ppritchard

After yet another cluster failure, I'm looking at the Speedhut GPS speedometers.
Read a great thread about redoing the cluster with their gauges, but the GPS speedo was really what caught my eye.
1. Anyone have experience with these?
2. Will the stock tach still work with the OEM speedo out of the cluster?
3. Any issue with no ECU connection from the GPS Speedo?

I've tried the capacitor repair route, sent a cluster to DNA, tried another cluster only to have it start to fail. Thought about buying the new speedo from Ray, but the GPS is less expensive.

thanks for any insight

DaleClark

iTrader: (55)

You may want to consider buying a JDM cluster, read my writeup(s) on that. You can convert it to show MPH, move your odometer reading into it, and calibrate it.

I don't get a real warm and fuzzy on that gauge, seems like in a year or so it'll be messing up and you'll just have a hacked up instrument cluster to show for it.

That said, the speedo and tach are totally independent in the cluster. If you take out the speedo the other gauges will be just fine.

BTW, if you buy a JDM cluster, get a '94+ cluster, you can tell them by the fewer hash marks on the gauge faces. The later clusters are much more reliable than the original '93s. And you will typically have less mileage on them as well.

Not to mention, if you just need the speedo out of the cluster, you have a good tach you can then sell to someone with a dead tach to recoup part of your investment.

Dale

RENESISFD

iTrader: (13)

Why do you say that? They seem to be a good quality gauge.

ppritchard

Dale,
Does "black" rings instead of chrome mean anything on the JDM clusters?
Looks like there were several versions of the hash-marks especially on the tachs.
Any other clues to the age besides the # of marks?

I did read your thread and it was helpful.

thanks

DaleClark

iTrader: (55)

The black rings are later clusters, 96+ for sure.

So, few hash marks = newer, black trim rings = newer still, boost gauge instead of oil pressure = newest.

Dale

DaleClark

iTrader: (55)

Because it's an American-made gauge, and more often than not they're cheaply made. Hell, it might be just fine, but it doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy.

Dale

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

when a meteor crashes into the satellite you will lose your speedo!

ZE Power MX6

iTrader: (157)

Not cool Dale, I just ordered some Speedhut gauges...

Reno_NVFD

iTrader: (2)

If you want the chrome rings instead you still can get the chrome ring piece from Ray. I think I paid about $80 for the chrome gauge bezels when I redid mine this winter. I would think you could swap in the chrome piece as I doubt they re engineered the bezel when they went from chrome to black.

Also my buddy had an MR2 and his speedo broke, he was too cheap to spend $200 for the sensor that broke so he used his Garmin nav unit that calculated mph. It was pretty accurate and only had problems on quick acceleration and deceleration. I would imagine this was due to the fact by the time the satellite tracked the movement it was already behind the actual speed but driving around town was fine.

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

i use my GPS for my speed, because it's more accurate. but it is also laggy as mentioned.

hell, it also doubles as navigation!

ppritchard

If the inputs for the speedo and tach are different, Why do they often act up at the same time?

Does the Speed Sensor feed any info to the tach?

Just watched them go crazy together today.

Thanks

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

no they don't, but if your power source is the problem either on or off the board then they will both act up.

Tanj!

iTrader: (5)

The lag seen on navigation GPS units is due to the GPS signal sampling frequency of the unit. Most navigation units have a fairly low sampling rate. Hence the lag. One would assume that the speedo has a higher sampling rate to make it more accurate. Racing data loggers typically have a higher sampling rate unit installed as well in order to give more accurate resolution of what the car is doing. You can ask Speedhut what the sampling rate of the GPS is.

jmirage04

iTrader: (1)

I did the speed hut swap with the gps speedo and it works great.

ppritchard

jmirage04,

Did your tach work normal after the swap?
Did you put the gps antenna out in the open or hidden under the dash?
Any issues from having the speedometer Unplugged?
was it the 4" Speedhut unit?

Thanks

ppritchard

So, this joint jumpiness is power related?

ZE Power MX6

iTrader: (157)

Yup, seems like a power or ground issue to your cluster.

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

since it is only the 2 gauges, dissecting the gauge wiring harness diagram and how the power/ground feeds just those 2 gauges from the rest will probably point you in the right direction.