Dummy lights to Needles...help.

[80Grand_LeMans]

Im swapping my dummy lights (volts, temp, oil, gas) with a stock gauge cluster from another Pontiac with needles. I'm guessing I need another new oil sending unit meant for a gauge, not a light, but what about the other two. Is it relatively the same thing? Or is there more to this than I'm thinking. Thanks.

 

[DOUG213XRJ]

I heard that going from no gauges to gauges the wiring harness is needed.

 

[Doober]

You will need a sending unit for the temperature as well. You may need to do some re-pinning of your cluster to get everything to work though.
Take a look at the dummy lights-to-gauges page on this site, may help a little bit, but having two separate connectors for the gauges may prove different than the Malibu/Monte clusters.

 

[80Grand_LeMans]

It is the same exact thing (I believe). I haven't seen the back of it yet but I will check first. Shouldn't it just bolt in and get the same signals from each pin the same way?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PONTIAC-GRAND-PRIX-LJ-OIL-FUEL-TEMP-VOLT-GUAGE-1981_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286Q2em20Q2el1116QQhashZitem310116784756QQitemZ310116784756QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Thats exactly what I have in my car but they are just lights (except the fuel)

 

[Doober]

The traces may go to different spots on the back of the cluster. That's why it has to be changed on the Malibu/Monte dash. You may have to do some tracing of your own with a multimeter, and following the traces on the back of the cluster.

 

[80Grand_LeMans]

Hmm. Guess I'll be having more fun with this than I thought.


Once the wiring is all correct or whatever. What/where are the sending units that need to be replaced (temp and volts).

 

[Doober]

You should be able to just pick up the correct units for your year/engine at the parts store.

 

[85_SS]

From the main page:
http://www.maliburacing.com/gauge_conversion.html

 

[ScotSea]

You will need more that just the gauges and senders. The plastic part of the idiot light dashes are different from the gauge dash. Behind the idiot light is a hole for the bulb holder. Behind the guage are two or three clips to make contact with the bolts that stick out of the guage. If you have the bare gauges, you will also need to get the part of the dash that holds the gauges. Plus you need the printed circuit that connects the gauges.

Scot