Digital Gauge Cluster Info
Sorry for starting a new thead, but I think it's best to start with a fresh one.
The following schematics are well known:
For a 1991 and 1992 B13:
For a 1993 and later B13:
They are almost completely worthless (no offense to sinistersentra, who did a great job making them!).
See, there's multiple versions of the digital gauge cluster. There's clusters from NXs with a manual gearbox, and from NXs with an automatic. On the automatic, there's an extra indicator for the OD OFF.
Also, there may be differences between 2 clusters from a manual. For example, cluster 1 might have the indicator for the seatbelts on the left half of the face, while the other cluster has it on the right side. And so on.
So wiring your cluster the way the schematics show, might not be the right way for your digital cluster.
However, and this is important, that little black 12-pin plug in the center of the digital cluster IS shown correctly.
The pinout of that plug is as follows:
1...7
2...8
3...9
4...10
5...11
6...12
1 - Speed sensor positive (but doesn't really matter)
2 - Illumination (not sure whether positive or negative)
3 - Speed sensor negative (but doesn't really matter)
4 - Illumination clock
5 - Tachometer
6 - Illumination (not sure whether positive or negative)
7 - Ignition
8 - Temperature
9 - Fuel level
10 - Ground
11 - Speed signal to ECU
12 - Battery for clock (so the cluster can "remember" the time)
On 2 and 6: I made a pinout myself, and I think I made 2 the negative. However, when I swapped a cluster in someone else's car, it was wrong, and caused a fuse to blow. I had to switch polarity. So again, I'm not sure.
Also, connect the speed sensor directly to the cluster! Don't use a wire coming from the ECU. I've seen people asking this occasionally.
Okay, so now I know the pinout of 1 plug. What about the others?
The other 2 (or 3) aren't that hard to figure out. Just do one plug at a time, pick a pin, and trace to what indicatorlight it goes. Then do the same for the digital cluster.
It helps if you make a schematic yourself!
Remember, a pin connected to 2 indicators is probably a ground or negative! But there's only a few of them. Most pin only lead to 1 indicator. Just remember which one it is, flip the cluster, and see what goes there.
The best way of attaching the wires is soldering and using heatshrink! Just do 1 plug at a time.
Another option is to remove the pins from the plugs alltogether. You can remove each individual pin with a very small flathead screwdriver. Just try, and keep trying.
Again, do 1 at a time, to avoid getting confused.
This way, you'll be able to wire it up much more cleanly, but you can't switch back to the old cluster very easily, should that be necessary.
Okay, so now it's all wired up, and working like a charm. What about the speed difference so many people have encountered?
I've done some research, and I found that the regular electronic speed sensors only have 8-9 pulses per revolutions, while the speed sensors from the NX1600 with digital cluster had 16-18.
Here's a picture for reference:
From left to right: B14 sensor, NX1600/2000 DIGITAL auto sensor, NX1600 DIGITAL manual sensor, NX1600 REGULAR manual sensor.
They are upside down, btw, the gear is normally on the bottom. Just so you know.
Notice how the "head" on the DIGITAL sensors have a larger diameter. Also notice the difference between the "body" between the NX1600 DIGITAL and the NX1600 REGULAR sensors. The latter has an "open" structure, while the DIGITAL has a "solid" structure. This is the same with the NX2000 DIGITAL and REGULAR sensors.
Finally, check how the "stem" and axle are mounted. The yellow auto sensor has them centered, while the manuals have them off-center. This is important, because an auto sensor WILL NOT FIT in a manual gearbox.
But where do I get these sensors? I have the wong one?
Aha, but I couldn't have done my research without the friendly technicians at Autozone. They did some readings for me, and we came to the conclusion that you need one of the following speed sensors:
NX1600 DIGITAL MANUAL sensor
NX1600 DIGITAL AUTO sensor
NX2000 DIGITAL MANUAL sensor
NX2000 DIGITAL AUTO sensor
Obviously, you need the NX1600 sensor if you have a GA16DE type transmission, and a NX2000 sensor if you have an SR20DE type transmission.
However, if your car has a DS type transmission (I know most 1.6 cars in the USA have a GA16DE, but those were only available from 1993 in Europe. The '91 and '91 1.6 NXs had a carburetted version, the GA16DS), you have a problem.
See, the GA16DS uses a speed sensor of similar length of the "normal" GA16DE sensor, but the "stem" is centered. If you want to incorporate a digital cluster in a GA16DS powered car, you'll need to make a Frankenstein sensor, out of a DIGITAL auto sensor, and a DIGITAL NX1600 manual sensor. It's not hard to do, but you must be careful. Also, you need to construct a custom piece of electronics, since the RPMs aren't transferred the same way. There used to be a guy knew how to make these, but he isn't fond of sharing his design. If you need, I could contact him.
