SOLVED: Will the RPMs dial work on the instrument cluster?

Dennis Blewett · Post by **Dennis Blewett** » Sat Sep 27, 2014 2:14 pm

2000 Dodge Neon: Automatic

I got an instrument cluster from the junkyard out of a 2gn manual Dodge Neon. It has RPMs on it with white faces for the dials. I was talking with someone, and the person believes that the RPM dial won't work, as the vehicle I'm going to install it into is an automatic: The person alleged that the transmission won't be setup for the RPM dial in the instrument cluster to work.

Does anyone know if the RPM dial will work in the 2000 Dodge Neon automatic?

Gnuserup · Post by **Gnuserup** » Sat Sep 27, 2014 3:02 pm

I really won´t believe that it won´t work.

The rpm-dial is getting its information out of the PCI-bus and this is always transmitted.

As long as strange things like these I did are working

viewtopic.php?t=58992

your project will end up successfully.

But you will loose your original mileage shown in the odometer (this is stored in the cluster AND the pcm) and maybe get a red light.

Give it a try. As far as the other cluster isn´t pretty worse defective there will be no risk.

Dennis Blewett · Post by **Dennis Blewett** » Sat Sep 27, 2014 3:53 pm

Hmm. So, if I replace the instrument cluster with the one I got from the junkyard, the odometer will be reset?

I was under the impression that if I replaced the instrument cluster, the computer in the car would transmit the odometer numbers to the replacement cluster.

From read this thread, viewtopic.php?t=42200&sid=7d5bcdfb76385 ... 212e32f34d, someone says that a dealership might be able to get the odometer numbers equalized between the computer and the instrument cluster.

I'm assuming that's the legal thing to do, right?

Gnuserup · Post by **Gnuserup** » Sat Sep 27, 2014 4:20 pm

Every cluster you take shows the mileage it had when removed from the donor and counts up from there.
So if your car has 50.000, the donor 75.000, your pcm goes on from 50.000, the cluster from 75.000 and show you that higher mileage.
If you get a cluster with less, you´re fine, but mostly not legal.

Forget about the correction from the dealership.
Most won´t do it I guess.

What I found out is, that you are able to reprogram the "white" clusters way easy yourself with special tools you get for about 300 $ or something on the internet and have to connect some wires to some points on the cluster.
But for just one time it isn´t worth it.

sidepipe87 · Post by **sidepipe87** » Sat Sep 27, 2014 5:53 pm

yes, the tachometer will work. the person you talked to does not own a neon. yes, your mileage will be wrong. HOWEVER you can switch the mileage board over and you will have your correct mileage as long as the new cluster has the same MPH as yours, presumably 120 max. there's a write up on here somewhere on how to swap the mileage board.

Now that I think of it, I don't think you can swap mileage boards between non tach and tach clusters and have it work

Dennis Blewett · Post by **Dennis Blewett** » Sat Sep 27, 2014 6:51 pm

sidepipe87 wrote:yes, the tachometer will work. the person you talked to does not own a neon. yes, your mileage will be wrong. HOWEVER you can switch the mileage board over and you will have your correct mileage as long as the new cluster has the same MPH as yours, presumably 120 max. there's a write up on here somewhere on how to swap the mileage board.

Now that I think of it, I don't think you can swap mileage boards between non tach and tach clusters and have it work

Ok, I'll look for info on moving the odometer to a different circuit board.

Thanks, all.

Post by **occasional demons** » Sat Sep 27, 2014 7:15 pm

heydockyle wrote:Well I've never had it done. Just a friend of my Dad's that works at the local Dodge shop told me that if I bought a Srt cluster that they could do it up there.

This might only apply to a brand new cluster. They have to have a way to add mileage in those cases. I'm sure the right person could add mileage to a used cluster, but making it happen might be another matter.

If you current cluster doesn't have a tach, then the mileage board will not work in one that has a tach.

To reiterate what Ryan said:

Now that I think of it, I don't think you can swap mileage boards between non tach and tach clusters and have it work

Dennis Blewett · Post by **Dennis Blewett** » Sat Sep 27, 2014 7:38 pm

I'm looking into moving odometer chips.

Gnuserup · Post by **Gnuserup** » Sun Sep 28, 2014 2:42 am

The mileage is stored together with a couple of other things like ABS present, Autostick present - or not on the board itself. Better - on an eeprom.
By swapping the odometer, your are just swapping the display which shows, what the cluster delivers.

Maybe read the clusterrelated things here
viewtopic.php?t=57495&start=30