GPdriver1986 Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 I have a base analog instrument cluster on my 1991 Grand Prix, I want to swap it for a full analog instrument cluster (tach,oil,batt,fuel,speed,temp,etc). I know I need to run the white tach wire from the DIS, but I'm not sure where I can find this wire and where the DIS is? Also if I just plug it with tach wire will the oil pressure gauge and the battery voltmeter on the new cluster work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 Your oil will read max on the digital until the oil sender switch would signal a low oil light, then it will drop to zero. The water reads minimum until its sender switch would light up with "HOT" then it will read max. You have to change out the switch sensors for sender sensors. Get em from a junked one or buy new. I still have to get mine. I changed clusters about a month ago. My tach is digital though so I know nothing about where to find the white wire. You might get lucky though....my buick had the white tach wire plugged into the connector even though my base cluster had no tach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPdriver1986 Posted June 20, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 What senders do I need? Does anyone have a how-to for this conversion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gimp19 Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 "oil pressure" and "coolant temperature" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPdriver1986 Posted June 20, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 Is the tach wire somewhere near the coil packs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Is the tach wire somewhere near the coil packs? There is a bundle under your coil packs. In there is a white wire, thats the tach wire Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPdriver1986 Posted June 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Do you mean the wires that run in that big wire loom beside the fans? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 uh, I dont think so. Look at your coil packs and there should be a bundle DIRECTLY under it. Theres about 5-8 wires in there, white, yellow, red, black, maybe a couple of others Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Dudes, I realize that I have a Buick Regal, not a GP but might it not be a good idea to see if he has the white wire in his cluster connector already before worrying about splicing a wire from the engine compartment? I'm serious, my car which had the base digital cluster had the white tach wire for the analog tach plugged into the cluster connector. I have the 1991 Regal shop manual. For my base digital the chart showed the white wire as an empty slot but the analog chart showed it as the tach wire. I'd hope they did the same with the GP and it would then be purely "plug and play".....IE: No hassles with wires. The other guy posting for an aftermarket tach might not have luck with this wire but the upgraded GP cluster should be a sinch, Ya! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Yeah, Lee, I tried to find where that white wire came up near my gauge cluster and it wasnt there. Like the wire just disappears somewhere. Its very strange. I dont know why its not there. Thats why I had to go to the engine compartment. It is worth looking for though, would save a lot of splicing and hassle Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPdriver1986 Posted June 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 I was looking at the coil pack there were two connectors at the side, thats all I could see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPdriver1986 Posted June 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 What I don't understand is why do I have to change the coolant temp sensor when I already have a temp gauge on my base cluster and also what should be done about the voltmeter or ammeter is there a sender,sensor,or switch for that too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted June 23, 2003 Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 if you have a temp gauge that reads variable temps already, not just an idiot light....then it will work fine with the new cluster. Most base clusters just have a "hot" light though. Volts will read off the system so it will just plain work for you. Robby, I was hoping that GM would be GM and that the wire would be there. I suppose that a different assembly line can make a difference. It's too bad though. My Cassette upgrade was a ...is PITA the word. Just to put the Equalizer/Cassette in, I had to change out the Head unit and radio also. It didn't work at all with the original head unit and only had two of the five bands with the original radio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismellrealbad Posted June 23, 2003 Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 isnt there a wire in the ALDL connector u can tap? 1 foot from the cluster inside the cabin vs 2ft and thru the firewall. correct me if im wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted June 23, 2003 Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 Robby, I was hoping that GM would be GM and that the wire would be there. I suppose that a different assembly line can make a difference. It's too bad though. My Cassette upgrade was a ...is PITA the word. Just to put the Equalizer/Cassette in, I had to change out the Head unit and radio also. It didn't work at all with the original head unit and only had two of the five bands with the original radio. See, my head unit was easy as cake to install. All the adapters were available, and all the wires were there. It was like a two hour job at the most. Most of that was spent taking enough of the trim pieces off to get the old cassette player out. Oh well, leave it to GM to stuff like this Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted June 23, 2003 Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 isnt there a wire in the ALDL connector u can tap? 1 foot from the cluster inside the cabin vs 2ft and thru the firewall. correct me if im wrong I know the orange wire in the ALDL will let work for a digital cluster, like on cuttys and stuff, but on a GP or something with all analog, I dont know if the orange wire will work. I mean it *should*, but who knows Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted June 23, 2003 Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 Orange ALDL wire is not used for an analog cluster. They get tach signal from the white Tach wire. I would think Grand Prix 91+ should have it in the connector somewhere. If not, it stops at the firewall connector, and getting access to that from inside is almost impossible without tearing out the dash. For that reason alone, it's a lot easier just to run a new wire from the DIS module. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPdriver1986 Posted June 24, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2003 I think I found the wire for the tach signal, actually I found 2 white wires in the bunch. Is this the right bunch of wires though? I also want to know how the voltmeter or ammeter works, is there a sendor or switch for that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted June 26, 2003 Report Share Posted June 26, 2003 voltmeter receives electrical current from the cluster connector. There are various hot wires in there and it simply reads the current provided to the cluster. It will work...a freebee!!!!! Mine runs midway between the 8 and 18....so 13 volts. In the cluster connector I had white for antiloc brakes and white for tach. You need to look at the cluster upgrade page of Shawn's w-body site, particularly the pin-out charts, and it will all come together for you. Take your dash off, look at the cluster connector. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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