TFT Display with P3Tool Guide

Just writing that blog title filled me with a sense of dread. The TFT cluster swap is a topic so thoroughly discussed on the forums that I am scared to even open that can of worms on this website. Not only is it a slightly complicated mess, but often when I do write ups I try to be as technical and cover as much of the topic as possible meaning this could turn into a LONG post. So buckle up cause this is gonna be a nerdy one

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Introduction

The TFT cluster swap is a common modification for the P3 chassis Volvos to update the original “watch face” style gauge cluster (also referred to as a DIM, or Drivers Information Module) to the facelifted digital style found in the 2014+ models. This applies to all P3 chassis cars like the V70, S80, XC70, XC60, and S60. The V60 is left off this list as it was only sold in the US from the 2014 MY onwards and as such already has the TFT display.

The digital cluster is preferred since it adds back in some information for the driver like engine temps, as well as offering different display themes (some of which can be modded and changed further with editing tools). Since it shares the same shell as the pre-facelift DIM, they are a near “plug and play” swap when it comes to physically installing it into the car.

These updated DIMs can often be found on eBay and now even in junkyards as these cars become older and sent to dismantlers.

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Prerequisites, Parts, and Supplies

Before we start taking stuff apart and soldering wires, lets get all of the items we are going to need / use for this cluster swap.

Hardware

• Windows PC laptop

• Volvo DICE unit

• Battery tender

• 2014+ TFT Display (multiple part numbers available*)

• 2 Volvo cluster pins (I took these from a P1 cluster, more on this later).

• Soldering Iron

• Torx Bits

• Pick / Pinning Tool

• 20 AWG Wire

• (Optional) Replacement Instrument Panel Glass Lens (31376800)

Software

• Cars CEM PIN Unlocked

• Up to date DICE drivers

• P3Tool w/ active license

And here is the part where I would have a well written and photographed step-by-step instructions on the rest of the process, however…

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The Swap

I started working on this article in January of 2023, it is now mid August of 2023 and I have still to “finalize” this swap. That being said there are some updates now later in the year, and I do in fact have the cluster installed. In the August update of P3Tool Johnny added full functionality to do the TFT swap and even included tools to rewrite software on the TFT to better get them to work on various models. I did not end up taking photos of my process for the install, luckily this is a very well known process and there are multiple guides online you can follow to do the wiring and physical install of the cluster.

The TFT I refurbished is a V2 model, these can be identified by the additional venting on the rear.

The “V1” Model without venting

“V2” Model with Venting

“V3” Model only found in very late model XC60s

The TFTs got progressively better with the later model years, with slightly faster CPUs and slight quality of life updates. Any of these can be used as they are all the same size and use the same plug.

I followed all the instructions online for the hardware side of things, taping into the two wires from the ODB2 port, etc. Got the cluster installed and went to work in P3tool. This is where I will share how my install went and the changes I needed to make to ensure everything was working.

First we need to set some parameters, these are in parameter number order so some may not be applicable or wanted for your install:

1. P#013: Screen Skins

   • 0x04 = R-Design

2. P#040: DIM Type

   • 0x02 = DIM Type Basic LED

3. P#101: TPMS

   • 0x01 = Without TPMS

4. P#112: Indirect TPMS

   • 0x01 = Without indirect TPMS

5. P#247: Fueltank Sensors

   • 0x01 = Fueltank, 1 sensor

The DIM type change is required, along with the Indirect TPMS and Fuel Tank Sensors. I have TPMS disabled on my car since I am using wheels from a V90 without TPMS sensors in the valve stem. Some of the TFT clusters come from cars that do not use TPMS but rather iTPMS which measures the rolling diameter of the wheels to determine air pressure. I had a permanent TPMS light on the TFT until I switched parameter 112 off Undefined. Additionally the TFT uses data from parameter 247 which is 1 sensor for FWD, and 2 sensors for AWD. Without this, the fuel gauge will either not read or read improperly. (I am still working through testing this.)

