[Jeremy R.]

The gauges on my 2000 are horribly faded, so I've bought a used instrument cluster that looks much better. I'm wondering what all is involved in changing out the cluster. I've heard that it needs to be married, which is fine, since I have a Tech 2, but would I need the VIN from the car the used cluster came from, or is it a simple pairing procedure in one of the Tech 2 menus? One older post mentioned swapping over the odometer circuit board. Would that eliminate the need for marriage? Thanks!

 

[Doug]

I don't know the answer, but transplanting the odo display would be a challenge (to me, anyway). Twenty something solder joints in close proximity!

Doug

 

[thaistatos]

Odometer is on a separate circuit port and should be exchangable.
But I have not done this and also could not answer your question, if this helps.
But I assume that marrying is done to the circuit board of the instrument cluster and not only to the odometer.

Odometer circuit board looks like only to operate the odometer display and maybe store the miles for each counter (but I am not sure if they are maybe even stored on the main circuit board and small circuit board is only a display driver).

 

[Jeremy R.]

I swapped out the instrument clusters this morning. I installed the rear circuit board and the odometer board and display from my old cluster into the newer one, and everything worked fine without any programming. I didn't have to pull out the Tech 2, and the mileage was carried over. Since I did both boards at once, I couldn't tell if the odometer board, which is held in with two screws and a plug, stores the mileage, or if that's on the rear board. The only downside is that since I did the job in the daylight and couldn't check the bulbs, I get to take it all apart again because three bulbs are burned out.

 

[thaistatos]

Directly replace all bulbs or at least the ones which are always on.

 

[Jeremy R.]

I thought I did, but apparently I missed one bulb in the speedometer, one bulb in the turbo/temp/fuel gauge, and the one for the automatic gear indicators. Lesson learned! This time I'm changing them at night so I can check my work!