ok - so i would have to rip the NL cluster out of the donor car, and then re-wire back in a low-series cluster - then i can have the NL cluster sitting around to get all that sorted & ready for install down the line sometime - does that sound reasonable?

Xyphoid

Can you dig that resistor information out for me as I have located a connector and am ready to wire them up (sick of the doors flapping on my LCD)
Cheers
TW.

*bump

the more i think about it, the more it sounds like a worthwhile adventure. i just need to rewire the other guys car ASAP though. so, in order to swap, i take the 2 connectors out, and replace & rewire with the single connector pin & replace the cluster with a low-series one? is that all cool? kms are not an issue - this NL one has only 7500kms on it anyways

cheers!!

A lot of work but I am happy with the result. You need to remove all the pins from his 16 pin connector and replace it with your 20pin connector the Doco by Matti is an excellent reference, the pins are a pain to remove from the connector though. You need to flick them from the front with a tiny jewlers screw driver while gently pulling on the wire connected to the pin. Not to hard as you will jam the pin in there and it won't come out.
I would suggest practicing on a spare connector from the wreckers and using that. The 12 pin contains all the goodies that the high series cluster brings so you need that, also the 4 pin connector at the back needs removing and shorting pins 1 and 3 wiring together and 2 and 4 wiring together (check the doco) otherwise his brake or tail lamps won't work. While your there you will need the fuel flap sensor.

If you proceed, I have the circuit to allow the door sensor to work it requires 4 diodes per door and 2 more for the fuel flap. You will also need the oil pressure sender and soldering skills to add in the additional resistor to the TC and the cluster for LCD dimming if you are coming from the low series cluster.

BTW, how come he is letting you pinch his cluster, especially if its only done 7500K's?
Cheers.

cheers twason so i need all 3 of the connector plugs that are currently plugged into the high-series one? hmmm... so i'll have to track down some spares from a wrecker

are their any issues with looms/ECU/BEM's at all? hopefully not!

hes retro fitted an entire EL dash/seats etc into his EB Fairmont - but hes selling the car, and doesn't mind getting a bit of cash/beer for some of the interior s**t before he gets rid of it

[quote="uglybob"]cheers twason so i need all 3 of the connector plugs that are currently plugged into the high-series one? hmmm... so i'll have to track down some spares from a wrecker

are their any issues with looms/ECU/BEM's at all? hopefully not!

quote]
You really are only going to have trouble locating the 12 pin as it is only used on the High series cluster. the 16 pin can be sourced from an AU in behind the cluster. The 4 pin can be sourced from a VN commode on one of the binnicle switches. You can try Macathur spares in Narrellan NSW, he has the connector but charges $15 + postage. Try him for a price on all three. There are no issues with the ECU. The only issue with the BEM is the low series don't have LCD dimming so you need to add in the two resistor mentioned on my previous post. The futura loom remains intact, all the other wiring to the doors, boot and fuel flap will need to be run additional to that. You will need to get the correct sensor for the fuel flap as it is a "hazardous location" and you can't use an exposed contact switch legally.

Cheers
TW.

the 12 pin connector i can grab from his - along with the 4 pin one. i'd be changing his back down to a low-series cluster, so i'd need the stock connectors to re-wire his back to standard - i don't want to take the ones from mine, as i'm not ready to re-wire the NL one into mine for a while yet - i.e until i can do all the door flaps etc in one hit.

however i am having great difficulty in tracking down the stock connector pins no wrecker here has them!

Don't you guy's have Taxi's over there? Over here they are wrecking them by the truck load.
Cheers
TW

okies... i'm dredging up my old posts here...

cluster has been bought (along with other parts) for $100 - i've got the right hand 20-pin connector, and the left connectors - both 12 & 16 ones.

so... really looking at doing this now - incl in that $100 is a ford repair manual, which should help heaps! i've had a mate suggest that, for the 'open door' feaure, a cheats way may be to connect them to the interior light feature - eg so when a door opens, it'll show 'all' doors being open on the cluster - a stingy way of doing it, but assuming this will work?

there seems to be sufficient access to the wires for the cluster that i can strip & resolder what i need to - so might have to spend a good weekend doing it when the parts arrive...

so do i really need the 4-pin connector? or will the cluster work fine otherwise? and is what i've mentioned above in regards to the door-open function sound ok?

all thoughts greatly appreciated!

cheers

Nah, you dont need the 4 Pin connector...
I dont have one, and I dont have any of the Bulb out wiring in there, and it works perfectly fine....

Having all the doors open/close on the LCD is fine too....
That idea actually makes it MUCH easier to wire up, as you dont need diodes, and crap like that....
Its also the sort of thing that if you can be stuffed, you can add each door seperately at a later date....

I still dont have the resistor values for the door ajar thing....
I wrote them down somewhere, and lost the bit of paper it was all written on....
Also my workshop manual is at work, and I keep forgetting to bring the bastard thing home with me.....

May I suggest as I am about to do, getting 4 additional switches and mounting them on the other end of the doors so the when the door just opens the switch closes as opposed to the current switches that only close when the doors are open a fair bit. That way these can be dedicated to the door feature and all that is needed is a 220 ohm resistor across each switch.
The 4 pin plug is easily found on a VN commodore binacle switch from the wrecker, but the cluster will function without it. If you do wire it up you need to be carefull with the wiring to the trailer plug, it needs to come from before the cluster not after otherwise every time you tow and disconnect you get the BULB OUT warning until you clear it.

hmmm... think i might pass on both the individual doors feature, and the bulb out functions - i'd like to get the cluster working 110% first, then maybe look at that stuff down the line when i'm REALLY bored

so the gear selector function is plug & play then?

Yes the gear selector information is derived from the ECU, there is no wiring to do to get that to work.
Cheers
TW

Isnt it great I got them for you Fras.