NVU gauge cluster installation.
- Thread starter 87GNSteve
- Start date
Warp6
Mine since '92
- Joined
- May 25, 2001
Great work Steve. Thanks for the great info and pictures
Good2win22
Member
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2012
Drove my car to work two days this week and the instruments worked as advertised. It took a few runs to calibrate the speedo. I still have some reservations with the speedo. After getting the dial calibrated to display the correct speed, the odometer does not reflect accurate distance traveled. From my driveway to the parking lot at work is exactly 29.1 miles, this has been verified with gps, and several other vehicles that I own. The new odometer in my buick displayed 28.3 but displayed accurate speeds during the entire drive. This may not be of concern to some but it bothers me.
The fuel gauge really bounces around. Not certain if this due to me having a digital dash and something with the resistance in the sender. I replaced my fuel level sender with an after market one when I replaced the fuel pump and vaguely remember something about there being a difference in the senders with a digital verses an analog dash. This may bother some... I can live with it.
Overall, I would give this thing a 9 out of 10. The somewhat incomplete instructions for our specific cars verses the money (NVU should have let Steve have the prototype to work out the details). The confusing statements made in the instructions didn't help either. And my other complaint is the speedo. It frustrates me that a calibration technique used to display a correct speed does not also correlate to a correct distance traveled.
Customer service is beyond reproach! Mark was top notch! Whenever I called or emailed, he was quick to respond or ship out any missing parts. This dash is light years ahead of what Buick installed!
Warp6
Mine since '92
- Joined
- May 25, 2001
I can't comment on anything else you said in this post as I haven't begun the wiring or installation.
I can say I agree with the above comments totally. Steve is above thorough, knowledgeable and professional from what I have seen of his many instructions and posts. We all owe him a cold-one!
I'm still going to hold back a few weeks before I attempt my install for a couple reasons. One, it's just too cold in my garage and two, I want to see more feedback.
Craig
First of all, cheers to Steve for the trim info. I didn't have a hole saw, so I use my Dremel tool. I clamp a level to a broad with the trim in the middle. Over hanging .060. Ground the trim, took a little paint off the level. However grinding it was a snap. Use a 11/2" cut-off wheel on the Dremel to cut the dash. Use black RTV to glue it down. Less then two hours from start to finish. Now if only the wiring goes that well. Again I really doubt without Steve, most of us WOULD NOT be able to pull this off. At the very least not me
I appreciate Mr Goodwin and CaptnDave's sharing, it gives me a bit of a sneak peak. It has been unseasonably cold down here and I have a tiny one car garage crammed with GN stuff with a GN in the middle of it..... I wouldnt last too long going in and out with doors that cant open all the way.
Up next i will be doing the sender and wiring installation under the hood since that is one thing I can do inside the garage, also the bench top soldering and wire "deciphering".
As for MrGoodwin the fuel gauge on the analog dash is 90 ohms the digital is 150, so it will bounce around more at lower levels they still work and tell you F and E; but the digital sender with a analog gauge has habits of making the gauge read full "longer" and quickly go down after 3/4. BTDT...
Up next i will be doing the sender and wiring installation under the hood since that is one thing I can do inside the garage, also the bench top soldering and wire "deciphering".
As for MrGoodwin the fuel gauge on the analog dash is 90 ohms the digital is 150, so it will bounce around more at lower levels they still work and tell you F and E; but the digital sender with a analog gauge has habits of making the gauge read full "longer" and quickly go down after 3/4. BTDT...
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I am in the same boat. Not sure if I will pull the motor first to do some upgrades; it could be some time before the '86 gets new gauges.
I too would like to thank Steve for all his efforts.
Jeff
Good2win22
Member
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2012
Thanks Steve ! I knew there was a difference in the two dashes regarding the fuel sender. Just goes to show that not only us on the initial group purchase, but all who purchase the NVU dash in the future could have been better off had NVU sent the prototype to the "The TR Whisperer" in the first place.
I have much gratitude and appreciation for the countless hours you spent not only on making this project happen but allowing the rest of us to be in on the ground floor with you
captndave737
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2006
I have mine installed but we had snow this week so I haven't taken the car out yet. The gauges look great but I'm disappointed in the lighting. From pictures they look bright but I find the numbers very difficult to see at night, especially the speedo, although the pointers are nice and bright. I have the Performance ll with white faces so other types may be different.
I installed the boost sender in the same location as the stock one and used the wiring that was there. The wires go to the C2 connector behind the instrument panel. I'll post pictures and wiring diagrams later this week. I also installed the 5 programing switches in the ashtray. I bought a black faced switch from Radio Shack for $3.95 for the Speedo and installed it next to the defogger switch. I purchased the dimmer from NVU and installed it next to the stock dimmer but haven't wired it in yet and I probably wont since the instruments aren't bright enough for me anyway.
The instrument lighting doesn't come on unless the ignition is on. I don't know if Mr. Goodwin found a fix for that or not. If he did I missed the post.
I had a problem with everything being intermittent and it turned out to be the ground wire in connector 1 wasn't properly crimped I removed the pin and installed a new one. I had several extra's because I had NVU ship an extra connector and pins for the programming switches.
