cluster needle alignment

[andrew_oc42]

hey all, so basically.. i've got a vt wagon on facrory gas, finding another cluster with the lpg light and the such isn't easy!
i've found out the previous owner of my car rebuilt the cluster at some stage (no idea why?) and the fuel gauge needle fell off... it was obviously put back on, although it's not accurate in the slightest!
it's reading empty at halfway.. which is rather irritating!
how am i to know where to reline this needle to? is there a solution? or am i stuck with trial and error?

thanks, andy

[thekid93]

pull the dash out and just spin the needle down. for some reason mine when its turned off sits 1 click under the E when off.

u can test using ur trip computer as well. holding mode and up?? when starting the car. you can go thought and comes to a test one. should then move neelde to half way.
ur speedo and taho wil also up and as well

[andrew_oc42]

thanks for the reply!
well after trying that test last time, nothing moved through any of the options! no needles moved... although they do in normal operation?!

is there a reason behind this?
thanks

[thekid93]

well, what model car do u have? s1 i dont think have that.

or maybe just all 1 windows...?

[mwb235]

hey all, so basically.. i've got a vt wagon on facrory gas, finding another cluster with the lpg light and the such isn't easy!

All VT/VX dash clusters have the LPG letters printed on their dial faces (only aftermarket dial faces [e.g. white] don't have it, or none i've seen anyway).

The LPG lamp is operated by the factory BCM (body control module) via an additional wire (pin 20 on dash cluster) so if it turned on and off on your old dash cluster, then another will work the same etc.

There are two types of factory LPG in VT/VX installed at different stages of production (i'm not up with the exact details). I may be wrong, bit i think one was called "production LPG" which had the LPG switch to the left of the auto T-Bar (where the Trac Ctrl button goes on Acclaim/Calais etc). The other was called "accessory LPG" and had an LPG switch in the dash surround fitted inside a bezel under the trip computer/mode switches. I can't remember if both these variants illuminate the LPG lamp in the factory cluster, or just the "production LPG" one (i'm not sure).

Btw for anyone who may be interested - you can get the LPG lamp to work in aftermarket gas setups, by applying +12V (such as from the LPG solenoid) to pin 20 on the dash cluster. But you would also need to modify the earth side of the lamp, by modifying slightly the printed circuitry of the back of the cluster. Very fiddly and only for those of us who are "anal". I had my old mixer system set up that way for several years until i had fitted my vapour injection front-end kit recently. I then changed the cluster back the way it was as my new switch suits my needs.

[andrew_oc42]

Thanks for all the information! That's great! So essentially if I replaced the cluster, i'd only have to put a globe in the replacement for the lpg light to come on?

Yeah my vt is a series one, the lpg button is to the left of the auto bar!

How would I check the positions of the s1 cluster?

Thanks, Andy

[mwb235]

So essentially if I replaced the cluster, i'd only have to put a globe in the replacement for the lpg light to come on?

Yes.

Yeah my vt is a series one, the lpg button is to the left of the auto bar!

Yep sounds like your factory setup is "production LPG".

How would I check the positions of the s1 cluster?

I don't know for sure. I know that in the VT/VX trip computer's "special fuction mode" there is a diagnostic test which activates all lamps and gauges with a constant buzzer (this test is used to show any blown bulbs etc). But exactly what the gauges should sit at in this mode i don't know. All i've done when i've replaced my cluster before, if the gauges are out, is gently rotate the needles until the speedo and rpm are exactly on zero at rest, and the fuel and temp gauges sit a couple of mm under the "E" and "C" letters etc. If the gauge doesn't operate in the full range (i.e. never goes above half, or stays above half etc) or doesn't work at all, then the gauge itself may be faulty. I'm not an expert though so i can't help you much. Maybe consult an auto electrician with Phillips VDO knowledge.

[wrx884]

I don't know for sure. I know that in the VT/VX trip computer's "special fuction mode" there is a diagnostic test which activates all lamps and gauges with a constant buzzer (this test is used to show any blown bulbs etc). But exactly what the gauges should sit at in this mode i don't know. All i've done when i've replaced my cluster before, if the gauges are out, is gently rotate the needles until the speedo and rpm are exactly on zero at rest, and the fuel and temp gauges sit a couple of mm under the "E" and "C" letters etc. If the gauge doesn't operate in the full range (i.e. never goes above half, or stays above half etc) or doesn't work at all, then the gauge itself may be faulty. I'm not an expert though so i can't help you much. Maybe consult an auto electrician with Phillips VDO knowledge.

The fuel and temp guages should sit at the half way mark using the hidden menu, the speedo sits at 100kms and tacho needle sits at 3000rpm. Unfortunatly the early series and base model VT's didnt get this option so the best way 2 make sure all needles r correct is getting them calibrated using the tech 2. All clusters r calibrated individually so sitting the needles a couple mm under the 0 and E ect... isnt exactly the best way of doing it as others do sit much futher down, some do, some dont.

2 me it sounds like a fuel sender problem but get ur gauges calibrated 1st as that'll b the cheapest thing 2 do 1st.

Being a series 1 VT if ur gauge does have the fault u can swap these from another VT cluster as these r plug and play unlike the VX clusters they r soldered in place.

[andrew_oc42]

sweet, thanks for the heads up guys!
i'm just converting it to a 3 window dash!! everything is sorted that way! i'm onto someone whom can calibrate it for me! many thanks!