Next, lets move over to the new P3 DIM tab in P3Tool.

Here we will begin to prep the old cluster for removal (they can function fine with all of these parameter changes made, and even the extra wires into the plug).

Here is the step by step instruction:

1. Read Milage from original DIM

2. Read EEPROM from original DIM

3. Full Backup of original DIM

4. Install new TFT DIM

5. Full Backup of TFT DIM

6. Select Fuel Tank Model (Select based on FWD or AWD)

7. Select Model Year of your car

8. Select Base Flash

9. Click Write Flash

The DIM will go blank as the data is being written to it. Once it is done, it should light up with everything working. Make sure to reset the SRL and set the Time before unplugging as these can not be done without Sensus (in models without Sensus center screen).

Initially configured before fixing the fuel gauge.

Changing the fuel tank parameter.

The config and guide here should work for all 3.2 V70s in the US as they are all the same spec. Keep in mind this is just the first revision of the software so expect some hang ups. Always make sure to make backups and keep your original DIM handy as there are reported cases of some TFT clusters becoming corrupted during the flashing process.

Facility Upgrades and Updates Pt. 2 - Tow Dolly

One of the biggest things needed for the business since I started was a way to tow cars. My Volvo 960 has always made a great tow vehicle, albeit a little slow. Now that I had the space, it was time to spend the money and buy a tow dolly to bring cars back for parting out.

Finding a tow dolly for cheap is no easy process. They tend to hold their value very well, as they really only exist in 2 states. Working and not working. Additionally there is a buyer at almost any price point for a dolly, mostly people trying to rent them out or start a towing service. The one I bought was a last minute deal, having to do most of the drive during the cold night hours of early March.

(Its worth noting I started writing this in March, and it is currently August as I am finishing it. Sorry!)

The first issue I had to tackle was actually getting the trailer lighting to work. The wiring was clearly redone multiple times in its lifetime, and was a absolute disaster of home grade wires and twist connectors. Additionally, the plug at the end was an ancient 5 pin design that wasn’t going to work at all with the 4 pin connector on my Volvo 960.

The crusty original wiring.

The trailer had clearly been sitting for some time in the previous owners property. Most surfaces had a thick layer of lichen and dirt. I trimmed the wiring back to just the black and red running through the chassis of the trailer and set about removing each fender for its new lighting. Everything already on the trailer was scrapped. Wiring, lights, everything. I wanted to make sure the new system was all LED for better reliability and brightness. On top of all that, I hated the goofy blue and white paint job the dolly had come from the factory with and I planned a full repaint.

A coat of STEEL-IT applied inside the barn. The cold weather outside forced me to work inside for a decent amount of time.

For each fender I planned on a new brake / turn lamp along with 2 orange markers that would also follow the light pattern of the brake light.

I want to note that this setup is not optimal but with the two wire system, I could not separate the functions as the “brake” and “turn” are the same signal. The orange marker lamps allow oncoming vehicles to see my turn signals from the front due to the wide width of the dolly, but this also means they illuminate when braking.

Bench testing with a repurposed PC power supply.

New holes were drilled for wiring, and the lights were all self-tappered into the very thick metal of the fenders. Each one of these fenders weighs at least ~20+lbs, so an upgrade to plastic fenders will possibly be in this dollys future. I am not totally happy with the wiring management and the inside of the fender leaves very few options on where to run them. This lead to an issue with one wire being rubbed on the tire during use which I was able to remedy.

The deck and fenders painted.

Most importantly new wheels and tires were added. I sprung for some premounted black trailer wheels which I thought looked pretty good and cleaned up the look significantly. While the trailer was still a little ugly, it was time for its maiden voyage. Some new wheel tie downs and some grease in the hubs and it was off to the races.

6 hour round trip to pick up a drivetrain-less Volvo 740 to part out.

