I'm wondering if anyone knows if it is possible to add the transmission temperature gauge to a cluster without replacing the cluster? I haven't had a full size truck cluster apart, but I have a feeling the spot for the stepper motor is there and I wonder if I can just solder a stepper motor into that spot and get the overlay from a 2500 and have the gauge working. This isn't something like super necessary, but I think it would be nice to add if it's that simple. I'm fixing to buy the white Denali needles and might buy the Escalade lens if the part number is still good and depending on price. I'm not interested in spending $300 for an Escalade cluster and then have to send it off to get the mileage set (especially when I don't really even like the gauge face on the Escalade cluster).
Possible to add transmission temp gauge? (ATTN: Those who've taken clusters apart)
- Thread starter 91RS
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MeanGreen03
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Yes, just solder in a stepper motor and get an overlay with the temp range.
ntxstallion
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I too am looking to gain this option but have found an 02 Esky (heard you have to match years) guage with black face and blue lighting on ebay. I figured the 300 would be cheaper than me trying to do it myself with no knowledge of soldering or the such.
scottg918514
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I did this as well, works great. I bought a white gauge face for a 2500 HD. It has the face for the tranny temp. I got from USSpeedo, the only issue with that is the gauge face says "diesel" on the fuel face.
You'll have to pop the needles, remove the stock face and solder a new stepper motor in the proper place. Then reset the needles (follow directions that came with new face, usually takes a few tries).
I'd also get a few stepper motors, I got 6 for $24 on eBay. When I removed the needles, on a few of the motors, the shaft came out with the needle. This is bad. You can pop the tops off the motors and re-mesh the shaft gear, but I found this didnt work well. So, I just replaced those motors.
---------- Post added at 10:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:46 PM ----------
A good write-up: http://z71tahoe-suburban.com/iboard/index.php?showtopic=19909
The good news is that my tranny hasn't gotten over 150 yet. That was in hot weather with ac going. But I added mine after my summer towing season. I got the Tahoe in August. So, hopefully, my tranny stays relatively cool towing boat this summer.
You'll have to pop the needles, remove the stock face and solder a new stepper motor in the proper place. Then reset the needles (follow directions that came with new face, usually takes a few tries).
I'd also get a few stepper motors, I got 6 for $24 on eBay. When I removed the needles, on a few of the motors, the shaft came out with the needle. This is bad. You can pop the tops off the motors and re-mesh the shaft gear, but I found this didnt work well. So, I just replaced those motors.
---------- Post added at 10:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:46 PM ----------
A good write-up: http://z71tahoe-suburban.com/iboard/index.php?showtopic=19909
The good news is that my tranny hasn't gotten over 150 yet. That was in hot weather with ac going. But I added mine after my summer towing season. I got the Tahoe in August. So, hopefully, my tranny stays relatively cool towing boat this summer.
Excellent! I figured it was that easy I just wanted to verify. I've bought a 2500HD gasser overlay and a set of white Denali needles. I made an offer on stepper motors, I might go ahead and replace them all while I have the cluster apart since this truck has 103k on the original cluster. I'll be taking my Trailblazer's cluster apart again to install LEDs so I might replace the steppers in it too.
At minimum, i would replace the speedo and tach motors while you're in there. I've had to replace the speedo motors in quite a few of these trucks.
Got a couple of speeding tickets because the damn motor started dying, making the speedo read low!
Got a couple of speeding tickets because the damn motor started dying, making the speedo read low!
chip
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I didn't have a Trans temp gauge, then I got the eBay rebuild with the Esky conversion and now I have a working TT gauge. IMO it's woth the money to know the full rebuild was done right and there are no inaccuracies.
Does anyone know what is used to make the Denali cluster backlighting blue? Is it a blue ****** over the bulb or is it in the overlay? I worked on a 05 Sierra Denali today and I guess I never noticed the backlight color before.
chip
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On my Esky gauges, it's in the overlay, but I got a conversion, so I don't know how helpful that is.
ntxstallion
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I think that the blue lighting you are talking about is a custom job. I know the some of the newer chevy's (fiance's 2011 traverse) light up blue but I thought all of ours were green.
I found some pictures of vehicles on eBay and the Denali clusters do all lightup like my picture. It also appears that the color does come from the overlay only. I found a good deal on a Denali cluster so I bought the whole thing, so I'll end up with an extra overlay (non-Denali) and a few other extra parts that hopefully I can sell off and make my money back. I might put the extra set of white needles in my Trailblazer, I think I like those better than the red needles I just put in.
Well, it doesn't appear that adding the tranny gauge is as simple as installing the motor and overlay. It appears some programming must be involved (at least for 03-06 trucks). The rest of the mods didn't go much better. The Denali cluster I bought for the white needles and blue overlay ended up being for 06 only and the PRNDL is different. Then to top it all off I guess while moving the cluster around 5 of the bulbs blew. I stole some bulbs off the parts cluster I used for my Trailblazer and have everything back together for now with the 2500 overlay. Hopefully I have a few tricks up my sleve that might work out, when I plugged the Denali cluster in it showed 0 miles so maybe I can program the odometer and hourmeter if it isn't locked and then just swap over the Escalade lens and bob's your uncle. We'll see.
chip
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Man, I might be out of it right now, but it sure seems like you're putting yourself through way more trouble than you need to. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? Perhaps I can help.
scottg918514
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I used my stock cluster with a new overlay. Soldered the new motor in and the gauge reads. I've heard that some needed to re-program and some didn't. I guess mine didn't. I was told that the computer monitors the tranny temp stock and just needs a gauge to send it to. As I said, that seemed to be the case with my 2003 LS.
thumper_ehhhhh
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or you can get one of these.
http://www.dashdaq.com/
http://www.dashdaq.com/
I am going for something that someone can look at and not tell it didn't come from the factory. I changed what I wanted after I ordered some parts becasue I found out the Denali gauges light up blue. I first bought the white needles and a 2500 HD overlay for the trans gauge and an Escalade lens/bezel. Then I bought a complete Denali cluster because a Denali overlay was more than half the cost of the cluster and my plan was to sell off the extra parts I didn't use afterwords to make most of my money back (like the Denali lens).
---------- Post added at 06:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:25 AM ----------
Must be a year model thing then.
Sorry I forgot to update this yesterday. I got what I wanted done! The Denali cluster I bought ended up being a new cluster so I was able to program the miles at work so I just swapped the Escalade bezel onto it. I didn't try and do any reprogram on the stock cluster to try and get the trans gauge to work though. I programmed the Denali gauge with the right program for this Tahoe and the trans gauge still works so the programming it needs might be internal to the cluster. Here's some pictures:
chip
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Sorry I forgot to update this yesterday. I got what I wanted done! The Denali cluster I bought ended up being a new cluster so I was able to program the miles at work so I just swapped the Escalade bezel onto it. I didn't try and do any reprogram on the stock cluster to try and get the trans gauge to work though. I programmed the Denali gauge with the right program for this Tahoe and the trans gauge still works so the programming it needs might be internal to the cluster. Here's some pictures:
.
WOW! I like that a lot!
Did you try checking to see if the tranny actually has a temp sensor in it already? I would start from the sensor and work my way back before I blame the gauges.
thumper_ehhhhh
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Chip these transmissions have temp sensors inside it. When i bought my truck I took it to my tranny guy and he hooked up his big fancy reader to the truck and we took it for a drive. He checked the shift pattern tranny temp and fluid pressures. All were in spec. So I know these have it built in.
