1974 instrument cluster question

[Jangun]

2002tii gurus, when I purchased my '74 tii, the previous owner told me that the original cluster did not work but he replaced it with an older model cluster.  He said that the reading on the speedometer was off by 10 miles.  He gave me the original cluster.  I sent the cluster to be refurbished.  When I received the cluster back, I went to swap it.  I read a bunch of articles and was able to remove the current cluster.  I realized that the refurbished cluster was missing two males connectors, on the tachometer side and the gas and temp side.  My questions are:

1. Do these connectors act as ground?

2. Can I disregard the two wires that connect to these male connectors?

3. Do I need to add back these males connectors? If yes, how easy it is to do?

4. The company that refurbished the cluster added some led lights to make the unit brighter, there is now an additional wire coming from the side. According to the company all I have to do is connect that wire to the any of the existing old bulbs.  If anyone has added LED lights, I would appreciate some guidance.

 

Thank you!

Jangun

[John76]

Jangun,

The missing male connector on the tach is where the black wire from the distributor is attached.

Your tach will not work if it does not get the signal from the dizzy.

The other missing male connector, as far as I know, is not needed. I have one on my '76 dash and it is not a ground, and I cannot find anything that it should be connected to.

John

[Son of Marty]

A 74 interment cluster should all have the cross hair gauges like the tach shown, the silver dollar center ones were from early cars.

['76mintgrün'02]

The alternator charging light (L) needs to be an incandescent bulb, not an LED; in order for the system to work properly.  You can probably just steal one from your spare cluster and swap it in.

Tom

[Gordon]

19 minutes ago, Son of Marty said:

A 74 interment cluster should all have the cross hair gauges like the tach shown, the silver dollar center ones were from early cars.

 +1 on finding crosshair gauges that  came in square tail light 02's (74-76). The silver dollar gauges were pre 71. A square tail 02 had a faux wood front. I used a 71-73  Euro cluster with the crosshair gauges. I'm thinking that the missing male connector on the fuel gauge side is for the hand brake connector (big red light between temp/fuel pod and speedo).

Edited July 18 by Gordon

[Mike Self]

1 hour ago, Gordon said:

I'm thinking that the missing male connector on the fuel gauge side is for the hand brake connector (big red light between temp/fuel pod and speedo).

Interesting that the cluster you pictured doesn't have the "push to test" button for the low brake fluid warning light (also the big red light on the dash).  On squarelights, that light does double duty as low brake fluid and parking brake left engaged warning.  On roundies, it's low brake fluid only.  And on Euro cars, it has other functions (manual choke on?)

 

mike

[Gordon]

6 hours ago, Mike Self said:

Interesting that the cluster you pictured doesn't have the "push to test" button for the low brake fluid warning light (also the big red light on the dash).  On squarelights, that light does double duty as low brake fluid and parking brake left engaged warning.  On roundies, it's low brake fluid only.  And on Euro cars, it has other functions (manual choke on?)

 

mike

Mike,  the pics of the cluster are from a 71-73 Euro spec 2002 cluster that I picked up at an automotive swap meet near Stuttgart years ago.  US spec 71-73 clusters only had the push to test button. Also notice that the Euro cluster big red light has no writing on it. 

[John76]

5 hours ago, Gordon said:

Also notice that the Euro cluster big red light has no writing on it. 

The big red light used for a low-fuel warning light in addition to brake fluid level and hand brake.

The fuel level sender (3-wires) was not installed on US cars ... even though it lists it as a feature on the window sticker.

The '76 brochure also says, "Inside the BMW 2002, you will find no simulated wood trim ...". Hahaha...love my "wood" dash pod.

 

 

 

[Jangun]

Thank you all for your responses, very insightful. I'm thinking of disassembling the tachometer that is working and swap it into the refurbished cluster.  Is that an easy swap? Appreciate you all!

[resra]

On 7/18/2024 at 6:54 PM, Jangun said:

Thank you all for your responses, very insightful. I'm thinking of disassembling the tachometer that is working and swap it into the refurbished cluster.  Is that an easy swap? Appreciate you all!

 

Very easily done. Do a search on refurb of instrument cluster and bingo.

[Jangun]

Thank you!