2008 Instrument cluster change upgrade.

Cancerman

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I'm in the process of resurrecting a 2008 S197 with a dead 4.0, stick car. While I'm yanking the motor, one of the things I'm considering is changing the 4 inst cluster to the 6 inst cluster. I read that they just swap without issue, then I've read that there is reprogramming involved, Codes installed, security code details, etc. How big a deal is this, is the brain / ECU really sensitive? Some companies that sell these rebuilt clusters really scare you and want reprogramming fees, etc. Input fellows?
 

Juice

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Cluster has notbing to do with PATS on that car.
Cluster is plug and play.
However, some features/options may need to be turned off with Forscan.
I swapped to a gt cluster. Gt had abs, mine did not. So abs and traction control needed to be turned off.
 

Cancerman

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Cluster has notbing to do with PATS on that car.
Cluster is plug and play.
However, some features/options may need to be turned off with Forscan.
I swapped to a gt cluster. Gt had abs, mine did not. So abs and traction control needed to be turned off.
I guess if I wanted to avoid issues like that, maybe I should stay with the V6 base car cluster that just has the two additional gauges. I'll look into my car and see if it has TC and ABS. Not a big fan of ABS myself. Thanks for your response. I'm just starting to dig into this thing. Bought it cheap and it has a stick. Lots of new aftermarket stuff on it. They sprung a leak and roached the motor, I'm gonna tear it down and see how bad it is.
 

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You're addressing's an issue that has been thoroughly discussed several times on this forum. My comments are not a criticism but maybe will help you decide how to proceed. I dislike idiot lights so I begin exploring could I switch over from the two gauges and lights to six and have actual gauges.

Some really knowledgeable people on this site told me to see if I had a dummy plug in on my dash with wires plugged into the back, I did. They told me the change over would be very simple (maybe so with people who know how to work on cars) I watched UTube and it all looked very simple. Others on this site warned that changing out the harness could cause a problem where the car wouldn't start due to messing up the security system in the harness wiring. So, I went to the experts at my Ford dealer. There they agreed to do the change over for $1400 and no guarantee that it would work, and if it didn't work they wouldn't restock the parts, I would still have to pay for them.

I talked with several companies who you sent your harness to and they would send back the new six gage programmed harness. Sounded like my best bet but again I'm no mechanic.

So, I wrote to Ford Mustang in MI. asking if I could do the change over and months later got a reply. The reply was they were all engineers and couldn't help. They suggested going to the Ford Dealer.

I still have the idiot light.

Good luck.
 

Juice

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You're addressing's an issue that has been thoroughly discussed several times on this forum. My comments are not a criticism but maybe will help you decide how to proceed. I dislike idiot lights so I begin exploring could I switch over from the two gauges and lights to six and have actual gauges.

Some really knowledgeable people on this site told me to see if I had a dummy plug in on my dash with wires plugged into the back, I did. They told me the change over would be very simple (maybe so with people who know how to work on cars) I watched UTube and it all looked very simple. Others on this site warned that changing out the harness could cause a problem where the car wouldn't start due to messing up the security system in the harness wiring. So, I went to the experts at my Ford dealer. There they agreed to do the change over for $1400 and no guarantee that it would work, and if it didn't work they wouldn't restock the parts, I would still have to pay for them.

I talked with several companies who you sent your harness to and they would send back the new six gage programmed harness. Sounded like my best bet but again I'm no mechanic.

So, I wrote to Ford Mustang in MI. asking if I could do the change over and months later got a reply. The reply was they were all engineers and couldn't help. They suggested going to the Ford Dealer.

I still have the idiot light.

Good luck.
What idiot light? or should I say "which idiot lights"?
 

Juice

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Oil pressure and volt meter.
Volt meter should work.
Oil pressure is the challange. At minimum, you need to swap the oil pressure switch for a transducer.
IMO, for open tracking, a light is a better warning device.
Most claim the stock gauges are dummy gauges anyway. Not sure I agree. I had temp go higher than the 'normal' 12 o'clock position.
 

DieHarder

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Oil pressure and volt meter.
Volt meter should work.
Oil pressure is the challange. At minimum, you need to swap the oil pressure switch for a transducer.
IMO, for open tracking, a light is a better warning device.
Most claim the stock gauges are dummy gauges anyway. Not sure I agree. I had temp go higher than the 'normal' 12 o'clock position.

This is drop dead simple.... I've done this exact thing (upgrading to 6 gauge clusters to include mycolor) to both of my cars, an 06 and an 07. It's plug & play. Only thing additional needed to make mycolor work is the Info/Setup/Reset cluster switch. As long as the gauge cluster is mycolor capable you should have no problems. The V6 however has a 120 mph speedo vs the 140 mph for the GT. Otherwise, it was the simplest upgrade I've ever done.

