Insight on instrument clusters.

[dacolino]

Hey guys, I don't post in this forum often much anymore but I still use my 88 on a fairly regular basis. My car has a Tach cluster, and since I have bought the car a year ago it has been nothing but problems. Initially the oil pressure light was problematic, after a few months the buzzer began going off at random (verified good pressure many times). I eventually just removed the low oil pressure warning system from the instrument cluster which I had done on a previous vw as well. Last november my fuel gauge stopped working. Just recently the speedo is bouncing all over the place. The upper right bulb goes on and off at random (new bulbs). Since the fuel gauge died I have been looking on and off for a tach cluster. Well I havent had much luck finding one, and besides the factory fox cluster is junk anyway. Every one I have come across the printed circuit board looks like hell, including the one that was in my car which was the reason for all of the issues besides the oil pressure problem.

So, I have two spare 87 GTI 16v instrument clusters laying around here...One I just took out of my 89 gti. I also have a complete 87 GTI 16v wiring harness front to back (whats left of it now from building my 89). So I took both bentleys and wrote down wire colors/designations and went to town. I just wired in the cluster to work and function like stock...I could install all the mfa wiring and make that work later on if I really want. So that being said, doing this job was honestly very simple in my opinion. The biggest appeal to installing this cluster is the fact that its out of a 175k mi car and the printed circuit is mint, I also have another that is also mint, plus the one I just installed on my 89 is also mint. you might see where I am going with this, the cluster circuitry is phsyically better IMO. If you had a problem, your chances of finding a ce-1 cluster is much greater than a fox cluster. Not telling everyone this is the way to go, but if you know how to read wiring diagrams and can solder, this is a easy job just a little time consuming.

I am not going to bother explaining anything wire for wire...because there are many different mk2 clusters out there you could choose from (if I would have went with a ce-2 based one, but I used what I have). Aside from the wiring, the mk2 cluster has its tabs for the mounting screws located higher and further set back than the fox. All I did here was made little straight brackets and screwed it in from the cluster - to - bracket to bracket - to - mounting tabs on dash bulkhead. It looks factory stock to anyone who would not know...THE ONLY thing is you lose your "BRAKE" and "SEATBELT" lights because mk2's have these mounted externally.

I know this has been done before by at least one member here, I am just posting this to kinda reiterate and confirm that its not a crazy huge job like some would expect. I am very pleased with the results as on my first attempt I got it right, everything works and it fits excellent. My speedo is now steady and more accurate too!

Original:

Did some research, about to get started:

Installed for testing, found a bad coolant gauge:

Replacing the coolant gauge:

All Finished with wiring, fitting the cluster down into its spot:

One more of everything working but at night:


Any questions feel free to PM me, Hope this might be encouraging to see it done and and be another known option as a cluster solution

[redone17]

now try to go 140 MPH!!!

nice work! looks great.

[doppelfaust]

Is the speedometer accurate to the car? I was under the impression the gear on the speedo does not match our speedometer cable.

I absolutelty love that you did this swap, if it's accurate I might do the same thing! My wife's Jetta has a very smooth and accurate speedo.

[ziddey]

For what it's worth:

CIRCUITPLT
307-919-059-7 $35.7 $9.9 72% 127 1987-93 Fox 302,307,309

$9.90 for a new circuit board for our clusters.

8k rpm tachometer

[doppelfaust]

This funny thing is... The only reason I want to replace my cluster is I can't set the time on the clock and it drives me crazy.

[ziddey]

I had a cluster that was like that too. I'd plug it in at exactly the right time.

Then I took it apart and cleaned the contacts with isopropyl alcohol and it'd been working great ever since. Except I also decided to fiddle with the calibration screw for some stupid reason. Now the clock runs slow. I've tried to get a bunch of different lcd clock modules but none works as well as this one (this one is 24h too and has the calibration screw. all the other ones are 12h without the adjustment, although I understand it's easily converted from one to the other)

[dacolino]

Is the speedometer accurate to the car? I was under the impression the gear on the speedo does not match our speedometer cable.

I absolutelty love that you did this swap, if it's accurate I might do the same thing! My wife's Jetta has a very smooth and accurate speedo.

The speedo reads about 1-3mph faster? Its fairly dead on imo, I had a friend track it with his gps.

[doppelfaust]

That might perfect for me. My tires are smaller diameter than stock so it may help that a bit.

[frmrlylnfxr]

Do you still have your extra tach? Would it be possible to use that or similar tach onto my 1989 fox cluster and make it operate properly?

Thank you

[frmrlylnfxr]

On this fox, the cluster night lights, temp, fuel gauges do not turn on and speedo seems 25% over.. from reading it seemed maybe the resistance from the cluster is bad.. where could we get that?

thank you

[woodardman]

On this fox, the cluster night lights, temp, fuel gauges do not turn on and speedo seems 25% over.. from reading it seemed maybe the resistance from the cluster is bad.. where could we get that?

thank you

Deffintally sounds like your voltage regulator on the back above the speedometer its screwed in ... Just remove the screw and lift up and pull out it will come off now go to your FLAPS and get another one or pull of a spare tach this should fix the lights,temp and fuel prob also the speedometer doesnt have anythn to do with the voltage so it has to be your cable or are you running bigger rims?

[frmrlylnfxr]

Rims are 13s
flaps?

[doppelfaust]

Rims are 13s
flaps?

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[frmrlylnfxr]

thank you

So ask for voltage reg...

Is it visible in the pics of the foil in this topic?

[bluetoes591]

thank you

So ask for voltage reg...

Is it visible in the pics of the foil in this topic?

The voltage regulator is the little black dealie with three slip on connectors that sits screwed near the top of the backside of the speedometer. In the photos above it's just above the gap on the right hand side of both circuit boards.

Given that neither your fuel nor temperature gauge is operational this is a likely culprit.

[frmrlylnfxr]

thank you

[reddfoxx]

Also, the speedo reading over may just be normal Fox error. Check with a GPS to calibrate. Most of mine have read high, often quite high. My wagon's reads 5 or so over at low speeds, 20 over at high speed. I just live with it. Kinda funny passing police doing "90"...

[QuantumSyncro]

big question for dacolino's cluster swap is where the brake and seatbelt warning lights went? On the Mk2 the seatbelt / brake / CEL lights are in the center of the dash but on the fox they put them in the cluster....which I never really cared for cuz it made the cluster 'special' and not like the others.

I can see going without the seatbelt light but the brake warning light.....a person would need to have that somewhere I think.