I wanna add new guages

I have a 97 xj, and i have that stupid idoit light guage cluster...i want to put actual guages in there, would it be easier to get a stock cluster, or would it be easier to get aftermarker ones and wire them up??

Thanks

Just from my POV I'd go with a stock one. I've got a 90 that had a cluster with a big gas gauge and I swapped to one with a smaller one that had a tach as well. NO mods, whatsoever. Go stock if the later XJs are the same.

i just wonder if all the wirein is the same...i know on the my buddies 95 he had to change the senders when he changed his guages..

It will be easier to change the cluster, but you will have to change the oil pressure sender and possible the coolant temperature sender as well (that one I'd have to check.) The reason for the sensor swaps is simple - the ID10T lights require a simple ON/OFF signal, so they use switches. The gages require a variable signal, so the sensor is a variable resistance.

I'm not sure about the temperature sensors for OBD-II models - but you can check with your local parts house to see if there are two different numbers, one for the light and another for the gage. If they are the same, then the gage will be driven by the ECM signal, which is always variable.

The oil pressure sensor is near the distributor, and is an easy swap. Use Teflon PASTE rather than tape, as tape has a funny way of getting loose and blocking things if you don't put it on just right. The temperature sensor you are mainly concerned with is, I seem to recall, mounted in the thermostat housing - but check that, since all I've got are PRE-OBD XJ's.

The wiring is otherwise the same - just the signals are different. I'm sure you'll need to look for a 97-01 gage cluster, so you might have a little more trouble than those of us with older XJ's.

Still, getting an OEMR cluster with gages and changing the sensors will save you having to run wiring, mount gages, and figure out where to put the senders - since the factory has already figure out the best places to do just that.

Start combing the junkyards...

5-90

ok, thanks for the info, would the cluster out of a tj work?? or maybe a grand cherokee or are they different??

The 97+ gauge cluster is a straight swap, no sender changes. However, sometime in 97/98 the 'washer fluid' and 'security' light were switched around. When I put one in from a 97 into my 98 the low washer light came on and stayed on so I pulled the bulb, I hated that freakin light coming on on hills and such when the fluid was low anyway, now when my fluid gets low the security light comes on... I looked closer on my idiot light cluster and noticed the swap around. Othewise it's a straight unplug the old one and plug in the new one. Good idea to disconnect the battery, you will be fooling around with part of the airbag circuit even if it is just the indicator light part. Takes about 40 minutes to do the swap... I'm pretty sure mine was out of a TJ, least wise thats what I remember from the guy I bought it from last year. Colors are the same as both our 97TJ's...

put a 01 gauge in my 99 and it works fine. straight forward swap and everything works fine, even the washer and security lights are right