Volkswagen Owners Club Forum banner
7K views 3 replies 2 participants last post by  briano1234 
#1 ·
I recently had the odometer quit working in my rabbit pickup. Thanks to a good online ‘How to’, it is now repaired and ready to be tested. But in doing the “How To’, I had to disassemble the instrument cluster, and am now having other problems; namely with the illumination circuitry.

Over the recent months I have taken the cluster’s circuit Mylar sheet off to install a tachometer; to get the illumination lites to function; and to lately repair the odometer. As a result, and due to the many times of it being removed, I am suspecting that the circuit sheet has ‘given up the ghost’ so to speak.

I have some spare clusters with sheets, but unfortunately for me none are the same as the one that is there now. So I’ve studied the spare versions I have, and have some questions.

First, the sheet installed now has, along the top row of the cluster warning lites, has as it’s first 4 lites (left to right) the common ones as reflected in the 81 owners manual for the diesel; 1) alternator warning; 2) turn signal indicator; 3) high beam indicator; and 4) oil pressure warning. In addition, the 5th position, water temp. warning lite, also had a bulb installed.

None of the spares I have has the 5th light option ‘plug’ terminals in their circuitry. In addition, the cluster harness plug has missing the #2 spot empty … which is for the ‘low coolant level control’. This was ascertained by my review of the 83 pickup schematic I have. My truck appears to have never had this, based on the presence of a non-wired overflow reservoir … which I’ve seen on later models.

Comparing the present circuitry sheet to the spares, it also does not have the #2 harness circuit line embedded; whereas the spares do, even including the gasser version that supplied the tachometer I installed. The #2 line on the spares lead into the area of the mylar sheet where one sees the up-shift lite region … which my pickup also does not have installed.

My question is … am I jeopardizing anything if I replace the lite in the #5 spot with a dummy, and simply use one of my spare sheets that have no connection to that bulb. Being that it appears to be is only for ‘low coolant level control’, I am under the impression that having the temperature gauge present is sufficient … especially since my 81 does not have the electric equipped overflow reservoir.

Apologize for being long winded, but wanted to try and be precise.

TIA
 
See less See more
#2 ·
First off, look on the Mylar itself. as the flap that bends over the connector is usually labeled. Well mine is on my 93, and I have heard of others being marked as well. That circuit marking at the pins tells you where every wire goes.

Second are you sure that you have voltage to the pins on the connector, as you didn't blow a fuse, as the lights do tend to go out as your fooling with the cluster. I would reconnect the cluster and put all the switches on as the 2 little ones for the 4-way can short and blow the fuse, and apply power and see if it gets voltage to the pads. Similarly you can apply 9vdc to the Ground bin 2 and the main pin, and test your voltage and circuit out of the car.... Neat trick huh?

from the edge of my 93 cluster mylar
93 cabriolet
MotoMeter Cluster.
Cluster----wiring diagram

1. innebel --- dash lights
2. masse ----ground
3. tank ------gas
4. temp ------water
5. KLI ------- Tach
6. UHR -------Clock
7. Fernlicht ---High Beam
8. AIR BAG
9. Del 1,8 -----Oil
10. Cat/EGR -- unused
11. o 3 oil -----buzzer
12. ladek ----- alternator
13. Blink 49a ---Turn Light
14. PLUS ------ ignition 12V

and a reply was

Well, I just replaced my old Motometer one for a VDO cluster - the one with the white and black connectors. I decoded these myself using the flex diagrams, Bentley and a lot of wire tracing. Some of the on-line versions of this didn't really match up to the Cabriolet. Note that this is the CE-2 cluster.

Here's what I've got;

WHITE- Connector 1
  • Blink 48 -- turn signal
  • SA -- Upshift light
  • KL.86 -- dash lights
  • TEMP -- coolant temp
  • TANK -- fuel gauge
  • MASSE -- ground
  • MFA- -- Ground for outside air temperature sensor
  • KL-1 -- tachometer
  • MFA-R -- MFA 'mode' switch
  • KL3. UHR -- constant power / clock
  • ?? -- outside air temperature sensor
  • ?? -- oil temperature sensor
  • ?? -- high beam light
  • ?? -- upshift signal to solenoid

BLACK- Connector 2
  • KW6 -- ignition switched power
  • OUTRW -- seat belt LED / center led bottom
  • LED FREI - 2nd LED from left on bottom row
  • LED FREI - 2nd LED from right on bottom row
  • MOTOREL - far right LED on bottom row
  • KL 61 -- alternator light
  • OEL 0,3 -- low oil pressure switch
  • OEL 1,8 -- high oil pressure switch
  • CHOKE -- bottom left LED (cabby airbag status LED)
  • OXS/CAT -- top center LED (not on later models)
  • HALL GEBER -- speed sensor from hall-effect sensor on back of speedometer
  • MFA-SP -- MFA function
  • MFA LOE -- MFA reset
  • MFA-SP -- spare
 
#3 ·
Brian: I know where the wires come from ... and go to. That's how I was able to make specific reference to #2 ...
In addition, the cluster harness plug has missing the #2 spot empty … which is for the ‘low coolant level control’.
 
#4 ·
I don't think that placing a dummy light would be an issue, my 81 only had the gauge. I can't remember the gauge having a flashy light in the middle, as I recall I was a little po'ed when my tank split and I lost all coolant.. that low coolant would be a nice thing to know.

How I found out the tank was split was that my car lost heat, and was getting cold... it was like 15 degrees, and I was 5 miles from the nearest town....

So what I did, was to start the car, then fill the jug with water and then drive it to the dealer.... I got the new jug and poured the whole gallon of a/f in to it....

Ya gotta do what you gotta do....
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top