Swapping clusters, adding LED dash, lights and half a dozen other things.

[bikerjosh]

Ok, so I frequently start on a project, and complete it w/o checking my work (as in didn't start the van, drive etc) before diving into another mod.
Most recently I replaced all the exterior bulbs (corner lights, marker, turn signals, reverse) with LED, added OEM fogs, LED under bumper driving lights, swapped out the four headlights with two different types of LED lights (1 pair of 15 led bulb lights; 1 pair of glass lens single LED headlights), installed a new stereo, dash speakers, powered sub-woofer, and then swapped the instrument cluster from 4wd AT van to get a tach all with LEDs. Oh and did the 'Big 4' with 2 gauge cables.

So, amazingly almost everything works. The only issues are neither the 'door ajar' nor 'seat belt sign' illuminate (swapped in multiple bulbs including known good ones) no change. Oil pressure gauge needle goes from the bottom all the way up the scale when I turn the key to the 'on' position, after starting the engine it gradually goes down to the bottom.
When I did the swap out of exterior turn signal bulbs I swapped out the flasher relay under the dash. From outside the turn signals work as they should but on dash they barely illuminate.

Not really too concerned with the door ajar or seat belt dash lights, more annoying than anything but I would like to understand the oil pressure gauge and turn signal behavior.

Thanks Josh

[llamavan]

[...] neither the 'door ajar' nor 'seat belt sign' illuminate (swapped in multiple bulbs including known good ones) no change.

Does your dome light come on when the door is open? And does the seat belt buzzer function?

Gwen

[bikerjosh]

Yes, the dome light comes on when the door is open. To be honest I can't remember if the seat belt buzzer or dash light ever came on. I didn't drive it very much before I started working on it.
thanks

[Burntboot]

BJ - Did you replace the oil pressure sender? The idiot light version sender is not compatible with the pressure gauge cluster.

Installing the proper sender might well solve that issue. When I did mine, I had to run a new wire from the sender to the cluster.
The idiot light version is a shared input between the sender and the level sensor, dead ending the old PS wire is sufficient for the level sender to still work.
Running a new wire to the new OP sender is the easiest work around (and leaves it possible to switch back if ever required.)

The only other thing I noticed was that the circuits depicted on the printed circuit board didn't conform to anything in my manuals, but by comparing the two printed circuits I was able to move wires around to match up to all the connectors and get everything working.
As an aside, it was an '89 LE cluster (auto/4wd) swapped into my 88 DX (5spd/4wd)
BB

[bikerjosh]

Ok, as an update. Haven't swapped the oil pressure sending unit yet to fix the op gauge, but have fixed most of the issues with the swap.

So far my open (need a fix issues) are:
low fuel light always on, (but gas gauge works, at time of swap thought this was just because the tank was almost empty)
noticed yesterday, dash illumination lights when I press the brakes.
turn signals activate from outside, relay makes sound, but the dash indicators don't light up?

...but oh that tach is nice. Can't understand why manual cargo vans didn't come with a tach standard??

thanks -Josh

[spacecruisers]

Josh, i had those same first 2 problems when swapping out the cluster lights with LEDs. low fuel light always on, dash illuminates when braking. never found a solution so I've just been living with it for now. thought about swapping the regular bulbs back in next time i have the dash apart. hopefully you figure it out! i'd hate to have to ruin my 100% LED powered van