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Instrument Cluster Swap ~► Tachometer

35K views 56 replies 3 participants last post by  Loyale 2.7 Turbo 
#1 · (Edited)
Good Day,

I am in need to Swap the instrument cluster on a 2000 Kia Sephia, which came without Tachometer, for another Kia Instrument Cluster which have Tachometer; so the Questions are:

~► Does the Wiring is the Same on the Car without Tachometer, for the Instrument Cluster with Tachometer?

~► Does that Swap will need extra Wiring / Sensor? :confused:

Any CONSTRUCTIVE advice is very Welcome. :D

If such a project has already been done, please post a link, or point me in the right direction.

Kind Regards & Blessings.
 
#3 ·
I have both instrument clusters, but I will like to have some Feedback here, prior to start the Project...

Kind Regards.
 
#4 ·
The swap is Done and Working 100% Good!


The Wiring is Already there, set up from Factory; you only need to be Careful to Use the instrument Cluster from the Same kind of Transmission that is in your Car; so if your car is Automatic, use the instrument Cluster from an Automatic.

The Swap Process from Non- Tach Cluster to the Tach Cluster went like removing the Old Cluster and install the New one, and Voilá!

I did that a couple of Months ago and it is Working flawlessly since then, now my Wife's "KiaStein" has Tachometer and also there is a Display for the Trans Shifter positions (P, R, N, D, 2, 1) next to the Fuel & Temp Gauges; everything works good!


Kind Regards.
 
#5 ·
I've already retrofitted white LED Bulbs on 17 different Cars of many Brands and counting, it started with my own "BumbleBeast" Subaru long time ago, then my Wife's "KiaStein" in the Old Non-Tach cluster.

My Dad asked me to do that on his Cars, then some Friends who saw my cars at Night asked me to do such retrofitting on their cars and some friends of those friends too... and friends of my dad, etc... it is the Snow Ball Effect somehow ...

So, I Retrofitted White LED Bulbs on this New -to me- instrument Cluster, prior to do the Swap.
 
#6 · (Edited)
There is some kind of Confusion between the "T" (Tubular) Bulbs Names / Nomenclature and I've received some PM's and e-Mails from people asking more info about them, (I post in other automotive Forums, mainly about Subarus) they ask especially Cross-Reference info & Measurements; since I've retrofitted White LED Bulbs on Many instrument Clusters (Not only on Subarus) I made an Easy Pictured Guide, in order to Help you to Understand those "T" Bulbs.

These are the Most Common Bulbs for instrument Clusters:




Here's an Easy Visual comparison Guide:



The Wedge Bulbs Themselves are sold separately from the Sockets, But beside those "Wedge" bulbs, instrument clusters' also Use another kind of Bulbs which comes already Mounted with the Base, those are known as "Neo Wedge" Bulbs and are intended to be non-removable Bulbs ... Despite that you can remove 'em from their bases, those aren't sold separately.

The Neo Wedges are Known as the T3, T4 and T5 and comes either with Long or Short Bases (which could be Black, grey or white) usually are placed behind the Transmission's shifter position numbers on Automatic cars with such display on the instrument cluster. (You know: P, R, N, D, 3, 2, 1)


Short Base LED Neo Wedge Bulbs:




Long Base Neo Wedge Bulbs:

 
#7 ·
By the way, I had to build my Own Neo Wedge Long Base LED Bulbs (for Kia, Hyundai, etc...), because it was easier for me than to Buy 'em online and wait ... I have to Cut the Base from a Used Neo Wedge Bulb, then remove a Wedge T-5 LED from its base and weld its electrical contacts, the LED Bulb already comes with its resistors; as you can see here:



I also covered one of those I Made, with a Condom-like Green Rubber, in order to Dim a little the Brightness in the Kia Spectra's instrument Cluster; (the one I Used for my Wife's KiaStein) it was for the "D" (for Drive in a Automatic trans model) Display on the cluster.

Kind Regards.
 
#8 ·
Years ago, when I did the White LED Lights Retrofitting on my Subaru "BumbleBeast" instrument Cluster, my Wife asked me to do the Same Retrofitting Job on her "KiaStein" the 2000 Kia Sephia with 2003 Kia Spectra engine. (More info about that, ~► Here.)


