Sami951

For reasons unknown to me (probably to lose some miles(?)), my car has been fitted with a later model gauge cluster.

Problem is, it has warning lights for low oil level and stuff like that, which weren't available in the '86 gauge cluster... and now that I've been playing with it for a while, it looks like the huge "!" light will stay on all the time - guess that's why the bulb for it was removed...

So the question would be, is there a way to trigger different warnings off, like just short-circuiting the wires or something?? I think I'll need to get rid of at least oil level, seatbelt, airbag and probably ABS warnings... at the moment it's done by just leaving the bulbs out, but in the long run I'd like to have the ! light working and as far as I see that's not going to happen unless I get the others "fixed" too.

Or should I just go searching for a proper '86 cluster..?

Thanks!

user 8430

Might be better off with an actual '86 cluster....I can't see them costing that much?? Besides by the time you're finished jerry rigging that thing it may have be easier just to get the proper one.....

Sami951

Hmm... might well be...

Anybody have any guesses if an N/A cluster would bolt right in?? If I'm not entirely mistaken the only difference would be the boost gauge in the turbo cluster (and maybe speedo readings, dunno)...

Jaak Lepson

Sami ... look at the emergency brake lever. It may be that the connector that is connected to the switch has fallen/broken off as mine did. The ! light is connected to that switch.

Jaak Lepson

HansB

Yeah it does, as long as it is a 1986 N/A.
For some strange reason Porsche changed a lot in the wiring year after year (ask me how I know).

It is not to complicated to short out the signals you do not need on the connectors to the instrument cluster. At least, not if you have the Porsche Workshop manual, you can read the electrical drawings, and you know the year the instrument cluster is from.

SimonK

To get rid of the oil level idiot light? You are brave. Idiot lights are useful if something goes wrong. The oil one - I would definitely make sure works!

Olli Snellman

Simon, on Sami's case it would need a lot of work to get oil level light work.His car is a '86, so there's not a sensor for oil level in the oil pan like newer models have

Danno

Is it the oil-level light lit as well? Is that why the "!" light is on? I think the oil-level sender is normally-open and makes continuity when the oil drops. In which case, not having the oil-level sendor hooked up at all like on his car wouldn't cause any faults to occur.

Sami951

Actually I didn't check that far, I was just plugging bulbs into different places and seeing what lights went on... when I turned the engine on, the "!" light stayed there but I can't remember what else was lit at the same time...

I think I'll probably need to check some diagrams before I try anything again

Danno

Does your speed read up to 300km/hr? Wanna trade for an '86 dash???

Sami951

Yeah, but it's the euro dash with only km/h readout, no mph... if that's not a problem then I might be a bit interested

sybelix

But sami, will that 260 km/h speedo be enough, when we get our Map stuff plugged in..