Gauge cluster calibration?

[Project Yellow]

I got a gauge cluster from a member a little over a year ago and never used it, I need to start using it so that the miles match my title and when I trade in my EP sometime next year it will have a clean carfax and only like 60,000 miles on it :tehehyper: I know, wrong-but funny.

ANYWAY. The cluster, when you plug it in is fine, but as soon as you put the key in the ignition all of the needles move around and go up to 1/2 way (So the car is not even on, and its reading I'm doing about 50 miles per hour). When the key is removed and they no longer have power to them, the fall VERY slowly back down to where they should be (like 20 minutes slowly).

Is this an error in the gauge its self, or a simple fix, like removing the plastic cover and just replacing the needles back down to zero when it has power? Does it need to be calibrated, if possible?

[dj addicted]

has that cluster been taken apart for any reason?

[Passenger]

whats the RPMs show.. Not for any mechanical reason I just wanna know what gear your gauge thinks you're at lol.

[the JigGa mAn]

dont you have to disclose the actual milage of the vehicle or else its fraudulent and illegal?

[Passenger]

dont you have to disclose the actual milage of the vehicle or else its fraudulent and illegal?

its totally legal yo.

[Project Yellow]

dont you have to disclose the actual milage of the vehicle or else its fraudulent and illegal?

I don't know the mileage. So If I just say I don't know, and they look themselves at my title, and compare it to my cluster. I didn't lie. :mangel: Dumb girl card!


The RPMs is the only one that doesn't move... 1/2 a tank of free gas is cool though. So no ones ever heard of this before? I thought maybe it got shaken up during shipping or something...

It has never been taken apart that I know of, I can't remember the members name who sent it to me it was too long ago.

[TTownEP]

Mine got fried with the eBay fog light wiring, and I had to rearrange the needles with the car running. My speedo is still not quite right, and my gas gauge is a little off from the way it was before.

You just take it out and pull the front plastic off, plug it back in, crank it up, and pull the needles off after they move into place. Get a full tank of gas so you know where to put that one, put the temp needle on C, put the speedo needle on 0. I can't remember what it idles at, but if you know where it's supposed to idle, put it on there. But anyway, you definitely have to have everything powered up when you place them on.

There was a thread with a link to a DC5 site that had better instructions, but it's probably lost in the last crash.

Oh, and if you pull them off, make sure you don't push them on too far, they will stick and give weird readings. My speedo would climb in steps. It would read 0, then jump up to 20, then jump up some more, as I accelerated.

[Project Yellow]

ooh thats a pain in the ass. So who ever I bought it from, its probably fried... well its worth a try.

[TTownEP]

I'm not saying it's fried, but it might have been opened at some point.

[Project Yellow]

So my theory of "it got shaken up during shipping" is out the window?

[Passenger]

So my theory of "it got shaken up during shipping" is out the window?

won't help you none even if it is the case. You can't unshake something
cccccccccccccaptainnnnnn obvious!!!

[Project Yellow]

But I'z been practicing...
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/1110/shakeweight.jpg (http://img402.imageshack.us/i/shakeweight.jpg/)

[TTownEP]

won't help you none even if it is the case. You can't unshake something
cccccccccccccaptainnnnnn obvious!!!

Sneaky sneaky...

[Johnny]

I need to start using it so that the miles match my title and when I trade in my EP sometime next year it will have a clean carfax and only like 60,000 miles on it :tehehyper: I know, wrong-but funny.


Yeah, ummm a little to much info their and don't find this funny. Maybe in the same category as a thief.

[thehulme]

take off the clear plastic cover, it just unclips from the black part. CAREFULLY pull straight up on the needles that are acting up to remove them. plug the harness into the taken apart cluster. with the engine cold, put the key in accessory mode/position. gently put the needles back onto the postion they should be in when the engine is not running (all on 0 or whatever). turn your engine on, rev it or drive it around a bit and see what happens.

to calibrate the gas gauge, fill your car with gas, do all the above and put the gas needle to full postion when the key is in the accessory position or engine is on.

if this doesn't fix your problem, there is an electrical problem in the cluster. not sure how you could fix that.

[TTownEP]

Yeah, ummm a little to much info their and don't find this funny. Maybe in the same category as a thief.
You should have read the thread on this car. She did the next buyer a huge favor.

[musashi1219]

Start car with old cluster and draw a diagram including the position of the needles

remove needles from new cluster and plug it in and start the car.. position needles as marked on your diagram. Your speedo will be a bit off since it rests on the stop post... feel free to set the car on cruise with someone pacing you and position the needle accordingly. You should do this on a long drive like to the mDBBQ from years ago it is safe trust me

[Project Yellow]

take off the clear plastic cover, it just unclips from the black part. CAREFULLY pull straight up on the needles that are acting up to remove them. plug the harness into the taken apart cluster. with the engine cold, put the key in accessory mode/position. gently put the needles back onto the postion they should be in when the engine is not running (all on 0 or whatever). turn your engine on, rev it or drive it around a bit and see what happens.

to calibrate the gas gauge, fill your car with gas, do all the above and put the gas needle to full postion when the key is in the accessory position or engine is on.

if this doesn't fix your problem, there is an electrical problem in the cluster. not sure how you could fix that.

Thank youuuuuu!

[thehulme]

no problem glad it worked.

[Project Yellow]

no problem glad it worked.

Hasn't worked yet... the speedometer is about 15 hours north of me at my familys shop... but I'm going to get it next month and fix it and drive back to Florida...

and btw TTown...thank you for understanding.

[TTownEP]

NP. Hate to see you get ripped on for that when you were asking for help.

Missed you guys at the Field Party too. The short time I was there I had a blast.

[Project Yellow]

Everyones got an opinion, it doesn't bother me.

Yeahhhh Im not happy that I missed it...but we will have to arrange another meet soon. Glad to hear ya'll had fun!