Cluster woes (dead MPG gauge, speedo off)

[rickk]

Hi All,

Spent last weekend with my cluster (turning the house into a warzone, tools and parts all over the place, as usual ) to install gauge rings (the click-on ones from armaturenringe.de - recommended btw: very good fit and nice lookinig) and paint the needles red.

I was also determined to repair the MPG gauge, which has never worked ever since I got the car. When I got it, the speedo and MPG gauge were dead. I fixed the speedo pretty quickly by cleaning contacts and reflowing some solder joints, but the MPG only works about once or twice a year when it's very hot outside.

So, this weekend, after installing the rings and painting the needles, I reflowed some more joints, cleaned more contacts, measured continuity, etc. Also, inspected SI batteries which seem fine (no leakage, good voltage readings), but after putting everything back together it's still dead

To top it off, my speedo is now 15 km/h (that's about 10 miles/h) off when I set the park position to the first stripe (which seems to be the stock position)

Could this be due to the added weight of the paint or something? Is there are nicer way to fix it then just moving the park position to 25 km/h (which sucks, IMHO)? Any ideas on the MPG gauge?

Thanks,
Rick

[kidsinister]

Well I painted my needles red, and the only problem I got was with the rev needle - the paint had stuck it to the little stop post!

I'd say you have an electrical problem.

[rickk]

Fixed..

Put the metal part of needle on the plastic part the wrong way around - this messed up the weight and so the readings

Also swapped around some parts from another cluster. Turns out the MPG gauge itself was just dead.