And there you have it. Now you shouldn't have anymore problems installing these awesome clusters.
EDIT: Here's a little extra info regarding the sensors, and also regarding the DS sensor:
There's quite a lot of different sensors
The manual GA16DE has a long sensor, with the axle off-center
The manual SR20DE has a short sensor, with the axle off-center
And ALL the automatics have a short sensor, with the axle centrered
In addition, there's a BIG difference between the sensors used with a regular gauge cluster, and the ones used with digital cluster.
Let me explain with some pics*:
--------------------------------------
Manual GA16DE with regular cluster:
Manual GA16DE with digital cluster:
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
Manual SR20DE with regular cluster:
Manual SR20DE with digital cluster:
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
AUTOMATIC with regular cluster:
AUTOMATIC with digital cluster:
--------------------------------------
Compare the sensors, and notice that on ALL sensors, the ones for the digital cluster have a bigger "head" (the part sticking out of the transmission).
Also, notice how the digital "sensors" for the manual gearboxes have a "solid" housing (when seen from the side), as opposed from the "open" housings on the "regular" sensors.
So far the explanation for the DE transmissions.
What about the DS?
Well, for some reason, Nissan decided that it should look like a combination of an auto sensor, and a GA16DE sensor.
It's centered like the auto sensors, but is as long as a regular GA16DE sensor.
This means you need to combine 2 sensors into one! And because of the bigger "head" on the Digital sensor, you can't use a regular sensor.
So you need:
1 "digital" auto sensor
1 "digital" manual GA16DE sensor
What you do next is this:
CAREFULLY remove the black rubbery/plastic seal (that also holds the wiring, and part of the sensor) from the AUTO sensor. You need the housing to be fully intact. Be VERY careful!
Next, remove the little pin securing the axle in the sensor. Remove axle.
Take the other sensor, and take it apart any way you like (you only need the axle, and the "magnet" that's attached to it). A Dremel-tool worked best for me. Make SURE you don't damage the magnet (cut as close to the base of the "head" as you can to avoid this).
Remove the C-clip from the gear, remove the gear, and the retainer-pin. Remove the long axle.
Put the long axle into the AUTO housing (might not be able to install the pin, but that's ok), add the gear and C-clip, and put back the rubber/plastic seal (with the wire) onto the sensor.
You should now have a sensor with a long, centered axle. And it'll fit the DS gearbox.
Good luck!
*pics courtesy of RockAuto.com
The following schematics are well known:
For a 1991 and 1992 B13:
For a 1993 and later B13:
They are almost completely worthless (no offense to sinistersentra, who did a great job making them!).
See, there's multiple versions of the digital gauge cluster. There's clusters from NXs with a manual gearbox, and from NXs with an automatic. On the automatic, there's an extra indicator for the OD OFF.
Also, there may be differences between 2 clusters from a manual. For example, cluster 1 might have the indicator for the seatbelts on the left half of the face, while the other cluster has it on the right side. And so on.
So wiring your cluster the way the schematics show, might not be the right way for your digital cluster.
However, and this is important, that little black 12-pin plug in the center of the digital cluster IS shown correctly.
The pinout of that plug is as follows:
1...7
2...8
3...9
4...10
5...11
6...12
1 - Speed sensor positive (but doesn't really matter)
2 - Illumination (not sure whether positive or negative)
3 - Speed sensor negative (but doesn't really matter)
4 - Illumination clock
5 - Tachometer
6 - Illumination (not sure whether positive or negative)
7 - Ignition
8 - Temperature
9 - Fuel level
10 - Ground
11 - Speed signal to ECU
12 - Battery for clock (so the cluster can "remember" the time)
On 2 and 6: I made a pinout myself, and I think I made 2 the negative. However, when I swapped a cluster in someone else's car, it was wrong, and caused a fuse to blow. I had to switch polarity. So again, I'm not sure.
Also, connect the speed sensor directly to the cluster! Don't use a wire coming from the ECU. I've seen people asking this occasionally.
Okay, so now I know the pinout of 1 plug. What about the others?
The other 2 (or 3) aren't that hard to figure out. Just do one plug at a time, pick a pin, and trace to what indicatorlight it goes. Then do the same for the digital cluster.
It helps if you make a schematic yourself!
Remember, a pin connected to 2 indicators is probably a ground or negative! But there's only a few of them. Most pin only lead to 1 indicator. Just remember which one it is, flip the cluster, and see what goes there.
The best way of attaching the wires is soldering and using heatshrink! Just do 1 plug at a time.
Another option is to remove the pins from the plugs alltogether. You can remove each individual pin with a very small flathead screwdriver. Just try, and keep trying.
Again, do 1 at a time, to avoid getting confused.
This way, you'll be able to wire it up much more cleanly, but you can't switch back to the old cluster very easily, should that be necessary.