This first trip went off without a hitch. The trailer did great, and was surprisingly tame behind the 960. I did manage to lose a light on my second tow when I let this 740 off the trailer and it smacked the fender without me noticing. I was able to fix the bracket and move on, no harm no foul. As I have done a few more tows (longer distances and heavier vehicles) I have begun to add small upgrades here and there. The biggest bonus was adding a winch to the tongue. Now I should have gone with a wire cabled one over the one I bought, however after using it to pull a dead Volvo 760 turbo diesel onto the dolly, I felt that its probably good enough for the handful of uses it will get.

This winch is bolted through the frame. While it may not be as strong as welded, drilling a hole and running bolts from the hardware store through is my only option until I can afford a welding setup. The winch is from Harbor Freight, and the bolts were generic metric bolts and nuts from Lowes. They thankfully had a 4” long bolt that was a perfect fit for the application!

In preparation for its most recent tow job (the aforementioned 760 Turbo Diesel) I gave the dolly a second paint job. This time with a much stronger bed liner spray. This seemed to hold up much better, however I think the areas where the wheels sit will need a few extra coats to give them the protection I am looking for and to better hide and blue paint that comes through.

On this trip the sway from the trailer was much more noticeable when it was unloaded. This I think is in part to a fix I did on the tilt lockout system. The dolly has two locks for the tilt bed, one on the horizontal, and another that is vertical helping relieve strain from the horizontal pin. Unfortunately on this trailer that vertical clamp system is stripped out and would allow the collar to vibrate off, leading to more strain on the horizontal pin.

The collar and pin in question. Ignore the unfinished paint job.

I ended up drilling a hole into the top of the white tilt bed allowing the vertical pin to stay in place. This unfortunately means its no longer putting any pressure down on the system to sandwich the tilt system leading to more sway. I will remedy this with a D ring on the tilt bed which will be hooked to the winch when not in use. This in theory should eliminate the “lift” from the shifting deck and reduce sway.

The last upgrade I have planned is for the bearings. This lead me down a rabbit hole of wasted money and time. To give you some context almost all trailers, whether they be tow dolly’s or utility trailers use (for the most part) a standard wheel lug pattern and a standard hub ID for bearing and bearing caps. This standard is 1.98” for the ID of the hub, and a hub cover / dust boot is needed to prevent grease from flying out at speed. My trailer has none. Well it has one, but its missing parts so it may was well have none. I then spent a pretty penny on some of the best bearing covers on the market; Bearing Buddies. Well In my infinite wisdom I assumed the dolly would use the 1.98” covers. I even cross referenced this with the MasterTow website which lists their bearings having this measurement. Well lo-and-behold they arrive and they are too small. After some more mucking about, I finally break out the calipers and find the ID of my bearings is 52mm (2.047”in.). Great. That means at some point the hubs were replaced or the older models use this weird size. Additionally one of the grease zerks on one side of the axle is completely wallowed out and gone. GREAT.

The remnants of the dust boots on each side. No rubber cap at all.

The BearingBuddy installed with the new rubber protector.

With the correct size BB’s installed this trailer is ready for even more hard work and hopefully a much longer useable life. The BearingBuddies are great as the design has a grease zerk integrated into the face so extra grease can be packed behind them, helping eliminate my broken grease zerk issue.

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Personal Note:

I am finally back after a long hiatus of no content. I am still working on a write up for the new TFT dashboard for the V70, I have been waiting on Johnny of PxTool to finish adding the final code to the program that allows it to read and write with a wider selection of part numbers. I have been hard at work with the business and my house, so my time to write these has been limited. I hope you all enjoy this installment, and I look forward to making some great new write ups for you all.

Facility Upgrades and Updates Pt. 1 - John Deere 165 Hydro Restoration

Its been about a year since the last “state of the union” post on the business' so here is where we stand. I have decently purchased a new house on 2.6 acres of land. This includes a 3 car garage as well as a 3 car detached building in the back. While I will likely be getting more into detail as the year goes on and the renovation process starts finishing up on certain sections, one of my first purchases for the property was a lawn tractor. Not only will the vast lawns need to be cut, but it will also allow me to easily move vehicles and trailers around the property more easily. So with the winter still in full effect and the market for a lawn mower low, I set my sights on Facebook marketplace and found a nice running mower for a decent price.