So I Started by Removing the instrument Cluster from the Dashboard:




By the way, that moment I Discovered a GPS + GSM Tracking and Disabling Vehicles Device,

Hiding behind the instrument Cluster; the car came like that from the Previous Owner ...





... so I Removed that Device and I Fixed the Spliced wiring Harness,

since then, the Car does Start inmediately.

(It had a Delay between the Key Turn and the Starter act.)





This is How it looks Now, behind the instrument Cluster:




There are three (3) Plugs for the instrument Cluster.​
 
#9 · (Edited)
The 2000 Kia Sephia instrument Cluster without Tachometer,

looks like This from Behind, and this are the Bulbs it uses:





► Four (4) T-10 for Background illumination.
► One (1) T-6.5 for the Odometer Numbers & part of the Background illumination.
► Another one (1) T-6.5 for the Low Fuel Warning indicator.
► Fourteen (14) T-5 for the indicator Signals.


I Tried to obtain locally LED bulbs for the Rare T-6.5 size, unsuccessfully,

and one of those was Burnt, so I searched for its part number:





and I went to the Local Kia Dealer to obtain a New one,

I found the equivalent from a Kia Frontier (yes, you read it Right)

K 2700 Truck, we have many Kia Trucks here in my Li'l caribbean country,

Since many years ago, as you can see ~► Here.


 
#10 ·
So, I only found locally the LED Equivalents for the T-10 and the T-5 Bulbs:





And I Had to Use the incandescent T-6.5 while I waited for some T-6.5's purchased online.​
 
#11 ·
This is How the Old instrument Cluster Looked Like with Retrofitted White LED Bulbs:





I Used the Multiple Tip T-10 LEDs for Background illumination. (Beam Pattern 270º)

And I Used the Single inverted Tip T-5 LEDs for the Signal indicators. (Beam Pattern 120º)

I used the New T-6.5 incandescent Bulb without its Blue condom-like cover,

so you can easily notice where it spreads its light. :D
 
#12 ·
After some time Waitin' ... The New White LED Bulbs Package finally arrived:





It included the Rare T-6.5 Sized LED Bulbs in Multiple Tip Shape:





Here you can see How Perfect they fit onto the Kia's Grey Base for T-6.5 Bulbs:





:thumbsup:​
 
#13 · (Edited)
So, I was Ready to do the Instrument Cluster Swap! :blush-anim-cl:


Here you can see How Both instrument Clusters Looked Together:





The Speedometer's New Design is Less Crowded than the Older one!





The New one included Five more T-5 Bulbs and One Neo-Wedge T-3 Long Base Bulb.

(Explained at earlier posts of this Thread)

For the Automatic Transmission's Shifter Position.


IMPORTANT NOTE: Remember that LED Bulbs does Have Polarity (+/-) So, if they doesn't Lit,

Remove their Socket from the Instrument Cluster, Turn it 180º and place it there again.​
 
#14 ·
Prior to do the Led Bulb Retrofitting and Install the New instrument Cluster,

I Disassembled it to Clean it carefully, and also I Polished the Lens with a Carnauba + Silicone based Wax,

as I Did in the other many Retrofitting jobs I've done:


 
#15 ·
The idea of using the Long Base Neo-Wedge T-3 Bulb is to let a small output (wattage) Bulb to illuminate the "D" (For Drive) indicator on the instrument Cluster's area for the Automatic Transmission's Shifter position Lights; so the Driver will not have a Powerful Light pointing to his / her eyes all the Time, and the indicator will be visible, because the tiny bulb is Nearest to the "D" marked plastic than the other "Standard" T-5 Bulbs for the other gears position indicators.

However, that tiny bulb trend to be the First to get burned by the normal use, so I wanted a Long Lasting LED Bulb there, without being too much Bright that could be a Blinding Light Spot, dangerous especially during night driving times.

As I Wrote before in early posts of this thread, I Build my Own Neo-Wedge long base LEDs...




...and I covered the single point LED bulb with a condom-like green Rubber, so the Light keeps green as the "D" indicator itself, but deep green than the other indicators with Rubberless T-5 Bulbs.

Something very Smart from the Kia Engineers is that when you Switch the Lights ON, the whole instrument Cluster Lights, including the Automatic Trans Gear indicator Lights, could be Dimmed using the Dimmer Knob; so there's No Blinding Light Spots at all!
 
