Retrofitted an aftermarket water temp gauge into the cluster

[FreedS4]

Thanks everyone. I don't think I'll be painting the needles though... This car is bound to be a track rat within the next year or two if I don't sell it.




Here's the quick and dirty summary..

-Remove the stock temp gauge
-Cut the bezel off the new gauge and remove the gauge from the shell.
-Cut the three studs off the back so that they were flush with the plastic frame (so that it's the right height)
-Remove the needle and face plate.
-Solder wire leads to the upper part of where the studs are
-Remove the face plate off the stock gauge
-Drill holes in the stock gauge face plate to match the aftermarket ones
-Put the stock faceplate under the aftermarket one and put the two screws back in (stock is slightly larger than the aftermarket
-Reinstall needle and calibrate gauge
-Install gauge into cluster.. I ended up taping the edge of the faceplate on the inside to keep it from moving. Once you screw everything back together, it'll stay nice and snug in there.

Thanks for the quick write-up. I'll definitely be doing this when I get back from the desert!

Chris

[TimWis]

sooo sick! when i get my fuel cell with single fuel pump installed a guage will go in its place!

[thisizaremix]

What size is the gauge? 2 1/16 or 2 5/8" ?

[jeffmn8]

2-1/16

[thisizaremix]

Thanks, I ordered the right size then

[ostjone]

Edit: dammit — a double post on my first try! Site told me “error.” Please see below.

[ostjone]

Ok, I know I am totally bringing this thread back from dead & decaying status. First post! Yay. I don’t feel bad tho bc this is the exact thing I searched far & wide across the internet for, and I found this. So.

Obviously I have a dead OEM temp gauge. It’s because the SI board is damaged (I’ve tried absolutely every other known fix). I also really don’t want a duplicate temp gauge using space in an aftermarket gauge mount, leaving the dead gauge to just take up space in the OEM cluster.

If the OP is still active, or if anyone else knows — did the Autometer gauge fit essentially sitting right *against* the printed circuit board which the original OEM gauge is mounted thru? Because I got the AM gauge and I just can’t see how it’s gonna fit sandwiched between the face & the circuit board, even when disassembled and cut down in the manner the OP has described. Don’t really feel like destroying a $70 gauge just to find that it won’t fit.

Thanks in advance!