Note however that if the mileage indicates significantly lower than your old cluster (and you have it serviced at a dealer) they may report it which could end up on your title something to the effect that "mileage is not actual" which could affect the retail price. So, either take it to a place that doesn't report mileage or swap the old cluster back in whenever you take it to a dealer for service. I kept my originals and will include them when/if I ever sell.
 

DieHarder

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You're addressing's an issue that has been thoroughly discussed several times on this forum. My comments are not a criticism but maybe will help you decide how to proceed. I dislike idiot lights so I begin exploring could I switch over from the two gauges and lights to six and have actual gauges.

Some really knowledgeable people on this site told me to see if I had a dummy plug in on my dash with wires plugged into the back, I did. They told me the change over would be very simple (maybe so with people who know how to work on cars) I watched UTube and it all looked very simple. Others on this site warned that changing out the harness could cause a problem where the car wouldn't start due to messing up the security system in the harness wiring. So, I went to the experts at my Ford dealer. There they agreed to do the change over for $1400 and no guarantee that it would work, and if it didn't work they wouldn't restock the parts, I would still have to pay for them.

I talked with several companies who you sent your harness to and they would send back the new six gage programmed harness. Sounded like my best bet but again I'm no mechanic.

So, I wrote to Ford Mustang in MI. asking if I could do the change over and months later got a reply. The reply was they were all engineers and couldn't help. They suggested going to the Ford Dealer.

I still have the idiot light.

Good luck.

You can. Has absolutely nothing to do with security/PATS... Stay away from the dealer. $1400 is highway robbery. It takes all of 30 mins to do; an hour if you take 2 coffee breaks and a lunch.... Simply find the correct gauge (feebay) for your year/model (V6 or V8); suggest getting the mycolor gauge and cluster switch (see notes above) and install it. Most you could be out if doesn't work is a couple hundred (est.).
 

Cancerman

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Thanks guys, I have a 6 gauge cluster coming. I have to order the switch yet. Since I'm removing the motor, there's no rush. I'm collecting all the stuff. My car was a Craigslist cheapo. It's in my avatar. Stick car. I want it reliable as it's going to be a daily. I hate cars/trucks without gauges. Car already has Cold Air mod, Muffler mod, headlights, hood scoop, just a whole bunch of things I won't have to spend money on. While the motor's out I might put tube headers on it. Maybe the bigger TB mod. I appreciate you guys responding, I'm no stranger to building cars, but I'm new to the S197. I have to climb the learning curve. I look forward to having fun with this car. I also have a Coyote F150. I will get a tuner, so I'll have to do that research also, get the most for the money.
 

Cancerman

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So I had some time today, and I yanked the car apart, console, center, everything to get at the cluster. I also installed the switch. I'm not so sure you can put the 6 gauge cluster in without it. The info center isn't accessible without it. Got it back together, started playing with it. Looks like everything's functioning as it should. Headlights on, dash lights are blue, so that's working. At least that's out of the way.
 

Dino Dino Bambino

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My '06 GT Deluxe originally came with a 4-gauge cluster and one of the early mods I did was to swap in a 6-gauge cluster. I'd found a good used one in eBay that was also close in mileage so the odometer didn't need to be reprogrammed. The gauge cluster swap was literally plug n' play and took all of 15 minutes. Tilting the steering wheel to its lowest position makes it easy. The two extra gauges (voltmeter & oil pressure) work exactly as they should though the oil pressure is really a dummy gauge as all it needs is 6psi to register. If you want a proper OP gauge you'd have to go aftermarket and either replace the stock oil pressure switch with the gauge sending unit (resistance values are different), or install a T adapter and run both gauges.
To make the on board computer and My Color functional it was simply a case of using a flat screwdriver to pry out the dummy switch panel to the left of the cigarette lighter in the center of the dash, and installing a new INFO/SETUP/RESET panel in its place. Luckily the wiring pigtail was already there so that was also plug n' play.

https://www.angelfire.com/my/fan/Mustang2006GT/Interior.html

Are you planning to stay with a 4.0L V6 motor? If your existing motor is toast, used replacements are dime a dozen since they were also installed in Ford trucks so you should find a good one cheap.
Most will have high mileages so while the motor's out I'd pull the oil pan to inspect the rod/main bearings and replace the oil pump. The top rod bearings usually have the worst wear so if they're good, the rest are probably also good. I'd also replace the front & rear timing chains/gears/tensioners, replace the clutch assembly, replace the water pump, replace the stock plastic thermostat housing with an aftermarket aluminum unit, and install a pair of long tube headers before dropping the motor back in.
 

