Swapping the Instrument Cluster... is it hard?

[Freyspath]

I love my 03 pathy le.. The only thing I dont like is the white gauge clusters.. Never been a fan of them. So I bought a 2004 LE cluster with like 100 miles more on it than mine.. Is the swap a simple plug and play?
Modified by Freyspath at 3:58 PM 12/15/2009

[alexf20c]

ya, it's pretty simple.

just remove the 2 screws that hold on the black plastic surround, then wiggle it out from between the steering wheel and dashboard. the gauge cluster is held on by 4 more screws, then you can begin disassembling the gauge cluster to remove the faceplate.

the 2004 faceplate is backlit in a different manner, FYI.

[Pwnin O'Brien]

Here ya go...

HOW TO: Replace Instrument Cluster Lamps

This will tell you how to remove the instrument cluster and removal of the faceplate is pretty simple once you get the cluster apart. The only issue would be removing the needles which is easy if you do it right.

[Freyspath]

Well I was just going to swap it, not remove the needles, and stuff. I wanted to take out my 03 cluster and just plug in the 04 one.

I know its different, the red lines are blue instead and the it looks overall much cleaner, and will help make the look of my blue LEDs through out my car look better.

Also im replacing it because the lighting it has at night is terrible! I've seen the DIYs on replacing the bulbs and putting in LED ones, but I was just gunna leave it stock for the time being.

[Pwnin O'Brien]

Ok, I thought you just wanted to swap the gauge faces.

I don't think it's going to be as easy as just swapping the entire instrument cluster assembly. I say this because you want to swap your SE cluster with an LE cluster; the two clusters are extremely dissimilar. I would say that if you wanted to swap an '03 SE cluster with an '04 SE cluster then it would be simple and you could just swap the two. I am not sure if you can do the same between an '03 SE and '04 LE cluster.

The only way to really know is to try it! Post the results!

[Freyspath]

Ok, I thought you just wanted to swap the gauge faces.

I don't think it's going to be as easy as just swapping the entire instrument cluster assembly. I say this because you want to swap your SE cluster with an LE cluster; the two clusters are extremely dissimilar. I would say that if you wanted to swap an '03 SE cluster with an '04 SE cluster then it would be simple and you could just swap the two. I am not sure if you can do the same between an '03 SE and '04 LE cluster.

The only way to really know is to try it! Post the results!

I dont have an SE.... I have an 03 LE , and I want to switch it for an 04 LE

Mine:

New One:

Now the rear part of the cluster from the 04 looks just like mine, and yours from your DIY. The only difference is that cable hanging out from the bottom, which your missing, but thats because your not 4x4, I am, so my 03 has that same cable at the bottom too.

[Pwnin O'Brien]

My bad, I thought you had an SE and I didn't even think to check under your avatar.

Well I think that cable hanging is for the LE's. I have a 4x4 Pathy, but mine is an SE.

If everything on the back of the clusters look the same then you should just be able to swap it. I say just try it and see. The worst that could happen is you get a DTC and the SES light illuminates and you have to reset your ECU, which is a five minute process.

[Freyspath]

My bad, I thought you had an SE and I didn't even think to check under your avatar.

Well I think that cable hanging is for the LE's. I have a 4x4 Pathy, but mine is an SE.

If everything on the back of the clusters look the same then you should just be able to swap it. I say just try it and see. The worst that could happen is you get a DTC and the SES light illuminates and you have to reset your ECU, which is a five minute process.

I thought you had an LE too?? Oh my bad, the pic that used to be in your avatar was an LE lol. Yeah ill think ill give it a shot and see. I was posting mainly because I didnt want any big surprises, like I had in my previous car (04 Audi A4), I tried switching the cluster from the OEM a4 one to the S4 one and it cost me almost a grand to do, because the clusters of the Audi have the IMMO in them, and are linked to the ECU. So if you switch the cluster out, the car wont recognize the keys, and the cluster wont illuminate at all unless you take it to audi and have them reset everything

[Pwnin O'Brien]

Yeah I used an LE avatar for a while because it was the best pic of a silver Pathy that I could find in the avatar resolution.

Here's what I think is the worst case scenario...

The lighting does not work due to the change from incandescent sockets to electroluminescent (fluorescent) tube in the two clusters. Also, the CAN lines are different (which I doubt, but it could happen) and you throw a DTC and the ECU must be reset.

The clusters aren't "smart" clusters, they don't store any data. I actually drove my Pathfinder without the instrument cluster; the car drove perfectly fine and had no issues. Of course, once I plugged the cluster back in I had five DTC's, all of which I cleared and never came back and the car was perfectly fine.

[Freyspath]

Ok so today I paid for the item, and it should be arriving to my doorstep shortly! The only thing im kid of worried about is the fact that my 03 Le doens't have TPMS and I think all 04 LE platinum editions had TPMS.. So Im hoping the wiring isn't different.

Does anyone know if the Pathys equipped with TPMS had a screen or light that illuminated on the cluster telling you, you had a low tire?

Thanks!

[Pwnin O'Brien]

Ok so today I paid for the item, and it should be arriving to my doorstep shortly! The only thing im kid of worried about is the fact that my 03 Le doens't have TPMS and I think all 04 LE platinum editions had TPMS.. So Im hoping the wiring isn't different.

