Instrument Cluster swap from no Tach to with Tach (1st Gen)
#1
06-15-2010, 03:55 PM
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: SW Washington
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Instrument Cluster swap from no Tach to with Tach (1st Gen)
Hi, my '95 Dakota has the Cluster without the Tach. Instead it has a faulty fuel gage in its place and the top right gage in the small gages is a useless Seat Belt light.
I want to swap it for the Cluster with Tach on the left and the Fuel Gage where my Seat Belt light is.
Is this possible? If so, how would I go about it?
I want to swap it for the Cluster with Tach on the left and the Fuel Gage where my Seat Belt light is.
Is this possible? If so, how would I go about it?
#3
06-15-2010, 05:33 PM
Hall Of Fame
It is a simple swap. The wires and everything is already there. Just get a cluster from a junkyard or www.craigslist.org or www.ebay.com
But if your fuel gauge isn't working most likely it is the sending unit connectors.
But if your fuel gauge isn't working most likely it is the sending unit connectors.
#6
06-16-2010, 04:38 PM
There might be. If you can figure it out, please do a write up on it.
But here is my advise... according to the FSM, the signal that the tachometer gets from the computer is 66.7 hz at 2000 rpm and 166.7 hz at 5000 rpm. On a 4 cylinder engine, only 2 cylinders fire every revolution. So at 2000 rpm (33.3 revolution per second), the ignition coil would be firing 66.7 times per second, which is a 66.7 hz signal. At 5000 rpm (83.3 revolutions per second), the igntion coil fires 166.7 times per second, or 166.7 Hz. So as you can see, the coil should provide the correct signal to run the tach. So if you splice the tach into the coil wire like you would any aftermarket tachometer, it should work in theory.
So what you need to do is go to FAQ page (sticky thread at the top of this section) and download the 1995 Dakota Factory service manual. Then go to section 8E, Instrument Panel and Gauges, and section 8W, Wiring Diagrams. These two sections will provide you with wiring schematics and pinouts of which wires you would need in order to make this work. It looks like on the Red Connector for the gauges, pins G and H are tachometer signal and power, respectivly. So you would need to track down those wires under the hood and provide power to the one going into H and signal (ignition coil) to the one going into G.
Just as a side note (and this is just my opinion), I assume the factory set it up that way for a reason. Cause on the v6, 2000 rpms off the coil would equate to 99.9 hz, and on the v8 it would equate to 133.2 hz, so instead of making the tach recieve different signals depending on the engine, they calibrated the computer to provide a signal equal to what the 4 cyl would give.
But here is my advise... according to the FSM, the signal that the tachometer gets from the computer is 66.7 hz at 2000 rpm and 166.7 hz at 5000 rpm. On a 4 cylinder engine, only 2 cylinders fire every revolution. So at 2000 rpm (33.3 revolution per second), the ignition coil would be firing 66.7 times per second, which is a 66.7 hz signal. At 5000 rpm (83.3 revolutions per second), the igntion coil fires 166.7 times per second, or 166.7 Hz. So as you can see, the coil should provide the correct signal to run the tach. So if you splice the tach into the coil wire like you would any aftermarket tachometer, it should work in theory.
So what you need to do is go to FAQ page (sticky thread at the top of this section) and download the 1995 Dakota Factory service manual. Then go to section 8E, Instrument Panel and Gauges, and section 8W, Wiring Diagrams. These two sections will provide you with wiring schematics and pinouts of which wires you would need in order to make this work. It looks like on the Red Connector for the gauges, pins G and H are tachometer signal and power, respectivly. So you would need to track down those wires under the hood and provide power to the one going into H and signal (ignition coil) to the one going into G.
Just as a side note (and this is just my opinion), I assume the factory set it up that way for a reason. Cause on the v6, 2000 rpms off the coil would equate to 99.9 hz, and on the v8 it would equate to 133.2 hz, so instead of making the tach recieve different signals depending on the engine, they calibrated the computer to provide a signal equal to what the 4 cyl would give.
Last edited by 95_318SLT; 06-16-2010 at 04:50 PM.
#7
06-16-2010, 05:16 PM
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: SW Washington
Posts: 22
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There might be. If you can figure it out, please do a write up on it.
