Replacing the Digi Dash With Real Gauges
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Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
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Replacing the Digi Dash With Real Gauges
Found this site by Batee and its pretty good considering,and thought may be useful for some of those who have thought of replacing the system would like to know.
Go to(hope it works) http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/replace.shtml
:)
Go to(hope it works) http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/replace.shtml
:)
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 4,870
Likes: 25
From: Long Island, NY
Re: Replacing the Digi Dash With Real Gauges (Bill's86Coupe)
I like the digi dash.
The digital MPH is the best feature.
You know EXACTlY what speed you are doing by taking a quick glance.
Vic
The digital MPH is the best feature.
You know EXACTlY what speed you are doing by taking a quick glance.
Vic
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Re: Replacing the Digi Dash With Real Gauges (Vic'89)
Hey Vic,
I like the digi dash as well...the dash upgrade on that site looks too camaro to me and theyre a bit small in size.
The only problem is,the digi dash is a POS and is prone to failure.
Im on my 3rd dash in 6 years and this one is fugged up as well.It went bad the just after the warranty expired.The Lens crack with age on mine.I should have been on my fourth or fifth one by now but said screw it,and just lived with some cracked lenses and no illumination on some numbers because of it(bulbs are fine).
If they had a better plug in replacement design,id get it.This site,the mods look like alot of work and a degree in electrical engineering to me!
:)
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
Re: Replacing the Digi Dash With Real Gauges (Bill's86Coupe)
If had the digi dash and had to replace it, I'd probably do what he did. I would however get some better looking guages, something in an autometer series. IMHO the gauges he chose just don't look good, the install is very clean and well done, I just don't like the styling of the gauges.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 1,438
Likes: 0
From: Bowie MD
Re: Replacing the Digi Dash With Real Gauges (Nathan Plemons)
Gotta agree on the gauge choice. I would personally have used some dakota digital round gauges. They are tough as nails and come in blue. OR......
Some nice white face gauges.
It looks pretty good though and I think you are right, some kind of rocket scientist would have to be invovled in that wiring..... :cheers:
Some nice white face gauges.
It looks pretty good though and I think you are right, some kind of rocket scientist would have to be invovled in that wiring..... :cheers:
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Instructor
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
From: Columbus oh
Re: Replacing the Digi Dash With Real Gauges (MCPOWHITE96)
I wasnt too big on the digital at first, but lots more info and since I found that the whole assembly can be rebuilt if needed for $205, I like them better. Just a real good tach would cost that. No intall headaches either...plug n play. :cheers:
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,636
Likes: 3
From: Lafayette IN
Re: Replacing the Digi Dash With Real Gauges (Bill's86Coupe)
Bill, When I bought my car, the dash went out 3 weeks later. Unfortunatly it wasn't the ground pins like it is on most. I went down to GM and ordered one through them (rebuilt of course). That dash only lasted 6 weeks. I called them up and they said it wasn't under warranty. I went down to the dealership and talked to a guy who wasn't the head parts guy and he said it was under warranty. I got that one over 2 years ago.
The second one I got had a different power supply in it (I opened up both to check for burned traces and stuff like that before putting them in). It was a while ago, but I am almost 100% certain that the power supply had been redesigned. Both of the dashes were ordered for my 85.
The last time I installed it, I put a small amp inline fuse on the main ground for the dash. I figured if there was a problem with my first and second dash going totally out, that I could find out if they were blowing due to too much current. Well, I never got to test out my theory because like I said, the last dash has lasted 2 years.
I probably just jinxed myself and will have to buy a new one in a couple of weeks :rolleyes: I think that heat is the killer for instances when the board to board header isn't corroded. -Matt-
The second one I got had a different power supply in it (I opened up both to check for burned traces and stuff like that before putting them in). It was a while ago, but I am almost 100% certain that the power supply had been redesigned. Both of the dashes were ordered for my 85.
The last time I installed it, I put a small amp inline fuse on the main ground for the dash. I figured if there was a problem with my first and second dash going totally out, that I could find out if they were blowing due to too much current. Well, I never got to test out my theory because like I said, the last dash has lasted 2 years.
