INT: 98-02 ACCORD Instrument Cluster Gauge swap.

[crazymikey]

Fuel and temp gauges work. Odometer will read the mileage from the car the cluster is from, so record your mileage and the new cluster mileage before you begin driving, so you know your true mileage. The odometer will continue counting up from the current mileage stored in it. My dome light works both with the door open and on the switch. I have no issues with the cluster, other than the tach not working properly because it's from a V6 auto when I have a 4 cyl 5 speed, and the trip meter resetting to 0 every time. If my fuel gauge did not work, I would not be able to set the trip to count my mileage and I'd never know how much fuel I have.

I just wired everything together, I didn't use any connectors. You will need wire strippers. My cluster just sits in the dash, nothing but friction holding it in because it's so damn tight.

Make sure you screw the circuit board back onto the cluster after you take the white cover off the back, otherwise it will separate.

Here's some more cleaned up pics. For now I just took a marker to black out the shift pattern. Still thinking on ideas to cover it up.

[S.W.A.T]

^ looks good

[crazymikey]

Thank you sir. Just another notch in the belt for a slick OEM mod.

As much as I want a BB6 cluster, I'm not paying over $100 for one. I can get one for $40 if I ever get a BB6 in my local yard. If I ever come across one, I'll swap this one out for it.

So the downside with this is the tach not working right. I cannot get it to go over 3000rpm even when I know I'm near/at/around redline or much higher. First gear flat out, chriping wheels into second, it doesn't even go over 3k. It must have something to do with the auto transmission it was made for, and/or the ignition pulses being different between 4 cyl and V6s.

[Jarrett]

Did you happen to see any exposed soldered points visible on the back of the cluster? If so, those could be points that a dealer could use to reset or alter the mileage. I think this modification is awesome with the odometer reading being the only exception.

Also, would there be any room for you to clearance anymore of the dash above the cluster and then possibly put a couple of spacers underneath it so it sits about 3/8" higher? I just wanted to know if there's an easy way to make the bottoms of the gauge circles and the lettering visible. That might be an issue anyway when you put chrome rings on the gauges.

[schierholz]

... well i think im gonna use some quick clips to see if mine fires up tomarrow before takeing out all my screws and so forth and digging a hole. lmao .... again would a razor blade cut out whats needed ? and hopefully my install works good ive spent about a week just on wireing between yellowcord and this post ,90 H22 CB7 and his 5th gen lude cluster swap, and the online service manual for the cb and i believe the 98/02 is a cg but whats online is a euro wireing of the cluster so it was me plugging it into the wall and grounding to get lights to light up lol , just dont know what to do to keep some sort of sports light since im still running a auto

thanks mikey for your imput deffently gives me some insight on what im looking in the future!

[crazymikey]

Oh, it's totally doable to move the cluster up, if you were to shave the underside of the top of the dash, considering it's near an inch thick foam. I was using my angle grinder to do all the shaving and it made one hell of a mess with all the foam dust. I was also in a rush to get the cluster installed, as I started at 3pm and finished near 11pm, needing the car ready for 9am this morning for a show.

I do need to do some more wiring, so I will have to pull the cluster again. This time I'll be able to really clean things up and make it nice, now that I have the time for it.

The biggest fitment issue with the cluster is that the wire harnesses are all on top of the cluster. One on each side, and in the middle, unlike the CB ones being on the bottom front and on the top in the middle.

With the plugs being on the top edges, it's very hard to fit the cluster into the dash because the wires and plugs sit taller than the cluster.

This is a very tedious and difficult install, but if you have the time to devote to it, IMO, it is a very worth while modification.

As for the back of the cluster, it's all exposed solder points and circuitry. I'm sure there is a way to tamper with the mileage.

I'm just curious how to make the trip meter and reset button work. The button on the cluster for the Trip A, B and reset functions doesn't work with the way I currently have it wired.

I'm no electrical guru, and I wired it up only by following the wiring instructions from this thread.

[crazymikey]

... well i think im gonna use some quick clips to see if mine fires up tomarrow before takeing out all my screws and so forth and digging a hole. lmao .... again would a razor blade cut out whats needed ? and hopefully my install works good ive spent about a week just on wireing between yellowcord and this post ,90 H22 CB7 and his 5th gen lude cluster swap, and the online service manual for the cb and i believe the 98/02 is a cg but whats online is a euro wireing of the cluster so it was me plugging it into the wall and grounding to get lights to light up lol , just dont know what to do to keep some sort of sports light since im still running a auto

thanks mikey for your imput deffently gives me some insight on what im looking in the future!