But here is my advise... according to the FSM, the signal that the tachometer gets from the computer is 66.7 hz at 2000 rpm and 166.7 hz at 5000 rpm. On a 4 cylinder engine, only 2 cylinders fire every revolution. So at 2000 rpm (33.3 revolution per second), the ignition coil would be firing 66.7 times per second, which is a 66.7 hz signal. At 5000 rpm (83.3 revolutions per second), the igntion coil fires 166.7 times per second, or 166.7 Hz. So as you can see, the coil should provide the correct signal to run the tach. So if you splice the tach into the coil wire like you would any aftermarket tachometer, it should work in theory.
So what you need to do is go to FAQ page (sticky thread at the top of this section) and download the 1995 Dakota Factory service manual. Then go to section 8E, Instrument Panel and Gauges, and section 8W, Wiring Diagrams. These two sections will provide you with wiring schematics and pinouts of which wires you would need in order to make this work. It looks like on the Red Connector for the gauges, pins G and H are tachometer signal and power, respectivly. So you would need to track down those wires under the hood and provide power to the one going into H and signal (ignition coil) to the one going into G.
Just as a side note (and this is just my opinion), I assume the factory set it up that way for a reason. Cause on the v6, 2000 rpms off the coil would equate to 99.9 hz, and on the v8 it would equate to 133.2 hz, so instead of making the tach recieve different signals depending on the engine, they calibrated the computer to provide a signal equal to what the 4 cyl would give.
But here is my advise... according to the FSM, the signal that the tachometer gets from the computer is 66.7 hz at 2000 rpm and 166.7 hz at 5000 rpm. On a 4 cylinder engine, only 2 cylinders fire every revolution. So at 2000 rpm (33.3 revolution per second), the ignition coil would be firing 66.7 times per second, which is a 66.7 hz signal. At 5000 rpm (83.3 revolutions per second), the igntion coil fires 166.7 times per second, or 166.7 Hz. So as you can see, the coil should provide the correct signal to run the tach. So if you splice the tach into the coil wire like you would any aftermarket tachometer, it should work in theory.
So what you need to do is go to FAQ page (sticky thread at the top of this section) and download the 1995 Dakota Factory service manual. Then go to section 8E, Instrument Panel and Gauges, and section 8W, Wiring Diagrams. These two sections will provide you with wiring schematics and pinouts of which wires you would need in order to make this work. It looks like on the Red Connector for the gauges, pins G and H are tachometer signal and power, respectivly. So you would need to track down those wires under the hood and provide power to the one going into H and signal (ignition coil) to the one going into G.
Just as a side note (and this is just my opinion), I assume the factory set it up that way for a reason. Cause on the v6, 2000 rpms off the coil would equate to 99.9 hz, and on the v8 it would equate to 133.2 hz, so instead of making the tach recieve different signals depending on the engine, they calibrated the computer to provide a signal equal to what the 4 cyl would give.
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#8
06-16-2010, 05:27 PM
Let me simply what I said without all the technical talk...
Follow the wire coming out of pin G of the red connector for the gauge assembly and splice it into the negative side of the ignition coil. Then, follow the wire coming out of pin H of the same connector and provide it with power. I'm not sure how many volts it needs, but I can look it up.
But you won't be able to do this project without the wiring diagrams, so you need to download the factory service manual.
Follow the wire coming out of pin G of the red connector for the gauge assembly and splice it into the negative side of the ignition coil. Then, follow the wire coming out of pin H of the same connector and provide it with power. I'm not sure how many volts it needs, but I can look it up.
But you won't be able to do this project without the wiring diagrams, so you need to download the factory service manual.
#10
06-16-2010, 05:34 PM
Alright, I just looked it up and the wire going into pin H should be coming from fuse 14 of the fuse box. So make sure you have ~12 volts at pin H.
Then it should just be getting the wire going into pin G connected to the negative side of the ignition coil for signal. The negative side of the ignition coil is the wire going from the coil to the PCM. Just splice it into that wire.
It should be an easy job once you track down that wire.
Then it should just be getting the wire going into pin G connected to the negative side of the ignition coil for signal. The negative side of the ignition coil is the wire going from the coil to the PCM. Just splice it into that wire.
It should be an easy job once you track down that wire.