I probably just jinxed myself and will have to buy a new one in a couple of weeks :rolleyes: I think that heat is the killer for instances when the board to board header isn't corroded. -Matt-
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Re: Replacing the Digi Dash With Real Gauges (HighHopes85)
Thanks for the replies everyone....supposedly there is a way you can change the colors somewhat in the dash.
I posted somethin on C4 general for the links to be opened for me n the color change.
The guy who runs that site emailed me back and said it can be done so Im waiting for another reply to see if theres any more info he knows as to what filters can be used to get a different colot.
HighHopes,
Man I know what you mean...sometimes just talking about something jinxes it BIG time...been there too many times.
Hope you dont have that problem anytime soon.All I need to fix my dash now is new LCD lenses and theyre harder to come by.Seems you can only buy used ones and the suppliers arent parting them out anymore.
Still the idea to switch them to analogs is very tempting...but I would probably never go in and hack those wires up.
:)
I posted somethin on C4 general for the links to be opened for me n the color change.
The guy who runs that site emailed me back and said it can be done so Im waiting for another reply to see if theres any more info he knows as to what filters can be used to get a different colot.
HighHopes,
Man I know what you mean...sometimes just talking about something jinxes it BIG time...been there too many times.
Hope you dont have that problem anytime soon.All I need to fix my dash now is new LCD lenses and theyre harder to come by.Seems you can only buy used ones and the suppliers arent parting them out anymore.
Still the idea to switch them to analogs is very tempting...but I would probably never go in and hack those wires up.
:)
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 865
Likes: 6
From: Auburn Michigan
Re: Replacing the Digi Dash With Real Gauges (Bill's86Coupe)
I'd have to vote for going to analog guages. If my digital dash starts giving me problems, I'll probably try to make my own dash like the one on the link. (I'd go with studlier looking guages though)
Personally, it seems to take me more time to look down at the digital guage and comprehend what it's reading, as compared to my Z-24's tach, and my wife's Stratus R/T's tach, which I can see how close the needle is to the redline pretty much without even have to look directly at the guage. :crazy:
Later,
Carl
Personally, it seems to take me more time to look down at the digital guage and comprehend what it's reading, as compared to my Z-24's tach, and my wife's Stratus R/T's tach, which I can see how close the needle is to the redline pretty much without even have to look directly at the guage. :crazy:
Later,
Carl
Thread Starter
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Joined: Aug 2000
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Re: Replacing the Digi Dash With Real Gauges (cohocarl)
Hmmm..maybe HUD could be fitted? That would be great!Never have to look down and take your eyes off the road even for a fraction of a second.
:)
:)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,089
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From: Port Saint Lucie, FL
Re: Replacing the Digi Dash With Real Gauges (MCPOWHITE96)
IF you send your cluster to Dakota Digital, they can make you a custom set of blue digital guages that will plug right back in. I had this done on a kit car that I was building and it looked awsome. E-mail me for some pics
c4cvette@aol.com
c4cvette@aol.com
Heel & Toe
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 19
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From: seattle,wa,USA
Re: Replacing the Digi Dash With Real Gauges (GRX)
I replaced the digi-dash in my 86 last year with one I found at an auto body shop, cost me $65. My car has the 4+3 nightmare but the new dash came out of an automatic. When I first installed the cluster it worked fine but within a few months lights started flickering and to get them to stop I had to stick something metallic into the photo lens cavity. Just a ground problem I hope but I have dreamed of going to a mechanical/ analog gauge set-up as well. Its too bad that GM doesnt have a recall for these defective instrument clusters, some of us cant afford to replace clusters every couple years. :nopity
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2000
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Re: Replacing the Digi Dash With Real Gauges (flyinv55)
I've had good luck with my 86- eats a few bulbs now and then, but nothing more after 115K miles...... I remember journalists in the 80's poo-pooing digital for being difficult to read and process info quickly, but there have been studies done since that show that we process the digital info faster than analog, and I notice the F1 and CART cars have digital driver readouts, now.... those guys are usually pretty busy........
