instument clu8ster swap

[yonu]

quieck question I have a 93 ranger without tach I picked up a cluster from a 93 ranger with tach and wanted to find out what all I would have to do to swap them I have no problem with have to move some wires around just not sure where to begin.

Thanks,
yonu

 

[Cleveburg]

quieck question I have a 93 ranger without tach I picked up a cluster from a 93 ranger with tach and wanted to find out what all I would have to do to swap them I have no problem with have to move some wires around just not sure where to begin.

Thanks,
yonu

If it is actually from a 93, you have no problem at all, just plug it in.

HOWEVER... I did the same mod a few years ago on my '93. I was told by the seller that the cluster was from a '93 Ranger. When I got it home I checked it over thoroughly and compared it to the tachless cluster that I was replacing. After tracing out all the connector lines I found nothing was on the same pin. I also found a tiny stamp on the unit that said it was manufactured in Feb. of 1992. I suspect it came from a '92 Explorer.

Long story short, I rewired the two connectors, which wasn't that big a deal once I had everything listed and marked as to what went where. Only two wires had to cross over to the other connector. As I recall, the connectors have a retaining bar that pops off and allows for easy removal of the pins. Even if the original cluster had no tach, the tach signal wire is there anyway.

I wanted to retain my odometer reading, but it isn't easy to reset an odometer, so I simply took the mechanical guts out of the original speedometer and transplanted them into the new cluster. The new cluster had a slightly different color scheme than the old one- gold highlights rather than blue- so I couldn't simply move the entire speedometer module to the new cluster. You may be able to just swap the whole speedo module.

While you are in there, it is a good time to make the oil pressure "idiot gauge" mod. Get a real oil pressure sender- a NAPA OP6091 will work- and install it on the engine in place of the current OP sender. Then, on the back of the instrument cluster, find the 20 ohm resistor that is in series with the oil pressure gauge, and solder a piece of insulated wire across it to short it out. You now have an actual oil pressure gauge.

 

[yonu]

Thanks I will check however I pulled the cluster myself so i know it is from a 93 and I will check on that part

 

[yonu]

I want to make sure I am on the right page here is i go from this cluster

to thiis cluster it should be strictly plug and play correct?

 

[Cleveburg]

I have my old cluster right here...

My original cluster looks like the one in the first photo- the gauge symbols and the kilometer scale is in BLUE. On the replacement, those items are in GOLD. If I'm not mistaken, the gold color was from 1992 and back to whenever they started with this style of cluster. The date of manufacture on my original cluster is June 10, 1993. The assembly date of the truck is August 3, 1993. The replacement cluster had a February 1992 DOM. I think that was the date, if memory serves...

On the back of the cluster, the original has a GREEN flex circuit (the printed circuit connecting everything). The replacement has a RED flex circuit.

Your second photo is a little unclear, I can't tell what color the symbols and KM scale are. If they are gold, you might want to be a little cautious before plugging that in. Perhaps someone else reading this can clarify the blue/gold issue. Also, I'm not sure if the flex circuit color is related to year or cluster style. Are tach clusters red, or does red mean 92 and back?

If in doubt, do what I did and trace out the circuit. It's easy to follow a trace on the flex circuit and determine which gauge it goes to. List out what goes where on both clusters. Compare the lists. If it don't match, don't plug it in.

Somewhere I must have my notes from when I did this, but it was at least three years ago so they are probably buried deep in the archives. I'll see if I can dig 'em up.

The speedo module is the same in both styles, with or without tach. To preserve your odo reading swap either the whole module or just the guts.

 

[yonu]

sorry about the other pic and here is a better pic I have a green PCB and it is dated 89 if i read the code right

 

[Cleveburg]

Well, I see gold symbols and KM scale. You sure about the green flex circuit? I can see the edges of it- along the bottom, behind both rows of lights- and it sure looks red to me. Got a photo of the back of the cluster? To clarify, the flex circuit is on the back side of the instrument cluster.

Also, I found some of my notes but I have to transcribe them to digital format.

