Hello all,
I realize there is a lot of info regarding the overhead console swap. Lots of info regarding different models of Dodge too, but I need some assistance from anyone who has done this or has wiring diagrams for the 04 dodge caravan. I purchased an 04 grand caravan recently and it came with the cheap two map lights overhead, no computer at all. I do not have any power opening doors and I didn't want any useless buttons, and I didn't want to go with the evic because supposedly without tmps sensors, it would just keep telling me my tires were low, so I went to a salvage yard and picked up one of the lower-end looking overhead consoles. see attachment. Does anyone know if this overhead console displays INSTANT MPG somehow? I tried and tried, can't get it to do so. Avg MPG yes, not instant. I will say for anyone trying to do the swap, my vehicle is an 04 Grand Caravan, and the donor was an 05 grand caravan, not sure what specific model. I was lucky in that I was able to snag the plastic bracket that holds the console and clipped a long piece of the cables coming off the console and also a long piece from the BCM at the lower right hand B pillar. Would've taken the whole darn cable, but it was hotglued to the top of the ceiling panel and it was just not budging in this freezing weather. I took it home and unplugged my original BCM wiring harness (breaking that red safety tab in the process) and temporarily connected all the wires from the harness of the console and the wires from the harness of the BCM, just to see if it would work...I layed it down on the passenger front seat and started her up. I was pleasantly surprised. it turns out my 04 apparently already has the thermometer sensor in place because an accurate temperature was displayed and changed a bit during driving. Compass works as well. Avg MPG is displayed, but no instant MPG. All I did was connect the console to the BCM. I DO have two wires left over coming out of the console connectors, and one wire left over coming out of the BCM connector. My two big map lights DO NOT work when pressed and I am guessing that I should connect those loose two wires from the console connectors to the plug that originally supplied my original cheapo lights, but I don't want to risk anything just yet. Maybe I'll take a multimeter to those two loose wires and see if they have continuity to the light switch in the console. The led spotlight thing does work though, goes on when the lights go on and the console dims with the dimmer control along with the dash. So in short, does anyone know if there is a way to display instant MPG, and if anyone has the wiring diagrams for the overhead console and BCM. Thanks in advance.

 

Picked up another identical looking overhead console from an 02 caravan and was able to remove the entire harness wire. This one DOES show instant MPG.....apparantly dodge did away with that feature in 04, perhaps 03 as well, happier than a pig in ---- right now.

 

I've never had an overhead console that gave MPG. I'd like to know where it gets that data from. Chances are all models have the feature and it's probably just some pins on a computer.

The Android Torque app can't get the data because the PCM supposedly doesn't have the sensors..

 

I guess the console gets the info the same way it gets the average M.P.G., it must be a console calculation, it probably just continuously resets the average and gets an instantaneous read that way. I can tell you that a salvage yard pull from a 2005 grand caravan does NOT show instantaneous mpgs. My 2004 did not come with a console and I added it on. My owners manual shows all possible displays on the console (if equipped) and only shows average mpgs, so I guess no 2004 consoles make that calculation. I don't know about 2003 versions, but 2002 consoles DO indeed have both average and instant MPGs.

 

Just an update: I found a 2003 Sport that has the MPG factory. It seems to be avg only though, and it has "ECO" on it which I guess just means economy and not some special drive mode.. I'm not going to tear it down to find where it goes because I don't have the time, but I'd bet it goes directly to a computer pin somewhere..

I've got it up to 18.1 average doing 70MPH on a 65MPH hwy about 17 miles, but this van has an evap problem that may mess it up. I averaged 20.8MPG in a '01 with more body options thus weight using the old journal method where you note mileage difference on refills.. There is a dynamic though because of the arbitrary amount of fuel still in the tank after light..

 

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yes, the 01 02 (and 03?) versions have the "eco" mode which is the instantaneous MPG. 04 through 07 consoles do not have that "eco" mode. You can put an 01-03 console in the 04-07, but will lose the outside temperature reading (it will read -40).

 

I did the headliner in an '01 fully loaded sport once. There is a bunch of wires hot-glued to the liner paneling that goes down right windshield corner to dash.

'03 has it for sure though. This one has never been modified and has AVG with ECO. I'm fixing the evap issue right now and will see what I can get it up to after. I think on battery reset it jumps to around 8.4 almost instantly city driving and goes up slowly until you go out on open highway or interstate. It probably averages off like 10 samples with big delays between because there isn't much memory on any of the computers for it to use.