Change spedometer, hassle?

[labman]

It looks like the temperature gage has gone bad in my 02 Cavalier, Ecotec and 5 speed. My Scan Gage is telling me the sensor is working. As for the wiring to the gage cluster, it is all a couple of serial data pins. Since everything else is reading fine, I am assuming the serial data is getting through. If anything goes bad in the cluster, light, gages, etc., you have to replace the cluster. Well, maybe you could solder in a new LED.

So if I replace the cluster, speedometer and all, do I encounter the heavy hand of the federal government? I already have it apart and know what kind of a job that was.

 

[mstrjon32]

Legally I think you'd have to check that box on the title that says something along the lines of "Odometer not an actual representation of mileage." But if your car is out of warranty/lease/whatever, who really cares anyway?

 

[meep]

that check box also equates to lower resale value, be it $10k or $100. Maybe there'd be a way to roll the replacement cluster forward to match so it's true?

M

 

[firemachine69]

Originally Posted By: mstrjon32
Legally I think you'd have to check that box on the title that says something along the lines of "Odometer not an actual representation of mileage." But if your car is out of warranty/lease/whatever, who really cares anyway?



That is correct, and all that is required. If you are selling it, the original mileage prior to the cluster replacement must be documented (take pictures).

 

[brianl703]

I wonder if the problem is with the gauge itself. If so, you could in theory swap the circuit board to the replacement gauge cluster and keep your odometer reading.

 

[The_Jeff]

The BCM stores the mileage. Sometimes the ECM and cluster do as well and they complain royally when there's a mismatch.

I bet if you swap clusters it'll work just fine, being a simple cavalier.

Take a picture of your odometer and a daily paper, if nothing else the dealer can advance an all-zeroes reading to the proper one.

 

[labman]

Sounds good. I would like to think it will work that way. Likely a good tip on the picture. How much good is a picture in the age of Photoshop?

Simple Cavalier? As complicated as the minor electrical problems I have found so far are, I would hate to have something complex. Remember when trunk lights had tilt or micro switches to turn them on? Ha! There is a double throw switch in the trunk latch that signals the BCM when the trunk is unlatched. The BCM then turns the light on. It is nice it turns it off before it kills the battery if you leave the trunk lid open. When the light quit working, I took the switch apart and fixed it. I am sure the newer snap together stuff is meant for cheaper assembly, not to make stuff repairable.

 

[The_Jeff]

Pretty sure a dealership tech II scan tool can get mileage out of anything on the data bus that records it anyway.

 

[mstrjon32]

Originally Posted By: labman
Simple Cavalier? As complicated as the minor electrical problems I have found so far are, I would hate to have something complex. Remember when trunk lights had tilt or micro switches to turn them on? Ha! There is a double throw switch in the trunk latch that signals the BCM when the trunk is unlatched. The BCM then turns the light on.


This is one of the big things I don't like about my '06 Monte Carlo or any modern car, for that matter. Many systems that used to be "user serviceable" with a set of wrenches and a screwdriver now require a Tech II tool. The level of electrical complication in the car is ridiculous.

I remember being able to just put my foot up against the door switch in the old G-body's to shut off the interior lights, and in the mid 90's you could put the car on accessory and then pull the key out (I don't think it was supposed to be this way, but I enjoyed it, nice for listening to the radio when you're cleaning outside and no door chime, either).

 

[Anduril]

I swapped out the cluster on my Cav (same as your '02) for one from a Sunfire and it was fairly easy. You have to remove the dash pad and the radio bezel, then the cluster will pull right out and you put the new one in. The mileage is stored in the ECU on those cars, so you don't need to do anything else. It will still be the same as it was pre-swap.

The '95-'99 Cavaliers/Sunfires stored the mileage, as well as some sort of security code, in the cluster. In order to keep the same mileage with those, you had to physically remove the odometer from the old cluster and put it in the new one, and you still had to do something to reset the computer to make the car even start. 2000+ is completely plug and play.

 

[labman]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Pretty sure a dealership tech II scan tool can get mileage out of anything on the data bus that records it anyway.


I was really hoping not to deal with the people that suggested I should leave highly technical things like an oil change to them.

I wonder if I should risk a junkyard cluster?

 

[Anduril]

In a 2002, the mileage is stored in the ECU. Any cluster you hook up, provided it's from a 2000+ Cavalier/Sunfire, will work just fine and show the mileage that's actually on the car with no need for any trips to the dealer or DMV.

I changed my original cluster with one sold on e-Bay, so I can confirm that this is exactly how it works.

 

[firemachine69]

Originally Posted By: Anduril
In a 2002, the mileage is stored in the ECU. Any cluster you hook up, provided it's from a 2000+ Cavalier/Sunfire, will work just fine and show the mileage that's actually on the car with no need for any trips to the dealer or DMV.

I changed my original cluster with one sold on e-Bay, so I can confirm that this is exactly how it works.



That requires a re-learn of the PASSLOCK, a "feature" that consumes all-in-all about half an hour of your time.

Google it up.

 

[labman]

My shop manual says only replacement of the BCM, the Passlock sensor, or the PCM requires the Passlock learn.