Okay, so now it's all wired up, and working like a charm. What about the speed difference so many people have encountered?
I've done some research, and I found that the regular electronic speed sensors only have 8-9 pulses per revolutions, while the speed sensors from the NX1600 with digital cluster had 16-18.
Here's a picture for reference:
From left to right: B14 sensor, NX1600/2000 DIGITAL auto sensor, NX1600 DIGITAL manual sensor, NX1600 REGULAR manual sensor.
They are upside down, btw, the gear is normally on the bottom. Just so you know.
Notice how the "head" on the DIGITAL sensors have a larger diameter. Also notice the difference between the "body" between the NX1600 DIGITAL and the NX1600 REGULAR sensors. The latter has an "open" structure, while the DIGITAL has a "solid" structure. This is the same with the NX2000 DIGITAL and REGULAR sensors.
Finally, check how the "stem" and axle are mounted. The yellow auto sensor has them centered, while the manuals have them off-center. This is important, because an auto sensor WILL NOT FIT in a manual gearbox.
But where do I get these sensors? I have the wong one?
Aha, but I couldn't have done my research without the friendly technicians at Autozone. They did some readings for me, and we came to the conclusion that you need one of the following speed sensors:
NX1600 DIGITAL MANUAL sensor
NX1600 DIGITAL AUTO sensor
NX2000 DIGITAL MANUAL sensor
NX2000 DIGITAL AUTO sensor
Obviously, you need the NX1600 sensor if you have a GA16DE type transmission, and a NX2000 sensor if you have an SR20DE type transmission.
However, if your car has a DS type transmission (I know most 1.6 cars in the USA have a GA16DE, but those were only available from 1993 in Europe. The '91 and '91 1.6 NXs had a carburetted version, the GA16DS), you have a problem.
See, the GA16DS uses a speed sensor of similar length of the "normal" GA16DE sensor, but the "stem" is centered. If you want to incorporate a digital cluster in a GA16DS powered car, you'll need to make a Frankenstein sensor, out of a DIGITAL auto sensor, and a DIGITAL NX1600 manual sensor. It's not hard to do, but you must be careful. Also, you need to construct a custom piece of electronics, since the RPMs aren't transferred the same way. There used to be a guy knew how to make these, but he isn't fond of sharing his design. If you need, I could contact him.
And there you have it. Now you shouldn't have anymore problems installing these awesome clusters.
EDIT: Here's a little extra info regarding the sensors, and also regarding the DS sensor:
There's quite a lot of different sensors
The manual GA16DE has a long sensor, with the axle off-center
The manual SR20DE has a short sensor, with the axle off-center
And ALL the automatics have a short sensor, with the axle centrered
In addition, there's a BIG difference between the sensors used with a regular gauge cluster, and the ones used with digital cluster.
Let me explain with some pics*:
--------------------------------------
Manual GA16DE with regular cluster:
Manual GA16DE with digital cluster:
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
Manual SR20DE with regular cluster:
Manual SR20DE with digital cluster:
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
AUTOMATIC with regular cluster:
AUTOMATIC with digital cluster:
--------------------------------------
Compare the sensors, and notice that on ALL sensors, the ones for the digital cluster have a bigger "head" (the part sticking out of the transmission).
Also, notice how the digital "sensors" for the manual gearboxes have a "solid" housing (when seen from the side), as opposed from the "open" housings on the "regular" sensors.
So far the explanation for the DE transmissions.
What about the DS?
Well, for some reason, Nissan decided that it should look like a combination of an auto sensor, and a GA16DE sensor.
It's centered like the auto sensors, but is as long as a regular GA16DE sensor.
This means you need to combine 2 sensors into one! And because of the bigger "head" on the Digital sensor, you can't use a regular sensor.
So you need:
1 "digital" auto sensor
1 "digital" manual GA16DE sensor
What you do next is this:
CAREFULLY remove the black rubbery/plastic seal (that also holds the wiring, and part of the sensor) from the AUTO sensor. You need the housing to be fully intact. Be VERY careful!
Next, remove the little pin securing the axle in the sensor. Remove axle.
Take the other sensor, and take it apart any way you like (you only need the axle, and the "magnet" that's attached to it). A Dremel-tool worked best for me. Make SURE you don't damage the magnet (cut as close to the base of the "head" as you can to avoid this).
Remove the C-clip from the gear, remove the gear, and the retainer-pin. Remove the long axle.
Put the long axle into the AUTO housing (might not be able to install the pin, but that's ok), add the gear and C-clip, and put back the rubber/plastic seal (with the wire) onto the sensor.
You should now have a sensor with a long, centered axle. And it'll fit the DS gearbox.
Good luck!
*pics courtesy of RockAuto.com
Last edited by M0J0
on 2011-06-08
at 18-29-33.
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Originally Posted by M0J0 
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