Instrument Cluster Swap

[Flyin Low]

I have a 92 Ranger XLT 2wd (2.3 4cyl w/5 spd) The stock instrument cluster has a speedo, fuel gauge, water temp and oil press gauge. I found a 90 2wd ranger with a 4.0 and it has a tach, speedo, oil, water, fuel and amp meter gauges. Will this instrument cluster plug into my dash and work with out any mods?

Thank you

 

[Hawk1339]

I have a 92 Ranger XLT 2wd (2.3 4cyl w/5 spd) The stock instrument cluster has a speedo, fuel gauge, water temp and oil press gauge. I found a 90 2wd ranger with a 4.0 and it has a tach, speedo, oil, water, fuel and amp meter gauges. Will this instrument cluster plug into my dash and work with out any mods?

Thank you

It should. There are wiring differences between 92 and 93 but I'm not sure about 90 and 92. Compare each cluster, trace out the connections on the flex circuit to see if they go to the same gauge/light.

You might have a problem with tach accuracy. A 6 cylinder tach would give you a different reading when attached to a 4 cylinder engine. I have heard that there is a calibration pot on the tachs but I can't confirm this.

 

[fastpakr]

At least on a '94 cluster swap, the cylinder count doesn't matter. The ignition system provides a standardized tach signal to the instrument cluster, regardless of engine type. You can move a tach between a 4 and 6 cylinder vehicle iwth no problems at all.

 

[Hawk1339]

At least on a '94 cluster swap, the cylinder count doesn't matter. The ignition system provides a standardized tach signal to the instrument cluster, regardless of engine type. You can move a tach between a 4 and 6 cylinder vehicle iwth no problems at all.

I checked the wiring diagrams for 1993, and according to that, the same tach is used for all 3 engines available that year (2.3,3.0,4.0). To use the tach with the 4 cylinder engine, a control ground is eliminated from the instrument cluster connector. This would be circuit 398, black/yellow, pin 9 of C250. C250 is the vertical connector on the left of the instrument cluster as you are looking at the back side of the unit.

Apparently there was a wiring change between 92 and 93. On a 92 this connection would be on pin 7 of C250. Check the color to be sure, it is the only black/yellow wire on either connector. Standard grounds are either black or black/white. The tach circuit on all three engines is grounded by circuit 570, black/white, pin 2 (93) or pin 4 (92) of C250.

 

[Flyin Low]

Thanks Hawk and Fastpakr for your help, I purchased a instrument cluster from a 1990 ranger with a 4.0 and installed it today, it works great and the tach seems to be right on. I still have a issue with my coolant temp gauge even after I replaced the cluster. I removed the single wire on the temp sensor (located on the drivers side rear of the cylinder head) and hooked a jumper wire from the temp sensor wire to battery ground. I was told when you do this the gauge should move all the way to the hot side, it doesn't move at all. Right now the gauge is at the cold position. The funny thing is when I turn on the ignition to start, the gauge moves pegged all the way to the left (cold). Is it safe to say there is a problem from the temp sensor wire to the instrument cluster?

Thanks again for your help

 

[Hawk1339]

Thanks Hawk and Fastpakr for your help, I purchased a instrument cluster from a 1990 ranger with a 4.0 and installed it today, it works great and the tach seems to be right on. I still have a issue with my coolant temp gauge even after I replaced the cluster. I removed the single wire on the temp sensor (located on the drivers side rear of the cylinder head) and hooked a jumper wire from the temp sensor wire to battery ground. I was told when you do this the gauge should move all the way to the hot side, it doesn't move at all. Right now the gauge is at the cold position. The funny thing is when I turn on the ignition to start, the gauge moves pegged all the way to the left (cold). Is it safe to say there is a problem from the temp sensor wire to the instrument cluster?

Thanks again for your help

You are correct about grounding the sensor wire. The sensor should measure about 75Ω cold and about 10Ω hot. Grounding the wire should peg the gauge high.

The gauge is separately powered and grounded. The 12 volts is supplied on a red/yellow wire, connector C251, pin 12 on a 93 cluster, pin 4 on a 92. Ground is on a black/white wire, C251, pin 11 both versions. Temp signal is on a black/ light blue wire, C251, pin 10 both versions.

All gauges plug into embedded sockets in the cluster flex circuit. These sockets and the pins that plug into them can become loose and/or dirty and break the connection. Clean and tighten to remedy that.

If you have a voltmeter check the ground and voltage at both the connector and gauge socket. If everything is copacetic the possibly the gauge is bad.

I'm not certain, but maybe the gauge guts from the old cluster can be transplanted into the new one. I think they have the same sweep angle and sensitivity.

 

[Flyin Low]

Hawk,

You are a wealth of info thanks again. I forgot to mention that the original cluster temp gauge did not work as well, making me think there is a problem in the wiring . what do you think? I checked the clusters printed circuit board on the back of the cluster and it looks good, all the connections on the flex circuit appear to be in good condition. I have checked all of the electrical driven components on the truck and everything except the temp gauge works and all the fuses are good. This is the reason why I'm thinking it may be in the temp sensor single wire?

Thanks

 

[Hawk1339]

Hawk,

You are a wealth of info thanks again. I forgot to mention that the original cluster temp gauge did not work as well, making me think there is a problem in the wiring . what do you think? I checked the clusters printed circuit board on the back of the cluster and it looks good, all the connections on the flex circuit appear to be in good condition. I have checked all of the electrical driven components on the truck and everything except the temp gauge works and all the fuses are good. This is the reason why I'm thinking it may be in the temp sensor single wire?

Thanks

Shouldn't be too difficult to troubleshoot if you have a volt/ohm meter. (You can get a cheap DVM at Harbor Freight for a couple of bucks.)

The temp gauge has only three connections: 12 volts, ground, and signal. The signal is the sensor, 10 to 75 ohms.

You can pull the module with the voltmeter and temp gauge out of the cluster, plug the cluster in, and test the gauge socket. I think- not totally sure- that the temp gauge socket has a triangular layout, ground at the top, signal to the right, 12 volts to the left. They should be labeled on the flex circuit if in doubt. Check for the 12 volts between the ground and power sockets (with ignition on, engine off), and for resistance- about 75Ω if the engine is cold- from ground to signal.

If your other gauges are working, the 12 volts is probably ok. On a 93, the temp gauge shares its 12 volt supply with the fuel gauge.

The temp signal goes through 4 other connectors between the gauge and the sensor so it's not unlikely that something somewhere came undone.

A couple of years ago I swapped clusters in my truck, and discovered the wiring differences between the 93s and 92s. I wrote up a document on the process for someone else doing the same thing. The document has wiring diagrams for the 93 and conversion charts for 93 vs 92. You can download it here:

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER SWAP

 

[tivouser08]

How difficult is it to find a white backed guage cluster for a 1996 Mazda B4000LE, 4.0L automatic? My odometer is dead..and was told I could try changing the motor. If I am going to pull it out (never tried a repair like that!!) Could I put a white faced guage cluster in for a 96 Ranger? If one can be found?