Anybody know how to replace an instrument cluster?

[HardbodyLoyalist]

The gremlins are once again growling inside my 1994 Nissan Hardbody (2.4L). I guess the one problem even the most diligent maintenance schedule can't get around is engineering defects.

To wit...

The speedometer/odometer on my Hardbody has spontaneously stopped functioning for the second time since I've owned it. This is a known and well-documented design flaw, as part of the gauge head is apparently made of plastic and tends to periodically strip/break/poledance/whatever.

The dealer was so familiar with this problem that he didn't even bother to pull the error code. "Yup... broken gauge head. We see 3 or 4 of these come in every month."

The problem, aside from the $300 repair bill that I consider highway robbery, is that the dealer doesn't actually replace the instrument cluster. No, they just pull it and send it to a repair shop to have it rebuilt. The truck, meanwhile, is rendered undriveable and must sit in the shop for 14 days.

I don't own another vehicle. The first time around I was living near my parents, so I was able to borrow a car, but that's not an option anymore. The dealer, being a dealer, doesn't seem inclined to let me "test drive" a new Titan for that long (rest assured it wasn't for my lack of asking).

That basically leaves me with the options of a) saying "screw it" and leaving it broken or b) fixing it myself. My first instinct is option (a), but that option makes oil change intervals a real adventure. For that matter, it makes calculations of mpg rather difficult, too.

As it turns out, there's a shop in Virginia that specializes in instrument cluster repair. They'll send me a drop-in replacement with my current mileage dialed in, so long as I pay a core charge (refundable when I return the broken unit). The issue now becomes whether or not I can pull the instrument cluster without "fixing" my beloved road wagon for good.

Anybody ever done this? I assume the dash must be removed. The fix-it guides (Chilton's, Haynes) offer zero instruction on how to accomplish this, let alone reinstall it, and I've never gone further into a dash than replacing the radio.

I need to learn how to do this, because apparently I'm going to be doing it every 50,000 miles.

 

[JHZR2]

Pulling an instrument cluster is a very dellicate (and often nervewracking) thing to do. Once youve gotten it right though, its easy after that...

if its the gears, there are often people who sell just the gears... Thats kind of common actually.

If its the electronics, Id buy a good used and re-solder, if youre handy (I didnt think I could do it, but I did) you can re-solder boards, and replace them, at least on the simpler ones.

There are a number of shops that rebuild BMW, MB, etc. speedometers, both the circuit boards and the gearsets, etc. Palo Alto speedometer comes to mind. You might try a shop like that.

JMH

 

[benjamming]

Try to find a local shop that does the repair inhouse. Tell them your situation. You can let them take it out closer to the time that they are actually going to work on it. That way, you shouldn't be w/o a vehicle for 2 weeks. I imagine the dealer or their source will let it sit in a shop for a week before looking at it.

 

[radiometer]

I recently removed the instrument cluster from my 99 Nissan Sentra while installing a dash mounted oil pressure gauge and a volt meter. A MUST is to disconnect the battery FIRST to prevent something from setting off an airbag which could cause you some problems. The actual removal was a matter of looking for and removing the mount screws and prying gently with a thin metal (case knife in my case) at certain tab points to allow the cluster to come out. From there it seemed no problem to me to do the disconnects of the wires, but I didn't need to do that. While it wasn't something I looked forward to doing, after having done it, I now would have no hesitation of replacing it if the need should come up. Whatever, do not overlook disconnecting the battery first to insure against poping off an airbag unintentionally.

 

[FL-400S]

Check ebay for used gauges. Might not be the right mileage, but if its costing you $300 to have it rebuilt, screw that. For example, Tercel owners are always doing gauge swaps from Paseo's just to have a tachometer in the dash. Ebay is great for strange parts without going to the boneyard.

 

[HardbodyLoyalist]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Well, after many phone calls, I've come up with a solution.

The more I thought about it, the less inclined I was to tear into the dash. If I break something and render my truck undriveable, I'm basically hosed.

None of the local shops will repair the cluster "in house" and certainly not while I wait. They all said it would take at least a week, which I interpret as them having to ship the unit off for repair. No luck there.

So, I called the company in Virginia and they have a cluster for my truck in stock. I'm going to order it set to my current mileage and then have one of the local shops do the actual swap while I watch. It's not the cheapest solution, but it's the best I could come up with, and it beats the tar out of the dealer's solution.

 

[TomH]

Why not just swap the cluster yourself? It is a very easy procedure, I've had the cluster out of my Nissan a couple times to replace bulbs. The 94+ truck clusters are all electronic, no speedo cable to worry about. I can pull and swap a cluster in a Nissan truck in 15-20 minutes. Not only will you save $$$ doing it yourself, there's the feeling of accomplishment that comes from doing something yourself.