jsgun

Is it possible to drive a 92 coupe without the gauge cluster for a couple of weeks?

I'm a new owner of a 92 coupe, using it as a daily driver.. Love the car, my first corvette. The tach went out, and the oil and water temp gauges read far under. I was considering sending it in for repair at a service advertised on ebay, but I have to keep the car drivable.

thanks!

ghoastrider1

http://www.batee.com/
Use this guy. I have, good service, honest. Many in here have and I cant remember one person complaining. Sure, why not drive it, but put it back in asap. PUT YOU HEADLIGHT **** AND RETainer in a plastic bag. Its gets lost easialy. Sorry about the caps

WVZR-1

You do diagnostics before sending it to anyone! The analog gauges aren't near correct and having the cluster serviced likely won't improve the accuracy.

Explain what you mean by "tach went out"? Do you mean it's just inaccurate or doesn't function at all. When you turn the ignition to RUN before cranking the engine does the tach park at 0? With key off and in your pocket the tach will park randomly NEAR 0 but with KEY ON not running it should park at 0.

I say send it nowhere yet!!

billschroeder5842

Yes, theoretically you can, however the risk may not be the reward. Loose connection briefly touching something after hitting a bump could short out and create LOTS of problems.

Go buy a junk yard cluster ($50) and swap it in while you have your original rebuilt. You will have a road worthy car and no worries of electrical problems.

PatternDayTrader

I would drive it if I needed to. Don't run out of gas.

billschroeder5842

That actually make me laugh.

pcolt94

I believe that's not going to happen. Most yards don't carry Corvettes, it's a specialty for certain businesses far and few between. For $50 it will probably be a piece of junk that does not work. A good cluster will run about $200 if you can find one.

The CCM mainly connects to it and drives the cluster. Who knows what the effects may be since so many outputs will be unloaded, possibly nothing. I don't think there's much to short out since its mostly connectors. I think a lot of codes will be generated.

billschroeder5842

https://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/pt...419107607.html

Call this guy and buy his cluster while yours gets fixed. It may be a POS but I will be better than driving with plugs and wires flopping about.

WVZR-1

Why would you suggest a cluster that's not even compatible? I don't get it - the OP hasn't mentioned actually what's wrong with it.

Granted he's ask if he could but I believe the best move is for diagnostics 1st! I'd think maybe the fact that he's mentioned an eBay offering without actually referring to 'who'.

Easy to spend someone else's money I guess.

ChumpVette

Loose connection on what? It's a hard plastic pin retainer mounted to the dash frame. There is no way to short something unless you are driving around with a paper clip deliberately trying to short something.

jsgun

The tach suddenly stopped working. It stays at zero, and never flinches. I've owned the car for about 4 months, and in that time the water temp gauge has never gone past 1/3 of the sweep (what I'd guess to be around 140F) and the oil temp has never gone past 1/4 of the sweep (120F?). I live in the desert, so for the engine to never show warm was amusing. It's a 25 year old car, so wasn't upset about it.

Research shows it's most likely a resister type IC on the board. I saw the one Batee sells and was thinking of repairing it myself. Not afraid to dig into the car, it's just a chevy, but concerned about calibrations, and if it repairs the other gauges too

Also just read about a Camaro guy who drove without his, and it killed his alternator. The lack of a amp gauge being attached did something to it I guess. This is the first computer controlled car I've owned, so it's new territory for me.

aklim

That could be an issue if there were wires hanging out. IDK about a 92 but my 91 has a harness ending in a multi pin plug, IIRC. All you have to do is put a piece of electrical tape over the open end and problem is solved.

jsgun

Has anyone else attempted this? I can't afford to buy another gauge set while the original is fixed.

aklim

Can't help you. I have a 94 sitting around.

billschroeder5842

You have gotten solid advice from both ends of the spectrum. Your car, your call.

PatternDayTrader

You can drive it around if you want to. Don't let anything metal touch the terminals of the connector. Drive it around all you want. You wont have an odometer or a fuel gauge.

aklim

If you want to find out if my unit will work, I can lend it to you while you wait. Problem solved, assuming it works.

cadmaniac

You can drive it around if you want to. Don't let anything metal touch the terminals of the connector. Drive it around all you want. You wont have an odometer or a fuel gauge.

This is sound advice. Nothing is going to happen. Lots of advice from people who have never had one apart.