#27 ·
Do you remember this post?

The idea of using the Long Base Neo-Wedge T-3 Bulb is to let a small output (wattage) Bulb to illuminate the "D" (For Drive) indicator on the instrument Cluster's area for the Automatic Transmission's Shifter position Lights; so the Driver will not have a Powerful Light pointing to his / her eyes all the Time, and the indicator will be visible, because the tiny bulb is Nearest to the "D" marked plastic than the other "Standard" T-5 Bulbs for the other gears position indicators.

However, that tiny bulb trend to be the First to get burned by the normal use, so I wanted a Long Lasting LED Bulb there, without being too much Bright that could be a Blinding Light Spot, dangerous especially during night driving times.

As I Wrote before in early posts of this thread, I Build my Own Neo-Wedge long base LEDs...




...and I covered the single point LED bulb with a condom-like green Rubber, so the Light keeps green as the "D" indicator itself, but deep green than the other indicators with Rubberless T-5 Bulbs.

Something very Smart from the Kia Engineers is that when you Switch the Lights ON, the whole instrument Cluster Lights, including the Automatic Trans Gear "D" indicator Light, could be Dimmed using the Dimmer Knob; so there's No Blinding Light Spots at all!
That "Homemade" by me, T-3 "Neo-Wedge" LED failed a month ago, it started to blink rapidly, then went completely off...

Well, It lasted more than two years, and being the only bulb that is usually permanently on duty all the times the car is being driven, I can't complain.

Time for Replacing.
 
#16 ·
So, this is How the New instrument Cluster Looks Like,

already installed in my Wife's "KiaStein" :D

with all the White LED Bulbs already retrofitted:





Also, I Used LEDs on the A/C Controls illumination:





and in the Shifter Gear Position illumination:


 
#17 ·
As I Already wrote, the whole setup has more than two months working Flawlessly, the Tachometer Works and Also the White LED Bulbs illumination isn't very Bright to the Drivers' Eyes... Using the Dimmer Knob to Low position :D

I Used Green T-5 LED Bulbs for the Left & Right Turn arrow indicators, so they Look incredibly Greener!

The Contrast is Beyond Awesome! :eek:

I Hope this Writeup could be Helpful...

Kind Regards.
 
#18 ·
I replaced the UGLY "pea green" LEDs in our 06 and 07 Spectras and can't imagine going back to what was OEM colors.
Did you have to change any connectors or wiring to get the newer gauge cluster to work? or was it just a "drop in" modification?
I also see you "lost" about 11,000 miles :)...here in the USA we'd get in trouble with tampering with the gauges and mileage on the odometer and selling the car with "lower mileage" would be a real No No..
Your mods look good...
Dave
 
#19 ·
Thank you Dave for your Kind Words, which are Highly appreciated! :)


... Did you have to change any connectors or wiring to get the newer gauge cluster to work? or was it just a "drop in" modification? ...
As I Wrote...

... The Wiring is Already there, set up from Factory; you only need to be Careful to Use the instrument Cluster from the Same kind of Transmission that is in your Car; so if your car is Automatic, use the instrument Cluster from an Automatic.

The Swap Process from Non- Tach Cluster to the Tach Cluster went like removing the Old Cluster and install the New one, and Voilá! ...
...Yes, it was a "Drop In" Modification. :D


... I also see you "lost" about 11,000 miles :) ...here in the USA we'd get in trouble with tampering with the gauges and mileage on the odometer and selling the car with "lower mileage" would be a real No No...
Well, actually the total count Loss is almost 20,000 Miles, because as you can see, the Old Cluster had 145,461 Miles the night I removed it from the Car...


...While the New one came with 125,786 Miles as you can see in the Above Photo.

I Don't care too much about that because the 2003 Spectra engine on it, only has 70,000 Miles (The Half than the Car) and also in Honduras there's No Laws nor legal regulations against that; people here doesn't care too much about the Mileage of the Car, they Care more about the Actual Mechanical Conditions, maintenancy and Shape of them...

My Only Concern about that 20,000 Miles lost was the Oil Change interval ... ;) ...

Beside that, let me tell you that I Was Tempted to do the Speedometer Swap between instrument Clusters, in order to keep the Original Mileage of the Body, but the Old Speedometer's fascia looks extremly Crowded, full of Numbers... The Kia Designers did a "Cleanup" in the New one, so I decided to Use the New Instrument Cluster as it came.

