Golf rpm counter -> mk2

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Sat Jun 26, 2004 8:51 pm

I'm currently trying to fit a set of dials from a mk2 golf to my mk2 1043 C. The dials are the type with a rev counter, digital clock and no MFA (computery doo-dah).

I was wondering if anyone else has tried this before, and if so any suggestions? I'm also trying to put my current speedometer / odometer in the new set of clocks so that I keep my current mileage reading.

My current clocks:

New clocks:

They're the same size, layout etc, and have the same electronics / speedometer cable connections. However, the new clocks seem to have two plugs, I presume one for the normal electronics and one for the rev counter, whereas my current clocks only have the one plug. Any idea what to do about this?

Cheers for any advice.

[edit]The back of the new one:

mk2matt · Post by **mk2matt** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 12:48 am

your best bet if you can't find a polo 1 get a mk1 golf clock set as that is what i have done to mine.
the mk2 clocks wont look right

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 1:00 am

To be honest I prefer the look of the mk2 golf dials... plus, mk1 golf / polo dials are very hard to come across, and I've already bought this one

I'll look into earlier dials if I really can't do it with this, but it all seems to be pretty much the same electronics so I don't see why I wouldn't be able to get it working..

Tahrey1043 · Post by **Tahrey1043** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 7:27 pm

its gonna look wierd with your square speedo and the rounded off other bits

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 7:44 pm

Ah, but the golf dials have round holes, which my square dials would fit neatly into and the corners would be rounded off them

Only slight snag now is that whereas the golf dials are fitted with two 7 pin connectors, mine is fitted with a single 14 pin connector. I don't have the faintest clue how to wire this up properly..

Tahrey1043 · Post by **Tahrey1043** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 8:09 pm

hey, no fear man, no fear... you rocked the headlight switch after all!

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 8:41 pm

Yes, but I'm not so sure I want to fry my clocks through trial and error.. bit more expensive to replace than a bit of cable

I've just found that all of the lines of the clocks circuit board are marked at the connector in german, so that helps no end in my quest to wire this lot up properly

Lucky I'm taking an A level in german, eh?

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 9:58 pm

Ach, I give up. There was some subtle but vital alterations made to the golf dimensions and housing... I probably could have done it, but it would have required hours of work rebuilding the dials completely

Guess I'll just have to look out for an old square set.. should be easier anyway...

Tahrey1043 · Post by **Tahrey1043** » Mon Jun 28, 2004 1:11 pm

cant you replace the golf dials (well, revcounter and digital clock) into your old style housing? you can identify the terminals on each then and maybe wire them up descretely.. if you can isolate the clock power and fuel guage signal, and find a tacho reading feed from somewhere (coil?)...

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Mon Jun 28, 2004 2:49 pm

The problem's not the wiring, I can do that easily enough although the circuit boards are completely different.. the problem is that they housings are subtley but completely different, the golf dials won't fit in the polo housing and vice versa

I'm bidding on a set of early mk2 dials on ebay at the moment.. they should be the same type as was used in the mk1 golf and therefore the same as were used in the mk1 / mk2 polos. If I'm lucky, that is..

For now though I'm working on a new set of dial faces for it.. watch this space

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Mon Jun 28, 2004 8:45 pm

Well, I've bought the early mk2 dials. I'm just hoping these are actually the same as mine this time...

They're the same design at least, I'm just hoping that VW haven't done another of their irritating tiny little modifications to it that they seem to like doing between models of this age..

On another note, my new dials are coming along nicely, I've finished off my speedo face:

From this:

To this:

That picture's a bit rough around the edges, if anyone wants to borrow the original .psd file pm me and I'll send it.

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 7:29 pm

Woohoo

I'm happy

They need a bit of finishing off, but it all works, so, woo

Tahrey1043 · Post by **Tahrey1043** » Sat Jul 03, 2004 4:30 am

thats not your general idling speed is it?!

Quality! right, now, do mine

Will you be doing the temp and fuel guage backing pieces, or are they non changable?
(and is your full beams light really yellow?

)

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Sat Jul 03, 2004 9:12 am

Nope, that's a blip of the throttle, but it does idle at very strange places.. tends to vary from idling at just under 1,000 to idling just over 2,000, so I think I have a bit of a problem

I'll happily do a set for you if you want, keeps me occupied

I'm working on fuel + temp guages.. bit more fiddly, but doable. And yes, my full beam light is yellow

Very early mk2 golf guages, so no blue LEDs around and they hadn't clicked that putting a white light bulb behind a blue filter does just the same like they did with my old dials... I've got a blue LED on order to replace it though, because it is really quite confusing...

So now all I need to do is to replace fuel + temp faces, replace the yellow LED, get the illumination lights working again (drove home from town last night without being able to see my dials, and being followed by a police car half the way.. I was paranoid that I was going to be doing completely the wrong speed..), tidy up the dials around where I've cut holes for the mileage readings etc, and then I think I'm done

Gareth_GT_Hatch · Post by **Gareth_GT_Hatch** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 4:48 pm

It should idle at about 2K when cold, and below 1k when warm