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Is there any way to test a digital gauge cluster?

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    Is there any way to test a digital gauge cluster?

    Hello -- does anyone know if there is any way to "bench test" a digital gauge cluster to see if it works properly? For example, let's say you have a digital dash car and you find the same year model car at the junk yard with a digital dash and you think it might be a good idea to get the gauge cluster just in case yours goes out some time in the future.

    Is there any way that the digital dash cluster from the junked car can be tested to see if it works other than pulling your cluster out and plugging the other one in? For example, would a dealer be able to test it, or maybe would some sort of car electronics guru be able to test it?

    I figure the likely answer is "no" but I might be wrong. Thanks for any help.

    #2
    considering all the signals the cluster needs from the ECM and various sensors... unless the JY car has all the wiring still in it and you have a battery with you... I'm thinking no.

    Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
    rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
    Originally posted by gadget73
    ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
    Originally posted by dmccaig
    Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by slymer View Post
      considering all the signals the cluster needs from the ECM and various sensors... unless the JY car has all the wiring still in it and you have a battery with you... I'm thinking no.
      Thanks. That's kind of what I was thinking, but I figured there might be somebody who has heard of some way to test it, like at a dealer or electronics specialty shop or something like that. I think I'll go try and pull the jy unit and see how hard it is to get out. If not too hard, maybe I'll pull the one out of my car and plug the jy unit in just to see if it works.

      I appreciate your input.

      Comment


        #4
        possible yes, easy to do, not likely. Most of the time you can find the power inputs and just feed it voltage to see if anything lights up but a full function test would require a lot of inputs. The absolute easiest thing to do is to just plug it into your car. Probably a more reliable test as well.
        86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
        5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

        91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

        1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

        Originally posted by phayzer5
        I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

        Comment


          #5
          Any reputable u-yank-it yard will at least let you return/swap it out for other parts if not give you an out-and-out refund up to 30 days after you buy the part. Just be ready to swap it in as soon as you buy it, and hopefully you should be able to find out if it has any problems.
          ,
          Slicktop '91 GS HO 4.30 rear. '82 Mark VI Tudor HO, '90 F-150 XLT, '62 project Heep, '89 Arizona Waggin' and '88 donor in PA, getting combined.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
            possible yes, easy to do, not likely. Most of the time you can find the power inputs and just feed it voltage to see if anything lights up but a full function test would require a lot of inputs. The absolute easiest thing to do is to just plug it into your car. Probably a more reliable test as well.
            Yeah, I agree now -- it turns out that pulling the gauge cluster really isn't that bad at all. The hardest part is pulling the dash panel or cover or whatever you call it, because it's got umpteen connectors that all need to be unplugged. The digital cluster itself is fastened to the dash with only four bolts and the shifter indicator slides out so you don't have to disconnect the cable. So, not too bad at all.

            I got the jy one today, and I'll try to test in on my car tomorrow.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by sxcpotatoes View Post
              Any reputable u-yank-it yard will at least let you return/swap it out for other parts if not give you an out-and-out refund up to 30 days after you buy the part. Just be ready to swap it in as soon as you buy it, and hopefully you should be able to find out if it has any problems.

              Yeah, the JY will give me 30 days to return it for any reason, which is nice.

              Comment


                #8
                CAREFUL!!! Your odometer is contained in that instrument cluster. If you go changing it out, your odometer will not be correct any more, and that may have implications later on if you decide to sell your beloved panther.

                2000 Mercury Grand Marquis GS HPP - SOLD
                Wore out the cam chain tensioners and jumped time at 176k miles.

                Comment


                  #9
                  the digital ones get the odo info from the ECM IIRC.

                  Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
                  rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
                  Originally posted by gadget73
                  ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
                  Originally posted by dmccaig
                  Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Have to check it and see, I guess...

                    2000 Mercury Grand Marquis GS HPP - SOLD
                    Wore out the cam chain tensioners and jumped time at 176k miles.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Ziggy View Post
                      CAREFUL!!! Your odometer is contained in that instrument cluster. If you go changing it out, your odometer will not be correct any more, and that may have implications later on if you decide to sell your beloved panther.
                      Yes, you're right. I found that out when I plugged in the one I got from the bone yard in order to test it to see if it worked. Suddenly, I had an additional 35,000 miles showing on the odometer.

                      Luckily, the original display is still good, so I'll put that one back in for now. I just figured that I would snag the one I saw in the bone yard since it was out of the same year model. I'll keep that one for an extra, just in case the original one has problems.

                      I did find out that '96 and '97 will interchange, but earlier years will not work, even though they look exactly the same.

                      Slymer -- maybe later years read the odometer from the ECM, but at least up to '97, the odometer reading is stored in the display. Kind of weird. I was expecting it to be like you said -- stored in the ECM.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        you're probably right about the later years part.

                        Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
                        rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
                        Originally posted by gadget73
                        ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
                        Originally posted by dmccaig
                        Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

                        Comment

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