CA18DET with digital gauge cluster?

[majorrush]

Hi all,

since its my first topic here - hello everyone

Ok now my lame question - I've purchased a '89 200SX with a CA18DET engine. I saw a possibility to fit a digital gauge cluster - hell, I've even read the guide from this forum

So can you please tell me if I can fit my car with these gauges or they dont work with CA18? Sorry if this has been asked million times but am so excited with having my speed projected on windshield that I cant find the search button

[The_Chosen_One]

Yes you can swap to a digital cluster. You just have to make sure the digital cluster is DOHC and also make sure it comes with the subharness as the analog doesnt fit.

[r34 gtr]

Digital cluster in my '89 hatchback!



Or did you mean like a Stack or Racelogic cluster?

[ragenasian]

I had a digital cluster and the harness. I followed the instructions on this site to do the swap, removed the cluster, and followed the harness back looking for the plugs to disconnect the analog harness. There weren't any. So look for that first before you purchase anything. You might get lucky but my 89 200sx did not have those plugs and I would have had to cut and splice and I didn't feel like doing all that.

This could just be Germany though (they got all kinds of weird rules concerning their cars).

[roplusbee]

Wow. I am glad I saw this before I made a purchase. Ragenasian FTW.

[majorrush]

Ok thanks for all your answers. I just hope I will get lucky with purchasing an operating one from eBay - hard to find one here in Poland

[The_Chosen_One]

Wow. I am glad I saw this before I made a purchase. Ragenasian FTW.

Read the last part he said.

This could just be Germany though (they got all kinds of weird rules concerning their cars).

I've done this conversion numerous times thanks to faulty/old components every USDM has those connectors.

[roplusbee]

I have a 200SX just like Ragenasian. European spec.

[The_Chosen_One]

If you want to check you can pull the cluster and follow the harness, their will be a white plug and brown plug. They are located torwards the center of the dash.

[roplusbee]

Cool, I will do that this weekend. Thanks for the tip. I will try to get some pix also, that way I can save them for my progress/upgrades thread.

[ragenasian]

If you want to check you can pull the cluster and follow the harness, their will be a white plug and brown plug. They are located torwards the center of the dash.

When I pulled mine out I looked for those and my 89 didn't have these. Again this could be different for other 200sx here in Europe. It is just something to check before throwing down some cash on a Digi cluster.

[r34 gtr]

Yeah but your 200sx cluster is way cooler than the one in the 240sx. I mean lets face it, the 240sx analog cluster sucks hard. I wouldn't be running to get rid of it if it had a higher redline tach and a non-suck speedometer.

[majorrush]

I couldn't sleep without checking if my car is Digi compatible - taking out dash in almost dark garage - a big no no.

Looks like I have bad luck:





I can't see a plug to take out the analog wiring

Anyone ever tried cutting the wires to make a custom plug for Digi harness? I checked the diagrams in service manual but am like

[r34 gtr]

That sucks man. You could splice stuff, but do you really want to?

[The_Chosen_One]

Yea the digital cluster isnt worth it, yea its cool at first but than it breaks on you than your **** out of luck.

[r34 gtr]

Ive gone through two digital clusters because the speedo died. I understand its a simple fix (there is a writeup on the forum somewhere) but it just seems like a lot of work.

get a Stack and never look back.