Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2000 11:16:49 -0400
Reply-To: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: Re: Tacho Cluster and Parts for 89 Vanagon Q. Cluster Housing,
O2 Sensor, Harness Diagram, Things to look out for...
In-Reply-To: <000901c03f4e$29258e60$9ade8ec6@oemcomputer>
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At 09:10 10/26/2000, Chris Mundy wrote:
>1. Which Cluster Housings??
>
>I've still yet to decide what parts to swap to what cluster? The cluster
>just purchased has the digital clock whereas if I put the Tacho into my
>current cluster, I have no digital clock except for the one in my Stereo.
>What's the consensus on the digital clocks?
Speaking strictly for myself, a concensus of one -- I miss having the nice
big analog clock in the cluster, but not nearly as much as I appreciate
having a tach. The digital clock in the newer panels however is
unobtrusive yet always readable -- not quite as accurate as the old (quasi)
analog one was -- it had a rate of about a second every three months! The
digital clock has an internal jumper (solder bridge) for either 12-hr or
24-hr display, change to taste. Be careful reassembling, I forget whether
it is possible to put the polarizing filter in wrong, but if so you may end
up with an invisible display, or even light letters on dark ground. The
setting buttons on the clock often get pushed in too far and trapped so the
clock is stuck in setting mode, easy to fix by removing or even loosening
the clock.
You may also discover that the circuit foil with the tach only fits
properly in one of the housings -- I forget what the issue was here,
probably had to do with the circuitry for the dynamic oil pressure sensor
which was stuck into a cavity in the back of the speedo for want of another
place to put it. Or else the connector from the panel to the rest of the
world. Incidentally, the speedo calibration is much tighter on '85-up
US-spec vehicles -- with the speedo out of its housing you can see the
little limit dots at the three calibration points, may be worth checking out.
>2. O2 Sensor
>
>The older cluster also has an O2 Sensor LED, whereas my Caravelle doesn't
>have an O2 Sensor. I presume the O2 sensor measures Oxygen for ...... ( fill
>in the blanks). Is there any advantage in having it? Do Australian's need an
>O2 sensors???
It will sit there and do nothing, it's just a light that is switched on by
an elapsed-distance device on the speedo cable. The sensor (if present and
if you haven't used leaded fuel) detects oxygen or lack thereof in the
exhaust stream, which lets the ECU dynamically adjust mixture based on what
actually happened in the engine. Works extremely well so long as all four
cylinders are behaving the same.
>3. Harness Diagrams
>
>I'm slowing going through Gerry and trying to find a wiring diagram or
>instructions, etc for this job. Does any one know a shortcut to this eg,
>year or has someone the instructions on this? Is it a plug and play
>solution? Were VW gracious enough to hardwire the tacho wire into all their
>wiring looms or do I have to run a wire to the distributor?
Woof! Without knowing the OZ-spec wiring it would be guessing. I can
supply a table for moving the wires between pre- and post-'85 US-spec
panels. My '84 did not have a tach wire, I had to run one.
>4. Things to look out for
>
>Any other hidden traps for young players??
The plastic on these panels has gotten very tender over the years, thank
you VW. Be vewwy vewwy caweful! The circuit foil is delicate though not
ridiculously so. Be careful not to flex it where components are
mechanically crimped on, you may destroy the connection.
david
David Beierl - Providence, RI
http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"