Does anyone know if the Pathys equipped with TPMS had a screen or light that illuminated on the cluster telling you, you had a low tire?

Thanks!

Yes, there is a TPMS indicator on the cluster to let you know a tire has low pressure. The worst that happens is the light remains illuminated at all times, you would just have to remove the bulb (unless it's a soldered-in LED).
Modified by Pwnin O'Brien at 3:59 PM 12/9/2009

[Freyspath]

So doing a bit more research on my next project (putting the QX4 navi into the Pathy) I came to learn that the 2004 LE cluster was used in Infiniti's QX4 from 2001-2003.. My guess is that Nissan had too many of these clusters laying around after they discontinued the qx4 and they decided it was a good idea to throw them into there "platinum edition" LE pathfinders...

[alexf20c]

why don't you just buy a QX4

[Freyspath]

why don't you just buy a QX4

Have you seen the design of that car??? Its Hideous! The front grille is like something out of star wars. and the three spoke rims along with those huge door moldings is like out of that futuristic movie that was on the other day. The pathy has a clean, rugged, B.A. look, so im trying to take the GOOD things infiniti came up with and put them in my pathy.

[Ubel Feuer]

You sir are a fool.

[Freyspath]

You sir are a fool.

Ok ill give that to you, your car looks clean... Ill admit some QX4's looks nice, black, graphite, and olive look good on this car..

I just dont like these:

.. and I was talking about these rims...



But still.. Im just saying the qx4 was built more for handling the city jungle, even though it is the exact same thing as the pathfinder, the looks is more subdued.

QX4:Pathfinder:

[Freyspath]

Had I gotten an opportunity to buy a QX4 like yours; -- I would have been very tempted in buying one.. But unfortunately all the dealers in my area weren't selling 2002+ QX4's and Craigslist only had one 2001 Qx4 and it was beat up, so when i saw mine, and the guy was in a rush to sell, I just jumped on this one.

[alexf20c]

fake wood trim will look stupid on a pathfinder

[Freyspath]

fake wood trim will look stupid on a pathfinder

Im not putting fake wood in mine... Im just getting rid of the white face clusters for the QX4 look

[Ubel Feuer]

Well it was meant for the more refined customer; that said I find it amusing that most of the QX4's I see on here have been modified for the trail.

As someone who at one point used them both on a weekly basis they are exactly the same car, the air ride in the Q gives it a smoother feel but other than that there's no difference except price.

[Pwnin O'Brien]

I actually like the QX4 a lot. I think it had lots of great options that I definitely wish my Pathfinder had (xenons, rear heated seats, adaptive cruise control, etc.). I have yet to come across somebody that owns a fully-loaded QX4 (DVD entertainment center, Navigation, etc.). I don't even know what the rear seat DVD system looks like, I've never even seen pictures.

If I had a luxury SUV then I would go the chrome/quiet exhaust/lowered/nice rims route. With the Pathfinder I just like to get it dirty and I don't care if it looks classy (for lack of a better term).

[Natedogg1701]

whats adaptive cruise control? and personally id take a pathy platinum eddition over a loaded QX4. the rims on the platinum ed. are sikk looking, and it has all the ammenities i need. it has the rear seat ent. pkg, heated seats, and nav. the only thing the qx4 with comperable options has to offer is a higher price tag. now im not ragging on the qx4, they are great truks, just prefer the look of the pathy, and the fact that if i need to replace a part the pathy [art is cheaper, even tho the part # for the qx4 is identical. explain that one to me. lol

[Freyspath]

I actually like the QX4 a lot. I think it had lots of great options that I definitely wish my Pathfinder had (xenons, rear heated seats, adaptive cruise control, etc.). I have yet to come across somebody that owns a fully-loaded QX4 (DVD entertainment center, Navigation, etc.). I don't even know what the rear seat DVD system looks like, I've never even seen pictures.

If I had a luxury SUV then I would go the chrome/quiet exhaust/lowered/nice rims route. With the Pathfinder I just like to get it dirty and I don't care if it looks classy (for lack of a better term).

Ask and you shall receive... here is a pic of the DVD/TV system on the QX4.. Enjoy!

[Natedogg1701]

....wheres the pic or link? lol

[Pwnin O'Brien]

Yeah, any of the pics from that website don't work by just posting the hyperlink.

whats adaptive cruise control?

Adaptive cruise control is a cruise control system which uses lasers to detect how far away the person in front of you is. It will maintain the set speed until the car in front of you changes its speed; it can slow the car down if the car in front of you slows down and it will speed up when the car in front of you speeds up (until it reaches the set speed). I used cruise control all the time when I drove to and from school, this would have been perfect since a large portion of the Pennsylvania population drive slow in the left lane.

[Natedogg1701]

wow thats pretty cool, is there a way to adapt it to my 03 SE? i have cruise control obv, so there must be a sensor that mounts somewhere behind the grill. wounder if its ready to install just nees the hardware. cool feature.

[slickroger]

Adaptive cruise control

That is a cool feature, I've never heard of that before today but also very interested in a mod if possible