My aftermarket gauge cluster doesn't work correctly.

[Datdude86]

hey guys let me start off by saying that this is an awesome site... glad i found it. i recently got a 97 eddie bauer off a buddy for cheap. in process now of trying to find out all that is wrong with it and so fourth... i would really like to get some kinda lift for this thing. maybe like 3 to 4 inches. new to all this stuff so any kinda info i could get would be great. also i had a question about my gauge cluster...it is an aftermarket lighted kit that was in there when the kid sold me the truck. speedo is off by 20 and some of other gauges dont work at all how do i go about correcting that.???? thanks for taking time to read this really appreciate it.

 

[Super_Swamper_98]

The search button works great!

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

welcome

 

[Datdude86]

yea thanks im frimiliar wit the search button lol.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! I've renamed your thread, and moved it into the modified 95-01 section.

 

[Datdude86]

does anybody no of any good junkyards or anything in jersey??

 

[Blazepet7]

WELCOME wich aftermarket guage face is it? is it indiglo, i purchased one from ebay that i had to hardwire into the light switch it threw both my speedo and my odom off sometimes didnt move past 0 needless to say that was changed by purchasing a new (or new to me) speedometer if you trust ebay check out a seller called billsmithsauto it is basically a junkyard they are very helpful, if you read ALOT of posts about lifting our trucks such as minor stuff like tortion twist, 3 inch shackles, AAL. with a little bit more work, a little know how and alot more money you can go big with SOA (spriing over axle), SAS (solid axle swap). do a search on each one and youll find your answer It all depends on what you wanna use the truck for and if its a DD (daily Driver)...hope it helped

 

[Datdude86]

very helpful thank you. i am new to most of this stuff. bout the truck off my buddy because he was in a jam and i inherited all the **** he did wrong or jimmie rigged. lol not sure on the guage manufacture. it is multi color lighted. i can switch thru some blues and greens for the guages. it has a switch that dangles below the column. ill try to get a pic up here..might help. as far as lifting my truck...it is my dd. not looking to go crazy with it. i mean i would like to go 3 or 4. not sure whats best for the truck tho. as i said i am fairly new to lifts and what not. i do no that it has shackles on the back already.

 

[Joe Dirt]

...but before considering eBay sellers, check out our vendors here- we have lots of great guys that pick out Explorers- kbabiak, ped5stang, etc... all junk out Ex's, and they support the forum too! Check out the for sale threads, they have stickies there...

As for things not working or being off, there is a fighting chance that the guy that did the work just 'marked' the location of the needles, and just stuck them on when he was done, and they're off. May need a GPS for the speedo to get it set correctly.

When you pull your cluster, make sure the gauges are plugged in correctly. Meaning, if he took the gauge off the entire facing after popping the needle, the back of the cluster has three accepters that the three prongs of the gauge itself slide into. You'll see it when you remove it. If the gauge is flipped over when reinstalled, it can still fit, but won't work since all of the electrical connectors aren't plugged in on the gauge since only two of the three prongs are plugged into the cluster.

If you look at a clock, say there are prongs at 12, 3, and 6 o'clock. If you flip the gauge over, the prongs are now at 12, 6, and 9 o'clock. It still plugs in, but there is a connection missing since the plug is at 3 o'clock and the prong is at 9 o'clock. It will still all fit together, but the gauge is effectively not plugged in. I did that once by mistake, and couldn't figure out why I had a dead gauge- until I noticed my mistake. Check that out...

 

[Blazepet7]

Joe i didnt eeven think of that even when i was purchasing one i would definately have gone with a EF supporter i would trust a guy from here before i did ebay sounds good for other parts that are needed...datdude Yeah its the same one i had the thing hanging is white with a contrast and a brighter button correct I didnt llike mine I didnt have to take off the needles to get it on but i can see what joedirt is saying if the guy before took them off and didnt place them correctly by marking where they sat on the guage then you will definately be off... and for the shackles all of our trucks have stock shackles to hold the leaf pack, when I say shackles i mean longer ones look for worrior shackles and you will see the difference in size and quality...

 

[Datdude86]

okay. i havent messed wit the cluster yet but as it stands the speedo is the only guage that works ( and it shows 20 mph at a dead stop) the fuel, temp, all that is out. as far as shackles i think they may not be the stock ones. i gotta get some pics of this pig up here. its definitly a project.