Instrument Cluster help needed

June 20, 2006, 04:19:22 PM

I am trying to swap out my current instrument cluster on my 1988 thunderbird. It is know as the base model, it has a digital speedometer and needles for all the other gagues, while the cluster i am trying to put in is known as the full electric and has a digital speedometer and a digital tachometer in it. However after connecting the new cluster the tachometer does not light up or anything, and neither does the gas gauge that is under the tachometer. And when the new cluster is plugged correctly is it very dull, but all the lights have been replaced so its not the lights in the cluster. However when i first tried to install this cluster the speedometer part and the fuel economy rating part lit up fine it was jsut the tachometer that did not light up. Anybody have any idea of what to do? The only information I could obtain about the two clusters was at http://www.coolcats.net/tech/general/clusters.html. The cluster in question are the base clickable(which was factory installed in my car) and the full electric clickable which is the cluster i am trying to put into the car. Or if anybody knows a website where i can obtain a new version cluster that will allow me to have a similar tach as in the full eclectric model, that would be greatly appreciated as well.

Instrument Cluster help needed

Reply #1 – June 20, 2006, 10:37:29 PM

Sorry this may be a stupid question...Since you referenced the coolcats website, you did rewire the connectors right?

The base cluster and full digital cluster wiring on the connectors differ from each other, so when you do the swap you have to do some rewiring.

The other issue is the sensors (especially the fuel sender) are different in the car that has the base cluster compared with the car that came with the full digital cluster, so replacing sensors is additional work that has to be done to get the sensors to read right.