Cancerman

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Man, you are so close to what I have planned. I've been looking for a motor, I got burnt by a "Engine dealer" off of Facebook. Lucky my bank went after them. Local 4.0 motors are mostly all 150K mile motors, costing at least $800-1500. I'm going to open my motor to see how trashed it is, and if I can just zero time it. At least I'll know what I have. I want a good running daily driver, not a high mileage time bomb. Ill be driving this thing on so cross country trips. All the local motors I've seen that are "Reconditioned" have new standard bearings, regardless of wear, which can effect oil pressure, etc. Old pistons, just a re-ring. The cheaper one's don't even have the timing chain kit's in them. I can do an engine kit with timing gears, chains, pistons and rings, gaskets, etc. For around $1000. Just gotta do the block work, and the heads. I'll do the assembly work, so I figure for around 2K I can have a slightly overbored, tuned 4.0. Since it's a stick car, already has cold air, muffler mod, so I think it should make for a fun daily driver for this old man. This is what I just finished.IMG_20211215_184918658.jpg
 

Dino Dino Bambino

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Wow that's one cool motor but it's far too good to be a daily driver. It'll turn plenty of heads though!
For your V6 Stang I'd suggest a divorced dual exhaust set up behind the LT headers. You could search for a complete used stock 05-10 GT exhaust (H-pipe, OA pipes, mufflers) in Craigslist and modify the H-pipe to fit. Since you'd have two tailpipes instead of one, you'd either need to modify your existing rear bumper cover or replace it with a GT version. You might be amazed at how good it'll sound.

One V6 performance upgrade I forgot to mention is an underdrive crank pulley/harmonic balancer.

https://lightningforceperformance.com/lfp-underdrive-pulley-kit-2005-10-ford-mustang-v6/

If the existing harmonic balancer needs replacing anyway, this could free up an extra ~5rwhp. You'd need a shorter drive belt as a result of having a smaller diameter crank pulley.
 

DieHarder

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So I had some time today, and I yanked the car apart, console, center, everything to get at the cluster. I also installed the switch. I'm not so sure you can put the 6 gauge cluster in without it. The info center isn't accessible without it. Got it back together, started playing with it. Looks like everything's functioning as it should. Headlights on, dash lights are blue, so that's working. At least that's out of the way.

So, how easy was it; how long did it take; and how much did you spend? Welcome to modding...
 

Cancerman

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I got the cluster and switch for around $100 with shipping. I took me about 3 hours as I went very slow as to not break any plastic since it was my first time into the dash, etc. Putting it back together was about 30 minutes so not too bad all in all. I had a new electric impact driver that made it easy on the hands and wrist. Dino, I'll look into you input on my motor. Have you really seen a difference in the single vs double exhaust? I've read opinions both for and against. Yeah, the Black car is a bit hard to get in and out of. I originally built it to autocross. 180 HP Subaru 2.5. about 1700-1800 lbs car. It goes pretty good. Just went through all the DMV stuff, got my fresh title today in the mail! Not much ground clearance though.
 

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I don't know what that black car is, but I like it! Probably a bitch for an old man to get in and out of.
 

Cancerman

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IMG_20220124_171950592_HDR.jpg
I don't know what that black car is, but I like it! Probably a bitch for an old man to get in and out of.
It's A 1982 Kelmark GT kitcar, although this one was assembled at the Kelmark factory. Originally a VW beetle based car, this one has modded suspension, full disc brakes, running a Subaru EJ 2.5, 11:1 comp, F.I. I originally built it to autocross. I changed the seat back to street seats, which makes it tighter inside. I'm 5'9" and it's a bit of a squeeze. If you are not flexible, it's a bit of a challenge getting in and out. My 26 year old neighbor who's 6'2", got in the passenger seat no problem. Made me feel real old now! Like driving a go kart on the street. My old lady hates it. She wants it gone so we can finish the S197, she can drive that!
 

Cancerman

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The update to the motor is it's roached. The previous own misled me by saying it overheated and his son pulled over and found the plastic thermo housing leaking. Well, it turned out the kit drove it until it locked up solid, seized the lower end. Filled it with water, then let it sit for over a year. I took the motor to a guy here in Florida who remans these 4.0 motors, small home shop, pretty cool set up. We ripped it down and found the only thing salvageable was the heads. Started to melt the pistons into the bores. Pretty extreme actually. So he gave me $50 for it and sold me a reman long block with a warranty for $1000. So it's on my engine stand, waiting for the water pump, aluminum thermo housing, new exhaust stud kit, etc, to get here. And a new radiator, etc. I figure maybe 2 weeks and I should have things buttoned up.
 

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