Gauge cluster only partially working

[LoTekGuru]

I just got a 93 Talon TSi and the guy I got it from put indiglo gauges on, but when I got the car the speedometer, oil pressure, engine temp, and boost gauges weren't working. I pulled the gauge cluster out of the dash, took it apart to see if maybe some or all of the needles for the non-working gauges were stuck, but they didn't seem to be. I put the cluster back in, and I know have a working oil pressure gauge, as well as tach and fuel gauges (those two were working from the get-go) and I did have what seemed to me a semi-functional boost gauge... until I put the whole assembly back together and put the dash bezel back on. I'm not entirely sure how the needle on the boost gauge should work since I've never owned a car with a turbo, but at idle the needle was reading under the 0 mark, but not completely down to -7 psi. On acceleration it would snap up to around 7 or 8 psi, then snap up again to around maybe 12 or 13 psi. By "snapping" I mean the gauge didn't move smoothly but moved in more of a jerking motion from one reading to another. I'm not sure if that's normal or not. Anyway, is there anything I can try before buying a new gauge cluster? I did test a couple of the fuses at the panel by the floorboard, but all the gauge and interior lights work so I figured that didn't seem like that would be the problem.

 

[c5chris]

My car's oil pressure and fuel gauge got damaged after I installed the white overlay on the gauge faces.

I just bought a new cluster, they are cheap now and have it match your original mileage.

 

[BISHILVR]

You have a bad cluster.

 

[LoTekGuru]

ok thanks guys, should I go with a new OEM replacement, or should getting one from a junkyard suffice? I've had a few replies from posting a request on junkyarddog, I can get one for about $48 used, not sure about the price on a new one.

 

[Defiant]

eBay. So long as they're not effed-up by some skill-bereft indiglo sticker applier, the gauges are more than adequate to outlive the chassis.
No, I don't know how to turn the odometer back. I looked at it, but it wasn't straightforward enough for me to get.

 

[LoTekGuru]

yeah I searched eBay but came up empty, I'll keep searching though. I'm not too worried about getting the odo correct, since when I got the car the cluster unit was broken to begin with, I have no idea on the actual mileage of the engine (title already states odo reading discrepancy so no skin off my nose that I can't change it)

 

[c5chris]

No, I don't know how to turn the odometer back. I looked at it, but it wasn't straightforward enough for me to get.

I called a speedometer repair shop around my area. The guy said that the DSM cluster is not repairable and I need to buy another one. I said ok, I have one. He said he can match the mileage of my existing one with the new one.

He wants $45 to do this. DAMN BASTARD! I got my cluster for $35 WTF

 

[Jackson]

also check to make sure the leads to the intruments are correct. My oil pressure died on my cause I hist a cardboard box on the highway and it ripped the wires out of my oil filter housing..... I have 0 oil pressure when there is infact oil pressure. The speedo lead is on the top of the tranny check out vFAW.com for more info.

 

[LoTekGuru]

Just to update, I got the new cluster and installed it last night. My boost gauge is working like it should, but still no speedo and my temp gauge still isn't working either. I tried to look at vfaw.com but come up with nothing. A search on google for that address shows a hit on something that looks like a travel site from the summary. Any other sites I can check out that can clue me in on things to check?

 

[BISHILVR]

Check the cable coming from the tranny to the cluster for the speedo, make sure it did'nt pull out of the tranny or that it is'nt broken. the temp gauge could just be a bad sending unit, there are two of them on your car make sure you check the right one.

 

[LoTekGuru]

Well I was trying to see if the problem was with the speedo gear since the cable was connected to the tranny just fine... I couldn't get the flange that holds the gear off of the tranny, so I hooked up the cable end that I disconnected off the tranny and hooked it up to my cordless drill, started the car, and fired up the drill... still no budge on the needle. After that though, when I was disconnecting the cable I noticed it was pulled out a lot more than normal. I pulled on it only to find out that it had broken clean in two! After I get the new cable installed I'll post how it's working