WTB: Inst Cluster, Driver Window Control Panel

[LeaveMyHatOn]

I'm looking for what I believe is a 2005 through (most likely) 2008 Instrument cluster to swap into my 2003. I'm looking for the style shown below.
If anyone knows that this can't be done, please let me know!


I'm also looking for the driver's side window control panel from a 2003 or similar(style shown below).
Only the plastic piece is needed, switches are not.

[KITT222]

Gauge cluster from an 05-08 isn't possible, as the connectors changed. An 04 swap is possible, and has the same color scheme. Only 03 got the red-out cluster. However, mileage is stored in the cluster, so you will need to figure out how to match the mileage from the new cluster to your car.

[LeaveMyHatOn]

Gauge cluster from an 05-08 isn't possible, as the connectors changed. An 04 swap is possible, and has the same color scheme.

To clarify, the 04 has the same connectors as the 03, and the same color scheme as the 04?

However, mileage is stored in the cluster, so you will need to figure out how to match the mileage from the new cluster to your car.

Is it stored in something replaceable, or something soldered to the board, do you know?

[KITT222]

Gauge cluster from an 05-08 isn't possible, as the connectors changed. An 04 swap is possible, and has the same color scheme.

To clarify, the 04 has the same connectors as the 03, and the same color scheme as the 04?

However, mileage is stored in the cluster, so you will need to figure out how to match the mileage from the new cluster to your car.

Is it stored in something replaceable, or something soldered to the board, do you know?

03/04 has the same connectors, but 04 has the white/red color scheme. To prove that it would work, I just took a spare 03 cluster I have laying around, and plugged it into my 04. The odometer read the wrong mileage for my Vibe. I'm not sure what thing within the cluster contains the mileage information.

[LeaveMyHatOn]

03/04 has the same connectors, but 04 has the white/red color scheme. To prove that it would work, I just took a spare 03 cluster I have laying around, and plugged it into my 04. The odometer read the wrong mileage for my Vibe. I'm not sure what thing within the cluster contains the mileage information.

Thank you! I At least I have half of the answers I need. I'll just have to hope I can find a tutorial on how to transfer ODO information, or a service that will do so for you. Common sense would say that there HAS to be a way to do it, otherwise the part could never be replaced. (Let's just hope that it's not something only dealers can do.) Worst case scenario, I try the LED swap. Thanks again!

[joatmon]

I put an 04 cluster in my 03. When I first did it, the mileage on the 03 was a lot higher than on the 04 cluster, so I rigged up a thing with a signal generator to simulate the signal from the vehicle speed sensor, left if running at fighter jet speed for days to get the new cluster up to the mileage in the old one. That worked, but was an impractical way to do it. http://forums.genvibe.com/files/importe ... peedo2.jpg shows what my 03 and 04 clusters looked like at the time.

Since then, one of our Vibe brethren in Russia posted a better way. The odometer reading, and some other things are stored in an electrically reprogrammable ROM chip on the cluster's circuit board, and there is a way to use freeware ROM burning (Windows) software and an easy to fabricate interface to a computer's parallel (LPT1) port to reprogram the ROM. I recently swapped Vibes, going to one with half the mileage, and it was pretty easy to reprogram the 04 cluster I had in the first one to the mileage in the "new" Vibe's cluster, allowing me to swap the 04 cluster into my replacement 03 Vibe, and still maintain the exact correct mileage.

It is talked about some in viewtopic.php?f=28&t=26526" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; On my list to do a more detailed step by step. Overall a lot easier than an LED swap, imho. (at least given my amateur soldering skills) Only difficulty these days is finding an old computer that still has a parallel printer port, seems like everything is wireless or USB any more.

If you do buy a replacement cluster from a 2004, keep in mind that the tach is different between the base and GT models, the GT shows a much higher redline. Also, the US clusters gauge face is in English units (miles), Canadian clusters use metric (kms) When buying a replacement cluster, you probably want to make sure the one you get matches what your car came with.

If you are not comfortable trying to reprogram the cluster yourself, there are companies that will do it for you. Back when I first replaced a cluster, I found a company called SPECMO in Michigan that would do it. Back then I think it was around $100 (maybe) and that was some years ago, no idea what the current cost is

[LeaveMyHatOn]

Since then, one of our Vibe brethren in Russia posted a better way. The odometer reading, and some other things are stored in an electrically reprogrammable ROM chip on the cluster's circuit board, and there is a way to use freeware ROM burning (Windows) software and an easy to fabricate interface to a computer's parallel (LPT1) port to reprogram the ROM. I recently swapped Vibes, going to one with half the mileage, and it was pretty easy to reprogram the 04 cluster I had in the first one to the mileage in the "new" Vibe's cluster, allowing me to swap the 04 cluster into my replacement 03 Vibe, and still maintain the exact correct mileage.

That's exactly what I was hoping for, Thank you SO much! I was hoping I wasn't gonna have to have to find a workaround, I'd much rather actually have the real McCoy. This suits my needs perfectly, since I'm in the same boat, wanting to avoid all that (de)soldering. I can solder relatively well, but I'm not sure I'm confident in my skills enough to potentially sacrifice the only cluster I have readily available.

[KITT222]

Joatman, are you aware of if this will work?

[Rayven01]

That's not a regular parallel connector that's a centronics. They do make USB to regular parallel (DB25) but I'd be pretty skeptical of them working. Generally they are designed to only work for one purpose (IE connecting to a printer) and not general purpose communications like this flashing utility is likely to require. You'd be better off with something like this.