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Installing a ZJ/XJ overhead console:

zluster

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Colorado Baby!
The jist of this is that you need to take a ZJ overhead console(96-98), ZJ BCM(96-98) and vinivan console, do some work, and then have it work just the same as the factory overhead console in the 97+ XJs.

Since 97+ console are pretty rare this is a way to use relatively abundant parts to get the same functionality.

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Last edited:
Re: Installing a overhead console:

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You're a fukkin nerd ... but that was pretty cool. :D

Ok to do this you will need a 96-98 ZJ trip computer, 96-98 ZJ BCM(body control module).

You could probably make the whole ZJ console fit into the XJ(its mount at the rear is the same), and do the wiring below to make work.

Or you can take a consol out of a minvan(which is the same as the XJ, with the exception of the computer), and use the ZJ guts(look below for that post from another person).

Testing apparatus of dangling wires:
console1.jpg

Headlights on, displayed on brightest dim setting:
console2.jpg

Headlights on, lowest dim setting:
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Re: Installing a overhead console:

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This is the connector for the sentry key module, if you do or dont have this you could tap into the CCD bus here. If you do have it then you could still tap into in the CCD bus, but I would recommend pulling power/ground from the cig lighter. If you dont have the sentry key then you could pull your power, ground, and CCD bus lines from this unused plug, and run 2 wires for the temp sensor up to the ZJ BCM which would be convenently stored and wired out of the way under the steering column in that huge space shown.

This would mean you would only need to run a single switched power wire up to the over head consol, all the other wiring will be in place.

Otherwise if you choose to install the ZJ BCM up with the overhead console(end there is room to tuck it up there, you would need to run a power, and 2 wires for the temp sensor.

I like the solution of putting the ZJ BCM down at the kick panel and then running only a single power wire from the cig lighter up to the overhead console.
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This is the pinout diagram for the sentry key connector:
sentry.png


Here are the specific wires that you will need to use for the ZJ BCM:
console13.jpg

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And the pinout diagrams of those:
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Re: Installing a overhead console:

You will need the CCD bus, grounds, courtesy lamps, and fused power to provide to the ZJ trip computer:
RKE1.png

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Here is the ZJ trip computer pinout(the red connector in the above photos).
Connect your switched power wire you run and your wires from the RKE plug to make this work, like I said above you can either put the ZJ BCM up there and tie it into all that wiring, like I did on my test setup, or put it down at the footwell, it wont matter either way, the ZJ BCM transmits the data on the CCD bus, so it doesnt matter where you put it(you could even put it in the engine bay and tie into the CCD bus at the PCM if you felt so inclined)
C339.png



dietz wireup on using the vinivan consol, combine his console with my ZJ wiring stuff and you have yourself a rigged up but perfectly functional consol for a XJ that looks and works the same.




dietz writeup:


Ok, so I was rooting around in the junkyard today and I came across a 95+ Chrysler minivan with what appeared to be the same center roof console as an XJ... I did a little more looking around and decided I would go ahead and grab it, and see what I could come up with.

I noticed that newer ZJ's had a blank dummy pannel the same sized as the one in the minivans except it was lacking the rear window switches. So I grabbed one of these.

IMG_2102.jpg


Here you can see the difference between the Cherokee Overhead console and the Minivan Overhead console.

IMG_2101.jpg


This is what you will start with.

IMG_2097.jpg


To convert the Minivan Console you need to remove the back pannel from the console.

IMG_2106.jpg


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End result:

IMG_2098.jpg


Oh and on the console itself there is a Jeep part number as well as the minivan part number so they are the same unit.

IMG_2108.jpg


I even went as far as plugging the 2 consoles into my 96's existing overhead console's wiring and it worked perfectly with the exception of gas mileage and trip computer. So I would assume you would be able to get this to work in a pre 96, without the gas mileage or trip computer working. Next time im up the yard im going to grab the wire harness from the minivan and see if this works as well.

Hope this helps you guys!
 
Nice, Tagged for future refrence.
How about one of the smaller overhead consoles (Example: 00 Grand Cherokee console), Can it be made to function?
 
garr said:
Nice, Tagged for future refrence.
How about one of the smaller overhead consoles (Example: 00 Grand Cherokee console), Can it be made to function?

No, 99+ WJ will not work.

The WJ used the single wire PCI bus for data communication, the XJ uses the older CCD twisted pair, the two are not compatible.

I should also note that this trip computer should work for any DCJ vehicle with the CCD bus, though some of the older vehicles will not have all the information needed on the CCD bus.

This means you could install this trip computer on an older TJ. However at some point the TJ switched from the CCD bus to the PCI, if you wanted a trip computer for a newer TJ with the PCI bus you would want the overhead console out of a WJ, or KJ.
 
Slo-Sho said:
What year did the CCD bus start in the XJ's?

96 will have the CCD bus too, so this writeup will apply to installing this consol in the 96 as well.

The CCD bus was first used in the late 80s, so I suspect that all non renix Jeeps have a CCD bus, even if they are not OBDII.

To that end it may be possible to rig this console to work in the 95- cherokees.

I suspect that the information for things like the gas tank level is not availbile on the CCD bus on a 95 cherokee.

However if you look at the pinout diagrams for the 93-95ZJ you will see that they have connectors for the CCD bus(for engine rpm, vehicle speed etc) and analogue inputs for things like the headlight dimmer, gas tank level etc.

The difference between that and the 96-98 Zj is that the 96+ ZJ has a BCM which incorporates those signals, and broadcasts them as data on the CCD bus.


To that end I think it would be possible to either take a 93-95ZJ console, provide it with CCD bus connections, as well as the other connections it requires(such as fuel level and dimmer control) and wire it in, I think the minivan console would also work to this effect as I think the minivan consoles use the same trip computer(but don't quote me on this).

