Dummy lights to Guages

Is it hard to change from dummy lights to actual stock guages? I am tired of looking down all the time to see if a light is on. Are there any sensors I need to change or any wiring that needs to be adressed? Thanks for all your help guys.

90red

Easy as pie for the '90...

Once you have a gauge cluster -- all you need is the temp sender (the little stud at the back driver's corner of the head has qty=1 snap on connection wire should be brown) and an oil pressure sender (replaces the switch there by your oil filter - same wire and all)

Really straight forward - a few of the very ealry XJs have different speedo-cable attachments - pretty much one of two types - either there's a spring steel catch (looks like a bad washer) on the speedo-head's input or the speedo cable head has a "squeeze to snap" ("childproof mouthwash"-like) attachment (where the speedo-head input has a raised sorts "air-chuck" fitting...) worse comes to worse you may end-up swapping the speedo cable if the cluster you find isn't compatible with yours...

ALSO, it's worth the effort to pay attention to the indicator-lamp labels (predominantly those on the left side of the cluster) - the nomenclature plates are easily changed, and it is really disturbing to pull your 4wd to find an "ABS" warning lamp!! - I suppose it's better than having the "part-time 4wd" blinking when you're low on washer fluid! -- pretty much if you can find a cluster out of a similarly equipped XJ, you should be fine here (the ABS and 242 cases move things around some from the 231 models)

SWEET!!!

Thanks for the info. I think I am going to do that this weekend. I think even I can make this happen.

90red

Also, if you get the privilege of being able to pull the cluster yourself at a yard, just grab the oil pressure sensor and coolant temp. sensor also if it still has the engine in it. I didn't get charged anything for those and they have been working just fine for the past 50k miles so far. (the donor XJ had 150k miles on it when I pulled them)

I did my '90 a few months back. '87 thru '90 only,otherwise as stated above you'll be swapping cables also.I got the wrong one first time around and speedo hook-up at cluster was different also the indicator lights on the left panel.Once I figured out right years everything was exact match.I got a tach for my auto trans which is helpful.Sensors I also got at wrecking yard,not a problem so far.Oil sender is the big brass canister looking one,versus the small one you now have.Temp sender on head back by the firewall looked the same as old one but it isnt,donor vehicle should have the right one or look for one that had gauges in it.A sure sign it had gauges is the big oil sender still there.Dont worry about mileage if you have patients youll figure out how to roll that to match your vehicle.Use your old one to practice on.Hint:number dial can be pryed out carefully,partially seperated to roll numbers to match.