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THIS….is a 1987 John Deere 165 Hydro. A 12 horsepower lawn tractor with a 38” mowing deck and fancy hydrostatic transmission. No gears here, just a lever to actuate fluid levels much like a torque converter.

Here is the first picture I took of it. Its a little dirty, but it seems to have been well cared for (for a 30 year old lawnmower) and was stored inside for most of its life so no rust or paint issues. it did have a rough running issue which the seller chalked up to a bad carb. So $500 and a firm handshake later I was the owner of a lawn mower.

Here it is after a quick wash and degrease. Still needs a deep clean but I get into that a little later. Once cleaned up I opened up the hood and went to work doing some basic fixes and replacements on key components. Unlike my Volvos, I pretty much hit this thing with the parts cannon and hoped for the best. I guess its easy to do when even the OEM parts are only a couple bucks.

New heat shrink on the loose wire.

When the mower was delivered the positive cable had completely been pulled from the eyelet bolted to the battery. This was a quick fix with some pliers and a nice new shrink tube over to clean it up visually a little as the end of the eyelet was all chewed up. New battery bolts were also installed on both the positive and negative cable replacing the randomly sized bolts. I used an SAE bolt set from harbor freight but the sizes work out right at about an 11mm which should be more than ample.

As a side note, I know that this mower will probably live out the rest of its life with me, however whenever I do a repair I always try to keep in mind that maybe someone will be working on it after me and try to make it as high quality and standardized as possible.

Probably original fuel hose.

The day before I swung by Lowes and picked up some 1/4 inch hose knowing that most of the lines on the mower would need replacing. This way I dont have to worry about leaks in the engine bay. The other two braided lines could also stand to be replaced as well, however I will wait till the end of mowing season to do this refresh.

With the hose clamps on and the OEM carb cleaned and an Amazon special carb installed. I took the mower out into the yard for its first mow test. Unfortunately, this did not last long. Ater just a couple yards of mowing with the PTO engaged, it began to lose power and stopped running in the middle of the yard. With some help, I was able to get it pushed back into the garage and I was back to the drawing board.

I decided to go back to the OEM carb as all the pieces I needed to properly restore it were finally delivered. I had a pail of Chem-Dip that I used to soak the carb for 24 hours, this allowed any deposits inside the carb to break down and become lose for a second round of carb cleaner spray. I also used some Scotch-brite scuff pads to clean the gasket surfaces of the carb and used the new gaskets from the Amazon carb. The last new piece installed was a new sparkplug. The manual for the 165 states that a Champion or NGK spark plug can be used, so of course I went with the much better NGK.

The Champion plug was all fouled and of unknown age. I also have suspicion to believe that the Chinese made replacement carburetor was running the engine too rich and possibly fouling out the plug with too much fuel. Either way, with these new / rebuilt parts installed I threw everything back together and its back off to the races for the little 12HP Kawasaki.

The next upgrade was a nice new set of front wheels. These really make the tractor pop, and the new tires should last me a long time. The only snag I ran into was with actually installing the wheels. The offset of them was slightly different than the stock wheels. Therefore once they were installed onto the axle, I just had to add 2 machine washers so that there was no side to side play on the axle. Added some grease through the zerks and they are ready for the season. I am planning on also doing the rears, however I will need to remove the tires to repaint the rims. This will allow me to also install new valve stems as the originals are slowly falling apart. (Additionally, one of the wheels has a bunch of plugs in it, and are probably in need of replacing soon anyway).

The final step for prepping the mower for the season will be to sharpen the blades. Thankfully the seller gave me an extra set of blades so I can use those on a bench grinder to practice in case I mess them up. For this I bought a harbor freight bench grinder and installed it in the barn. I will use the wire wheel side to clean up the blades, then I will coat them in STEELIT to prevent rust, then finally sharpen them with the grinder wheel.