First and foremost... i know there are tons of write ups on this... i have read them all but havn't found any that help me...
i have a 1996 Cherokee with the 2.5L
the gauge cluster i have is the one with the huge gas gauge, but it also has the small gauges. (NOT the 'dummy light' cluster) I want to swap to the newer cluster.
when i got the Jeep the temp gauge and speedo/odometer did not work. i replaced the temp sensor and speed sensor but still nothing.
i have done some research and have seen that if you swap to the newer gauge cluster you have to change the temp sensor and the fuel pressure sending unit. However, all the ones i have read are swapping from the 'dummy light' cluster so that is why you have to change the sensor and sending unit. Being i have the gauges i shouldn't have to change the sending units, right?
Also, could it be that my temp gauge is not working because i am using the temp sensor for the 'dummy light' cluster? The gauge pegs out when i turn the engine over and goes back to zero. The electrical system is good, the jeep sat for over 2 weeks and another week of me tinkering with it and turning it over repeatedly trying to get it to run with minimal tools and parts and the battery was still super strong and had great charge.

i think maybe the speedo/odometer is not working because of a bad connection in the back/ground. i will clean everything when i swap out the cluster along with the ground wires on the side of the block. Any other ideas of why it might not be working?

 

I speculated correctly and obviously, no. if you are swaping from a fully gauged cluster to a newer fully gauged cluster, there is no need to swap sending units or sensors. I swapped to a newer (still used) Magneti Marelli (only in China?) cluster and everything works great... except the speedo. it was acting the same way in a buddies jeep so it is the gauge, not my Jeep. I am ok with this as long as i get a GPS. haha

Picture time!

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this morning i got in the jeep and started it up (around 20 degrees) and it ran great, got to operating temp in 10 minutes or so. i started to take it around the loop and 1/4 of the way through the speedo dropped to zero and began working perfectly! it worked great and everything was good but i wanted to lower the idle a little so i stopped it, lowered the idle to around 1100 and took off again... speedo was back to the normal wackyness. it does seem to increase the same increments above 50mph. I started to mash and poke the trip stick and it would work sometimes for a second or so. after driving around for around 20-30 minutes the temp gauge went to zero... too much rattling around i guess and i lost the connection on the sensor.

I will probably pull the cluster and see if i can pull the speedo gauge itself and clean it up. im guessing it is just a loose connection shorting out or something.

 

Good job on your swap. Hope the glitches get worked out.

Do you know anything about swapping in aftermarket guages? Do they need or come with their own sending units or use stock ones? Id like to do something like this but much more basic.

 

they usually come with their own sending units. Theres electrical and mechanical gauges too.

 

thanks!
I don't know much about after market gauges, but from what i do know is yes, they should come with their own sending units.