I finally have all the gauges I need to do a changeover and as soon as I finish the new cluster it'll be time to install them. I really prefer to just cut the connector that goes to the printed circuit opening off and use the stock wires to run all the bulbs and stuff for the new gauges. obviously I'll need to use the stock wires for the fuel gauge. I know which wire goes to what but don't exactly get what it means. Like each bulb has 2 different circuits running to it. Why? which one do I need for power? I need the wires that used to be connected through those circuits connected/spliced together after adding in the aftermarket bulbs right? Do I need a voltage regulator now that all the gauges aren't on one big board? I hope I'm being clear enough with my phrasing. I have a general idea of what to do, but it has served me well to call in backup from you guys.
May I suggest that if you are set on cutting the plug for the cluster that you do so leaving enough wire to reattach them if you should want to go back to the original cluster later. 1.5-2" would be sufficient. I personally tapped each of the wires that I wanted as follows, I stripped the insulation back in each wire about 2" back from the cluster plug and soldered and wrapped each one making a 10-12" pigtail for my gauges. I wrapped the cluster plug in tape to keep it from shorting out against the metal behind the dash. the bulbs are easy, I use one of the wires from each light(for the gauges) tapped into the blue/red wire on the cluster plug and the other one I tied all together into a common ground point. The gauge grounds can tie to this connection as well. Power is supplied by the red/green wire, water temp is red/white, oil pressure is white/red. You will have to run a wire for the tach trigger wire and the green/red wire for the alternator light you need to either provide a warning light for that circuit or install a resistor (560ohm) from the red/green to the green/red alternator feed or the alternator will not charge. This is just how I did mine, feel free to experiment.
It would be way easier, to just run new wires, and pull the bulbs from the cluster. Way more work than it's worth to use the old factory wiring, that also runs thru a connector, that could be a weak spot.
I'm working on a cluster now. I have found out the wiring diagrams are showing a different color that what were used in production. Also I have a green wire that is not in any of the diagrams. If I was you I would not cut nothing...strip the insulation from the wires a couple inches from the plug to make your connections and leave the plug intacted. Use long enough new wires so you can zip tie the plug out of the way. If you wanted/needed/ had to go back ...just cut off the new wires and tape the insulation where you made the connections and stick the plug back in the cluster.
If you want to use the original wireing for your new aftermarket guages...Keep in mind, the original sending units will have to be replaced with appropriate sending units for water temp/oil pressure since the originals only turn on warning lights. They are not ment to work over a range like the guages you want to install.
Yeah, I'm not dead set on cutting it out. I guess that is a little unnecessary. So I can use either one of the wires that run to the bulbs for power? I'm going to get a bulb for the alt light when I get ones for the turn signals, so I'll be fine as far as the whole alternator thing. See, I didn't even know it worked that way! Good thing you told me how important that is. Good call on taping up the plug too. Thank you!
I definitely see where having the old plug as a standby will help me. I do have 3 stock clusters sitting around. If the colors don't match I think I can look at the circuit diagram, line up the functions with the plug and still figure it out probably.
found some lights for cheap. Any foreseeable problems? Also- is the circuit that runs from the fuel gauge to the regulator the negative for the fuel gauge?