Now the "KiaStein" has more Resons to be Named like That, isn't it?

... Your mods look good...
Dave
Thank you Dave, You're So Kind.

Best Regards.
 
#20 ·
My "old" eyes didn't catch the numbers correctly :)
and....I did not go back far enough to catch the comments on the wiring.
I probably read it before but failed to store it in the brain...
BTW...your the one that is "so kind"
Your friend, Dave
 
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#21 ·
Two years Update!

The instrument cluster has been working Great since the Retrofitting, But some months ago, it developed a fail on the Tachometer needle, which drop dead suddenly; but I fixed it easily, see:


And I Found the Culprit!

The thin plastic that has the electrical tracks, behind the instrument cluster, sends the Power, Ground and info for the Tachometer, also to the Speedometer and the rest of the Gauges, via long Screws, that touches those tracks and sends the signal to the gauges' system.


Those contacting screws were Loose, very loose...



...those loose contacting screws made the Electrical False Contact. I only needed to clean their contacting surfaces and place them there, very Tight.

Voilá! ... Problem: Solved.
Except that minimum episode, everything has been working Flawlessly.

Kind Regards.
 
#22 ·
Something pretty interesting of this "New" instrument cluster, is that the Speedometer's needle, shows the vehicle's Speed Also while going in Reverse! :lol:

Kind Regards.
 
#23 ·
Removal instructions

For those who needs to remove the instrument clusters, on their second gen Kia Sephia, let me explain how to do that, step by step:

Not all the Dashboard needs to be removed to gain access to the instrument cluster, but you'll need to remove the centerpiece, that covers the Stereo, and has the A/C vents, plus is a "Frame" for the instrument Cluster.

To remove that, FIRST you need to remove the top part of the plastic cover that wraps the Steering Column, it comes off easily, just by pulling it up with your Hands.

Then in order to remove the Dashboard's Centerpiece, you'll need to Unscrew the two mini bolts that it has on its inner side, above the instrument cluster's opening, then said Centerpiece comes off by pulling it CAREFULLY, to avoid breaking the plastic tabs; after that, you must unplug the wirings for the switches that it has, prior to pulling that Centerpiece completely.

Once the Centerpiece has been removed, you gain access to the instrument cluster, which is held in place by four Screws, unscrew the two above and the two below, then carefully remove it, but you'll need to unplug the Three wiring plugs that it has behind, prior to take out it completely from the Dashboard.

Be Careful while extracting the instrument cluster, otherwise you can scratch it with the Dashboard and the Steering column parts.

Good Luck! ... Kind Regards.
 
#24 ·
Update

I wanted to use a white LED instead the incandescent bulb, which came wrapped with a blue "Condom-Like" hood on the Dimmer Control of the "KiaStein" to match the Rest of the Dashboard & instrument Cluster's illumination...




...But the Dimmer Control, came with a T-4 Bulb, and I only had T-3 LEDs...



So, I Removed the T3 LED that already comes with built-in protective resistor, from its "Neo-Wedge" rubber base, by unwrapping their twisted legs, and then wrapped those legs again, onto the incandescent T-4 bulb's rubber base from the Kia's Dimmer Control, after I removed the old incandescent bulb from there, let me Show ya:



Voilá! - Perfect Fitting. :thumbsup:​
 
#26 ·
Update

By the Way, long time ago I had to change the Dimmer Control unit on the "KiaStein" because, the original one had worn-out inner contacts and sometimes the instrument cluster & dashboard panel's lights, turned off / on Randomly, while driving in bumpy Roads; the Replacement control I obtained at the Local Kia Dealer:


Is exactly the Mirror image from the Original one, I mean that the placement for the wiring's plug is in the opposed position and placed upside down, also the placement for the Background illumination's bulb, is in the opposed side...

But the new control fits Perfectly on the Dashboard, and the wiring's plug of the car matched perfectly the receptacle on the new Dimmer control unit; also this new control, does provide even Lower illumination on the Minimum setting, than the Original one...

Kind Regards.
 
#28 ·

However, this time instead of making another "Homemade" long base T-3 LED, I decided to use one of the T-3 "Neo-Wedge" LEDs I have, with short base, in its place:

 
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