The other way to do this would be to use the 96+ ZJ BCM as I pictured above, the 96+ ZJ console, and wire in all those other inputs to the ZJ BCM, the ZJ BCM will then broadcast that information on the CCD bus, and the overhead console will then pull that information to do its mileage calculations.


However I should note that on my 00 XJ I tried supplying the ZJ BCM with the dimmer intensity signal from my headlight switch without success, in the course of my experimentation I found that by leaving the right grounds disconnected from the ZJ BCM that I was able to resolve the issue. The issue had been that with all the grounds connecting there was a conflicting data packet about the dimmer intensity, this caused the overhead console to flash between the correct dim setting, and the full intensity, needless to say this would be unacceptable at night and annoying during the day.

so if you try to go the ZJ BCM route with the newer ZJ overhead console, you may run into that same issue. either way I think something could be done to install the console and be fully functional for you 95 and older guys.
 
Update:

Found out something VERY interesting tonight, I picked up a liberty AC control unit that was laying around in the garage, and noticed the plug on the back looked very similar to the XJ console plug.

Ran down stairs and checked, sure enough the plugs are the same.

Downside, the KJ ac plug does not have enough wires; the KJ plug has 5 wires and the XJ plug has 9.

So to make a working plug out of KJ parts you would need to get 2 KJ AC plugs, remove the pins from one, and install them into the XJ plug to make it all work.

Now I also realized that you do not actually need the plug to do this if you just hardwire it together, I was thinking the overhead console was like the ZJ, where the wires would need to be soldered onto the PCB board pins.


If you remove the female connector and splice directly onto the wiring on the console it will work, just use this pinout and the pinout for the RKE. then you will need to run a switched power wire, and the temp sensor positive and negative.

XJ_trip.png
 
Has anyone successfully modified the sunglasses holder to fit a pair of modern sunglasses? None of my sunglasses fold flat enough to fit.
 
I think I have it figured out for the older cherokees(HO cherokees).

the older ZJ overhead console had dedicated inputs for things such as fuel level, temp, dimmer switch etc - as well as the CCD bus. The 96-98 ZJ BCM was only to pass the temp sensor data to the ZJ overhead console, if you were wiring in an older ZJ overhead console there is nothing you would need a newer BCM for.


So basically, a 93-95 ZJ trip computer needs more wiring connected to it, but it *should* also work with a HO XJ MJ.........it might be limited to 93+ HO XJs.

Right now this is all untested, buyer beware.




ok folks..........lets get started on how you would do this:
Look at page 4 here:
http://colorado4wheel.com/allmanuals...M/WIRING_2.PDF

Now download the 95 ZJ FSM here:
http://colorado4wheel.com/allmanuals/Jeep/ZJ/

And look at pages 191-193, and page 351. You will see that the ZJ overhead console will need all those inputs.

Basically, it looks like any HO(or post renix 2.5L) should be compatible with the 93-95ZJ overhead console, with a little bit of work to wire it in.

I should also note that the caravan overhead console looks like it has the exact same trip computer, IE if you sourced a caravan console you would not need to go through all the hoopla of installing the ZJ trip computer and BCM into the caravan console. The caravan console is the same as the XJ console, minus the before mentioned rear switches - you should be able to take an older caravan console and wire it into the XJ with no modifications to the console itself, just a wiring mess into the XJ.
 
So basically, a 93-95 ZJ trip computer needs more wiring connected to it, but it *should* also work with a HO XJ MJ.........it might be limited to 93+ HO XJs.

Right now this is all untested, buyer beware.
Continuing here what we started talking about over at Comanche Club...i picked up a 94 ZJ overhead console to give this a try on my 92 MJ. So i guess i'll be the test case. I already have a functioning XJ overhead console installed, so the temp sensors and power are known to be good. After looking over the links you've posted, at a minimum i'm going to need to run two wires to the bus and one to the fuel gauge.

Hopefully i'll get some time over the weekend to give it a try.
 
Boilermaker said:
Continuing here what we started talking about over at Comanche Club...i picked up a 94 ZJ overhead console to give this a try on my 92 MJ. So i guess i'll be the test case. I already have a functioning XJ overhead console installed, so the temp sensors and power are known to be good. After looking over the links you've posted, at a minimum i'm going to need to run two wires to the bus and one to the fuel gauge.

Hopefully i'll get some time over the weekend to give it a try.

Thinking about this some more you might need to incorporate a ZJ BCM into the mix.

right now the VSS signal does goto the ECU on a 93XJ, however the XJ PCM may not pass any speed information on via the CCD bus. If that is the case all the odo and gas mileage functions wont work.........and you would need to incorporate a ZJ BCM to get them to work.

Report back and let us know what happens...............
 
Thinking about this some more you might need to incorporate a ZJ BCM into the mix.

right now the VSS signal does goto the ECU on a 93XJ, however the XJ PCM may not pass any speed information on via the CCD bus. If that is the case all the odo and gas mileage functions wont work.........and you would need to incorporate a ZJ BCM to get them to work.
hmm...that could be a concern since i don't see a bcm for the 93-95 zj in the fsm. well, i'll still give wiring up what i have a try, if it doesn't work this way i'm only out 20 dollars and little bit of time.
 
Gravesdiggerxj said:
where is the factory temp sensor located?

I just pulled an overhead console from a 00' to put in my 99' and wasn't aware that there was a temp sensor, I just grabbed the harness that plugs in behind the kick panel. What else do I need to make it work?

temp sensor that mounts up behind the front bumper on the lower radiator support, you will see the wiring for the sensor run up there, just plug it in and have fun.
 
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