instrument cluster questions

[dshapton]

some instrument cluster questions (1996 900S 2.3 non-turbo, automatic)

My current instrument panel is flashing on and off like crazy -- sometimes the whole display will die, sometimes only half of it, sometimes it's completely dead for 10 or 15 minutes and then comes back to life -- it's starting to get very irritating, particularly the beeping, and I can't figure it out, so I'm thinking of just replacing the whole thing. So I was wondering..

- will the cluster from a '96 turbo just swap in? I know the boost gauge won't work, but apart from that.. The reason I ask is that I already have one in the garage.

- if i replace the instrument cluster with another one, will the odometer reading still be the same? Is the mileage stored in one of the computers or in the panel itself?

- Does anyone have any ideas as to what the problem might be so I don't have to go to the trouble of replacing it? So far I've replaced the rheostat & the ABS computer (really! I read somewhere that it might help. Don't know why it would but I figured what the heck. The things you try when you have a parts car!) and re-seated the giant plug at the back of the cluster. It seems to be a bad connection of some kind; when I hit the dash above the speedo, it sometimes comes back to life, but not always, and not very often anymore.

suggestions are most appreciated! Thanks in advance.

[Frogdude]

I'm not sure, but I would think that the turbo cluster would work in the NA like you described. I haven't heard of anyone trying it but I did notice that thesaabsite.com sells the rear half of the cluster(the portion containing the circuit board) and they only sell one for all '96-'98 NG900's, they don't distinguish between turbo and N/A. This leads me to believe that the rear board is the same for either one. As far as I know, the rear board is almost always the one that causes the problems. You could also try taking the cluster apart and moving the rear section from the turbo cluster onto the front section from the NA cluster. You need to remove all of the torx screws that hold the 2 halves together and then there are 4 white wiring sets plugged into the front board that you need to unplug. Look carefully at these plugs and you will see how they come apart.

The milage is stored in a chip within the cluster itself, so if you try a used cluster, it will display the milage of the car it came from. A mechanic with a Tech II can move the milage forward, but not back.