 

[yonu]

here is a pic of it

 

[Cleveburg]

Ok, that looks green, or blue, to me. You may be safe plugging it in, but you still might want to check the connections. Here's my connection list from my original notes:

ORIGINAL CLUSTER- NO TACHOMETER

C1- Vertical connector, left side of cluster facing the back side (C250)

PIN FUNCTION COLOR
1 RIGHT TURN SIGNAL WHT/LT BLU
2 GROUND BLK/WHT
3 ILLUMINATION LT BLU/RED
4 HIGH BEAM INDICATOR GRY/WHT
5 SEAT BELT LIGHT DK GRN/LT GRN
6 NO CONNECTION
7 NO CONNECTION
8 NO CONNECTION (TACH SIGNAL WIRE PRESENT) DK GRN/YEL
9 NO CONNECTION (TACH GROUND WIRE PRESENT) BLK/YEL
10 * BRAKE LIGHT SIGNAL VIO/WHT
11 4WD HIGH INDICATOR (NC ON 2WD) LT BLU
12 4WD LOW INDICATOR (NC ON 2WD) BRN/WHT
13 ABS LIGHT DK GRN
14 12V WITH IGNITION ON RED/YEL


C2- Horizontal connector, right side of cluster facing the back side (C251)

PIN FUNCTION COLOR
1 GROUND BLK
2 OIL PRESSURE SIGNAL WHT/RED
3 12V WITH IGNITION ON RED/YEL
4 NO CONNECTION BLK/WHT
5 * FUEL SIGNAL BOARD PIN 1 YEL/WHT
6 LEFT TURN SIGNAL LT GRN/WHT
7 NO CONNECTION
8 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT PINK/LT GRN
9 LOW OIL LIGHT GRY
10 TEMP GAUGE GROUND BLK/WHT
11 TEMP GAUGE SIGNAL BLK/LT BLU
12 12V WITH IGNITION ON RED/WHT
13 BATTERY LIGHT LT GRN/RED
14 BATTERY LIGHT GRY/YEL

 

[yonu]

Thanks I will get my old panel pulled out tomorrow and compare them

Thanks,
yonu

 

[yonu]

I wanted to say thanks and I am sure what you posted will help however I have to hunt down another cluster the one I had had a bad PCB

Just got a chance to try and put it in

Thanks,
yonu

 

[Cleveburg]

I wanted to say thanks and I am sure what you posted will help however I have to hunt down another cluster the one I had had a bad PCB

Just got a chance to try and put it in

Thanks,
yonu

If you have an ohmmeter you can ring out the connections on the PCB and find where the problem is.

It is possible that the flex circuit has a crack somewhere, but ordinarily the only time I've seen that is on a circuit that actually flexes. Possibly it isn't making a good connection at the plugs or at one of the gauge sockets. The only active components (besides the gauges) are on the little plug-in anti slosh card for the fuel gauge. That circuit hasn't changed, the one from the old cluster can swap into the new one.

 

[yonu]

actually i get alot of crossed signals for instance if I put the meter on the pin for highbeam ind I get a reading on both brake and belts on the ground side and the 12+ side of both

 

[Cleveburg]

actually i get alot of crossed signals for instance if I put the meter on the pin for highbeam ind I get a reading on both brake and belts on the ground side and the 12+ side of both

You're probably reading the resistance through the lamps. To get an accurate check of the PCB you would have to remove all the bulbs and gauges to eliminate any stray resistance.

 

[yonu]

that is with the bulbs removed

 

[yonu]

ok I got the crossed signals fixed separated the 2 layers and cleaned between them now I just have to sort out the connectors as I came out of a 90 ranger(pulled it myself) however the pinouts don't even come close the matching wwhat is in my 93

 

[Cleveburg]

ok I got the crossed signals fixed separated the 2 layers and cleaned between them now I just have to sort out the connectors as I came out of a 90 ranger(pulled it myself) however the pinouts don't even come close the matching wwhat is in my 93

I mentioned previously that the pinouts changed from 93 on. The 92 cluster I got didn't match the connectors on my 93 truck. Changing the connectors is relatively easy, merely move some of the pins around. There is a retaining bar in the connectors that, once removed, allow the pins to slip out. I don't recall precisely where this retaining bar is, either on the front or back of the connector, but it did simply snap out and then snap back in. Almost all of the wires move between locations on the same connector, except for one on each connector, which swap places. These would be the brake light and the fuel signal, marked with a * in the list a few posts above. One of these wires I was able to pull through the harness and re-route to the appropriate connector, the other I had to cut and splice. Neither was that big a deal.

I do have a list of what swaps to where, unfortunately, I don't have the list at work, where I am presently located. When I am home I will post that list.

 

[yonu]

thank you that would be great I just would not have believed they changed it this much

 

[Cleveburg]

thank you that would be great I just would not have believed they changed it this much

It changed a lot, and for no apparent reason, other than maybe to simplify the layout of the flex circuit.

 

[yonu]

question if i solder the jumper on the oil pressure gauge will it work til I can get the new sending unit?

The depressing thing is that alldata doesn't even list the cluster connector diagram until the 93 model