas tree. There was power, however every light, check engine, car features, etc were all going off.

I was able to look at the blueprints for both clusters and there are a few things that don't line up.

You can get the majority of them but for instance:

Pin 12 UART2 (WA-BOX) (Grey) - Warning Systems (new gauge)
Pin 19 IMB/Security - Security Systems 9 (new gauge)

do not speak the same language as the old cluster.

not to mention, indications for supplemental restraints, airbag control modules, clock assembly - these are different in the new cluster. Getting it to work would be amazing, however you would have to reverse engineer both clusters for you to understand how they work.

You can get the male and female of the 40 pin and do the correct pins for the majority of the lines, however there are key ones missing that would be a problem for proper operation of the vehicle.

[geraldjust]

Originally Posted by Maafeu

I purchased a new cluster and just connected it into my 1st gen. It lit up like a christmas tree. There was power, however every light, check engine, car features, etc were all going off.

I was able to look at the blueprints for both clusters and there are a few things that don't line up.

You can get the majority of them but for instance:

Pin 12 UART2 (WA-BOX) (Grey) - Warning Systems (new gauge)
Pin 19 IMB/Security - Security Systems 9 (new gauge)

do not speak the same language as the old cluster.

not to mention, indications for supplemental restraints, airbag control modules, clock assembly - these are different in the new cluster. Getting it to work would be amazing, however you would have to reverse engineer both clusters for you to understand how they work.

You can get the male and female of the 40 pin and do the correct pins for the majority of the lines, however there are key ones missing that would be a problem for proper operation of the vehicle.

Yeah although some of those signals will work, unless a canbus comes with a canbus to canbus converter where one side emulate an entire car for one. And then the other side of the leads the entire other side of the cluster to the rest of the car. Then I would work but that would mean reverse engineering both Gen one and two to work. Plus some signals on the old cars are purely analog, and some others are now digital. So there would have to be some sort of Io control too. Oh and something like this will never work on turnkey cars because of the fact that the immobilizer system on those cars as part of the cluster.