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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 4
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OP
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Joined: Mar 2004
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i recently got a contour and wanted to start playing with it like i do to any car i own, first thing was a gauge cluster with a tach. i searched around here for info and had trouble finding out what i was looking for so i figured id post some info. i have a 98.5 GL 4 cyl auto. the original cluster did not have a tach. i got a cluster from a 6cyl contour, tried plugging it right in and the tach read about 1/2 the actual RPMs and the gas gauge didnt work at all. then i got a cluster from a mystique, but it was a 95 so it had the cable driven speedo. i took the tach out of the mystique cluster, and put it into the v6 cluster i got. after this i had a tach, speedo, and temp gauge that read correctly. the gas gauge was now working backwards like ive read about a few times on here. i had 2 gas gauges that would fit from the new clusters, but neither read correctly. if you look at the gauges from the back, they all mount up the same, but all 3 (original 4cyl contour, v6 contour, and 4 cyl mystique) gauges had different part numbers and looked slightly different (one had a resistor on the back, one had an extra prong that was shorter the the other 3, and one just had 3 prongs and no resistors) i took the gas gauge from the original tach-less cluster and removed the needle using needle nose pliers to hold the shaft it goes on and twisted it back and forth til it came off. i did the same to one of the other gauges (because the face on the tach-less one is too big to fit in a cluster with a tach). i put the original tach-less gas gauge onto the face plate from the cluster with the tach, and made sure the needle was pointing in the same direction as it was before i pulled it off (very important obviously) now i have a freak cluster made up from a total of 3 different clusters that works perfectly, every gauge is reading correctly. another thing, leave the bulbs that dont apply to your car right out of the cluster. thats what they do from the factory. i left the ABS, SPORT, (picture of a shock), and seatbelt lights right out. oh, the only thing that didnt work correctly was the gas light, the gauge reads correct, but the gas light only comes on when i have a full tank... but the gauge works, so that bulb didnt make it back in either. i know using 3 clusters and taking them all apart is a pain, but i got the 2 a bought for under $10 a peice (ebay) and swapping clusters wouldnt be worth it to me if they didnt work right. also, if anyone needs any guages for their contour, i have 2 full clusters left over from my playing around. 1 cable driven speedo with v6 tach, and 1 electric speedo with no tach. im not going to use them, so ill sell them for $15 shipped to anyone who might want them.
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 7,100
Addicted CEG\'er
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Addicted CEG\'er
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 7,100 |
Originally posted by jodius44:
but i got the 2 a bought for under $10 a peice (ebay) ... so ill sell them for $15 shipped to anyone who might want them.
Hey... Welcome to the site... Take home as much knowledge as you can. There is a wealth of it to be learned. (Let me be the first to give you a piece of said knowledge):
1. Never tell your customers your purchase price for something you are trying to sell them.. That way the final price doesn't seem so high to them...
LOLOL  
j/k
Ray
'99 CSVT - Silver #222/276
In a constant state of blow-off euphoria.
Originally posted by Kremitthefrog:
I like to wear dresses and use binoculars to watch grandmas across the street.
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 389
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 389 |
Originally posted by jodius44:
i recently got a contour and wanted to start playing with it like i do to any car i own, first thing was a gauge cluster with a tach. i searched around here for info and had trouble finding out what i was looking for so i figured id post some info. i have a 98.5 GL 4 cyl auto. the original cluster did not have a tach. i got a cluster from a 6cyl contour, tried plugging it right in and the tach read about 1/2 the actual RPMs and the gas gauge didnt work at all. then i got a cluster from a mystique, but it was a 95 so it had the cable driven speedo. i took the tach out of the mystique cluster, and put it into the v6 cluster i got. after this i had a tach, speedo, and temp gauge that read correctly. the gas gauge was now working backwards like ive read about a few times on here. i had 2 gas gauges that would fit from the new clusters, but neither read correctly. if you look at the gauges from the back, they all mount up the same, but all 3 (original 4cyl contour, v6 contour, and 4 cyl mystique) gauges had different part numbers and looked slightly different (one had a resistor on the back, one had an extra prong that was shorter the the other 3, and one just had 3 prongs and no resistors) i took the gas gauge from the original tach-less cluster and removed the needle using needle nose pliers to hold the shaft it goes on and twisted it back and forth til it came off. i did the same to one of the other gauges (because the face on the tach-less one is too big to fit in a cluster with a tach). i put the original tach-less gas gauge onto the face plate from the cluster with the tach, and made sure the needle was pointing in the same direction as it was before i pulled it off (very important obviously) now i have a freak cluster made up from a total of 3 different clusters that works perfectly, every gauge is reading correctly. another thing, leave the bulbs that dont apply to your car right out of the cluster. thats what they do from the factory. i left the ABS, SPORT, (picture of a shock), and seatbelt lights right out. oh, the only thing that didnt work correctly was the gas light, the gauge reads correct, but the gas light only comes on when i have a full tank... but the gauge works, so that bulb didnt make it back in either. i know using 3 clusters and taking them all apart is a pain, but i got the 2 a bought for under $10 a peice (ebay) and swapping clusters wouldnt be worth it to me if they didnt work right. also, if anyone needs any guages for their contour, i have 2 full clusters left over from my playing around. 1 cable driven speedo with v6 tach, and 1 electric speedo with no tach. im not going to use them, so ill sell them for $15 shipped to anyone who might want them.
TOOO MANY WORDS!!!! AHHH 
99 Contour SE
-Front oval mesh grille
-tinted windows
Future:
Custom exhaust
CTA intake.
thats pretty much it
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 4
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 4 |
$15 shipped is decent isnt it? the shipping will probably cost me $10 anyways, i just dont know what to do with all my left over clusters lol
sorry about the too many words heheh i just figured id throw that info out there cause if i knew all that stuff before i started i couldve saved myself a few hours with 11 gauges in front of me trying this and that til i found something that worked. i like the site though, very good source of info!
Jody
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 7,100
Addicted CEG\'er
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Don't take him (or myself) too seriously.. We are both, obviously, just poking fun. That sounds like a reasonable price, if you ask me.
On the other topic, I think that your information was a very helpful thought, and I am sure that somebody else will read that later on and save theirself some time.
Ray
'99 CSVT - Silver #222/276
In a constant state of blow-off euphoria.
Originally posted by Kremitthefrog:
I like to wear dresses and use binoculars to watch grandmas across the street.
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