The only mistake in the wiring is the seatbelt icon as previously posted. Overall it was a relatively easy install.
I installed the boost sender in the same location as the stock one and used the wiring that was there. The wires go to the C2 connector behind the instrument panel. I'll post pictures and wiring diagrams later this week. I also installed the 5 programing switches in the ashtray. I bought a black faced switch from Radio Shack for $3.95 for the Speedo and installed it next to the defogger switch. I purchased the dimmer from NVU and installed it next to the stock dimmer but haven't wired it in yet and I probably wont since the instruments aren't bright enough for me anyway.
The instrument lighting doesn't come on unless the ignition is on. I don't know if Mr. Goodwin found a fix for that or not. If he did I missed the post.
I had a problem with everything being intermittent and it turned out to be the ground wire in connector 1 wasn't properly crimped I removed the pin and installed a new one. I had several extra's because I had NVU ship an extra connector and pins for the programming switches.
The only mistake in the wiring is the seatbelt icon as previously posted. Overall it was a relatively easy install.
captndave737
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2006
I have mine installed but we had snow this week so I haven't taken the car out yet. The gauges look great but I'm disappointed in the lighting. From pictures they look bright but I find the numbers very difficult to see at night, especially the speedo, although the pointers are nice and bright. I have the Performance ll with white faces so other types may be different.
I installed the boost sender in the same location as the stock one and used the wiring that was there. The wires go to the C2 connector behind the instrument panel. I'll post pictures and wiring diagrams later this week. I also installed the 5 programing switches in the ashtray. I bought a black faced switch from Radio Shack for $3.95 for the Speedo and installed it next to the defogger switch. I purchased the dimmer from NVU and installed it next to the stock dimmer but haven't wired it in yet and I probably wont since the instruments aren't bright enough for me anyway.
The instrument lighting doesn't come on unless the ignition is on. I don't know if Mr. Goodwin found a fix for that or not. If he did I missed the post.
I had a problem with everything being intermittent and it turned out to be the ground wire in connector 1 wasn't properly crimped I removed the pin and installed a new one. I had several extra's because I had NVU ship an extra connector and pins for the programming switches.
The only mistake in the wiring is the seatbelt icon as previously posted. Overall it was a relatively easy install.
I installed the boost sender in the same location as the stock one and used the wiring that was there. The wires go to the C2 connector behind the instrument panel. I'll post pictures and wiring diagrams later this week. I also installed the 5 programing switches in the ashtray. I bought a black faced switch from Radio Shack for $3.95 for the Speedo and installed it next to the defogger switch. I purchased the dimmer from NVU and installed it next to the stock dimmer but haven't wired it in yet and I probably wont since the instruments aren't bright enough for me anyway.
The instrument lighting doesn't come on unless the ignition is on. I don't know if Mr. Goodwin found a fix for that or not. If he did I missed the post.
I had a problem with everything being intermittent and it turned out to be the ground wire in connector 1 wasn't properly crimped I removed the pin and installed a new one. I had several extra's because I had NVU ship an extra connector and pins for the programming switches.
The only mistake in the wiring is the seatbelt icon as previously posted. Overall it was a relatively easy install.
Good2win22
Member
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2012
I haven't made any post about the backlighting, still trying to work a theory. Maybe you electrically smart folks can chime in.
Since the backlighting needs its on power source, I was thinking you could add a relay but I think a diode may be needed to keep power from going the wrong way since you'll have two power wires at the relay. One power being hot all the time and the other power wire being one of the gray wires from the C1 connector.
I decided against the NVU dimmer because the backlighting is not as bright as most would like and it's power source is giving it full system voltage now, meaning it is as bright as it gets. I have not tried the amber lighting to see if it is any brighter. One would think that it would not be any brighter because it is already filtered to be amber.
Thoughts on the relay for backlighting without the ignition on?
Royal-T-Ltd
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2003
I'm working on mine… i will post updates as i get more done… so far have: Started pre-wiring and soldering the C1 Connector harness, Soldered various weather pack connectors on Speedo sender, and coolant sender, Rough cut the Dash bezel. I am running to Radio shack to hopefully get some connectors, pins, switches and then to Walgreens to get some nail files to do some detail work on the bezel…. wish me luck.
aaron
aaron
Royal-T-Ltd
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2003
What'd you use to shave the trim panel? Did you just sand it down?
Used my Dremel tool. Clamp a level on top of the trim with a board under the trim.
GNONYX
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2009
Remember the old saying Ray, Measure twice, cut once
Toxic Donkey
Member
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2013
Having a hard time visualizing, could u post a pic to clarify
I did not take pictures, my bad. It is all ready put together. Mine like others was to wide from top to bottom. ( .060 ). So you need to sand or grind .060 off. I use a level, clamp to the trim so I would only take .060 off from one end to the other. ( keeping a straight line across.) had .060 sticking out from the level.The trim pc. The level being the straight edge. Grind or sand up until you start to hit the level. Or any straight edge you use. Or draw a line. I use the level to keep me from grinding away to much. Hard to write this.
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