Well...I sort of blew it.

[whsramandy]

A few weeks ago, I bought one of those reverse-glow gauge kits to make the dash lights match my Panasonic touch screen...sounded good in theory but has caused me some trouble and proved to be not worth it at all.
It said that it wasn't necessary to remove the needles...but the new dash inserts wouldn't slide over the needle. I decided to try and remove only one needle, the one to the fuel gauge, to see if that would ease installation. I was very gentle in pulling it out, but near the end it cracked, leaving only a stub of the needle stuck in its housing. Now my gas meter always says I'm on "E". It's not the greatest thing in the world.

My Question Is: does anyone know how to go about fixing this, or do I need to by an entirely new instrument cluster? Thanks for the help.

 

[mingez]

Yeah, I did the same install, and it was difficult. you really have to slide the needle along the hole. Darn things are sensitive. I think you can buy a new gauge, or perhaps the whole cluster. These are regularly on ebay, and not too bad in price. But the gauge itself does come out. (providing your XJ is pre-1997 like mine)


Good luck to ya! Sorry that happened.

 

[whsramandy]

Hey, thanks alot man. I was hoping that I would be able to get one for cheap and that it would fix the problem.

Would it be difficult to install?
Thanks.

 

[whsramandy]

After looking they're only like 20 bucks after s/h. I'd like to have a Tachometer also, would that be possible to set that up with a Tach included cluster even though the old one wasn't configured that way??

 

[Sparky-Watts]

After looking they're only like 20 bucks after s/h. I'd like to have a Tachometer also, would that be possible to set that up with a Tach included cluster even though the old one wasn't configured that way??

Yeah, most likely. I'm betting that they all have the same wiring harness for the instrument cluster, just that yours didn't have a tach to plug in to it. I guess unless you had a good schematic, the hardest part would be figuring out which empty socket was for the tach.

 

[bchcky]

uhhh, i'd say no. a separate, aftermarket tach is easy enough to install. the factory wiring harness for your jeep will likely not support a tach if it did not come with one. might help if you tell us what kind of jeep and year we're talking about here, unless i'm illiterate and missed that.

ps - be gentle! i installed those gauges and it was a cinch! but yeah, you fuxored yourself by breaking a needle. the trick is to make one half of the overlay flat, and slide it under the needle, working it all the way back to the pivot point, and then walla, slide that baby over it like a... well slide it over. and you're golden. and a little hint, mine fit perfectly, but i "tacked" the corners of the ones that didn't screw in with a spot of superglue. the look slicker than snot on a doorknob.

 

[Utah_jeepster]

Correct me if I am wrong here group, but when they make the wiring loom they usually don't make one from tach/ no tach. They just leave those plugs empty. ??

 

[Sparky-Watts]

Correct me if I am wrong here group, but when they make the wiring loom they usually don't make one from tach/ no tach. They just leave those plugs empty. ??

Yup, that's been my experience with all the vehicles I've owned. Not just the tach, but any other option that may or may not be included....you can always find the empty slot in the wire harness.

 

[jakbob]

on my 95 xj, i had the dummy light with no tach cluster and then i just got a cluster with a tach that was compatible and plugged it in....and it works fine

 

[whsramandy]

uhhh, i'd say no. a separate, aftermarket tach is easy enough to install. the factory wiring harness for your jeep will likely not support a tach if it did not come with one. might help if you tell us what kind of jeep and year we're talking about here, unless i'm illiterate and missed that.

haha, slicker than snot...i like how you give your examples that visual touch.... anyhow, i didn't clarify my XJ:

1988 Cherokee XJ
4.0L 242
AW-4 Transmission, don't know if that matters

I'd really like to get a cluster with the Tach built in so it doesn't look like I'm trying to turn a Jeep into a Honda or something you know? Maybe it might look cool tho I dunno.

By flat do you mean like folding the damn thing in half? I'm a little confused.

 

[whsramandy]

that's good to hear Jakbob, i hope it's that simple. I think i'm going to order the "w/ tach" version soon.

 

[bchcky]

by flat i mean flush with the dash. and then just pick the overlay up ever so slightly on one side, enough so you can slide the needle through the hole while the other half of the overlay stays flat and you run it underneath the needle.