A razor blade would be about as good as using a fork for this. I used an angle grinder to cut and shave the dash and cluster.

[schierholz]

A razor blade would be about as good as using a fork for this. I used an angle grinder to cut and shave the dash and cluster.

okay il have to go barrow some tools from my buddy, im worried about the exposed circut board but i guess it wont have to much problem, im just getting b*hed at about what if it doesnt go right and something doesnt work, So im trying to figure out all the cons and try to make the cleanest install i may even try getting it up so you can see the trip reset but it looks like yours alredy sits higher than yellowcord's but like you said you took alot of the foam off the top to make it sit that high. now im just cutting up the housing of the old cluster right no hvac vent or so forth? if you can get that trip counter to quit resetting that would be cool i kinda would like this to be so i can monitor my oil change as well as my mpg and everything else working as normal (hopeful end)

alright il see what happens next

Thanks

[schierholz]

I unpluged my 10 prong on my car and used some quickclips to just see what happens and from what i can tell my tach is a bout 1k off ex ( when my car shifts it shifts about 2700 to 3200 where as this one shifts about 1700 to 2200 guess i got a v6 one as well) also the spedo according to my gps is about 2-3 miles off meaning 30 on the spedo i was doing like 27,28 but thats okay ... and i now can see that trip odo works great as the car is on but about 10 seconds to 15 seconds my speedo checks itself (guages fluctuate) and the trip is zero'ed out i have some ideas mabe a power wire to keep the memory of the trip i just dont know which one needs power i have red/white,white/red on 7 and 8 and a green wire on 16 the + pink is a imobilzer light on mine as the yellow/white,white/yellow with negitve will turn on the imobilzer light any ideas or sugsetions welcome

thanks

[Jarrett]

The '98-'02 Accords had slightly taller tires so their speedometers are likely calibrates for a different VSS. That should explain the mph fluctuation. That's just speculation, though.

[crazymikey]

My speedo seems to be accurate. It's the tach that does not work properly being from a V6 auto.

However, I've started the search for a 4 cyl 5 speed cluster or a BB6. This one was a good test cluster.

FYI, also the same cluster used in the Odyssey.

[MikeW]

I'm going to do chrome rings on this one too, and black out the auto shift pattern.

Good luck with the chrome rings. As you may or may not find out, there are 2 different sets for these gauges. One covers the bottom flat part, the other does not. The latter being the ones "we" don't like/want.

However, I've started the search for a 4 cyl 5 speed cluster

I think this will be your best bet. It being from a manual F23, it'll "relate" to your car better than the current cluster.

[schierholz]

Alright im gonna put this one on the back burner for now i need a stronger blade for my cut off tool, and come to find out my blinkers and doors and shifter lights got mixed up and the matinace req light wouldnt shut off for nothing ... The thing i think really is inoying me is the cb cuts all power to the cluster which after the circut bord powers down it resets completely which in term means no trip odo which was 70% reason i wanted to try this mod. If anyone has a fix for the temp sky rocketing and staying there let me know i intend to do this mabe when i feel like playing around with 40-50 wires again. That plastic is a bit of a b**** to cut so its oem for now

[crazymikey]

And this is why I spent 7 hours installing it. It was not fun.

Here's a clip of it in action.

http://s54.photobucket.com/albums/g1...20717-1738.mp4

[schierholz]

yeah i want that in my car i think the cluster looks great once installed but ive spent a week alone on wireing the cluster up but the online free fsm manuals for the 98 dont work so well when your holding a 2000 when i guess they changed a few things including the temp sensor

i got it all working
except for the blinkers, getting drive lights and doors mixed and the temp rising up to the top and not reading correctly im gonna look into the one that goes to the 00" v6 accord. im gonna check my wireing and go from there mabe il get this done before Sep lmao and if anyone wants to help me get the imoblizer light to work as my sports button all welcome


Great video just gotta figure out how to keep the cb from killing ALL power to every wire there in the dash so the cluster can retain the trip obiously not saved in the cluster