SE cluster in SSEi... now GXP in SSEi

[harofreak00]

Yesterday I was replacing some bulbs on a spare cluster and happened to install an SE cluster into my SSEi. I was surprised when I noticed that everything was working correctly. Where the boost gauge is on my SSEi, the SE cluster has a voltmeter. The cluster was smart enough to use its voltmeter as a voltmeter, not boost. I was also surprised to see that the little warnings on the right side were working correctly also. The door ajar, trunk ajar, etc.

So that brings me into this: I know people have installed GXP clusters into their SLE's, but has one ever been put into an SSEi? I remember ddalder telling me that it might display a false low coolant warning, but I think thats it.

My original plan was to buy a GXP cluster, and install my SSEi guts into it. Therefore the voltmeter would be going crazy because it would actually be boost. If the voltmeter would actually work correctly in the normal GXP cluster, I might consider swapping it, and then dealing with the false low coolant issue.

Thoughts?

[00Beast]

I guess the only way to truly know is to try it. I think the cluster and the IPM are "smart" enough to figure out what gauges the cluster is wanting to show.

[LeSabreUltra]

Here's my experience from swapping clusters around.

It may be different with Bonnevilles but I don't think it would work. Reason being the GXP has an 8 cylinder engine and the SSEi has a V6.

When swapping clusters around on S10s (both the older like mine and the newer computerized ones), swapping between four cylinders and V6s doesn't work because the tachometers have engine specific resistors wired into them so that the tach reads correctly. Much the same reason why aftermarket tachometers have "4-6-8" switches wired into them.

It IS possible to defeat that by soldering in a new resistor into the board if you can find it. For S10s this resistor has been located. A lot of people do this because it is harder to find four cylinder tach clusters than six cylinder. Even so in that case and in yours the gauges still wouldn't look right as the tachometers have different redlines between engines.

My thoughts. Bonnevilles may do the whole tachometer thing differently but I suspect not.

Thus I think your original plan is the way to go. Although won't you miss your boost gauge?
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[harofreak00]

Aeroforce takes care of the boost gauge, although honestly, I rarely watch it. Its pegged most of the time

[00Beast]

Andrew, when I'm home over thanksgiving, I'll swap clusters around if you haven't by then.


Dan, I think the IPM (Instrument Panel Module) does all of the thinking for the tach. That's my gut feeling @ least.

[*B2*]

Andrew, I'm sure you've read all of my experiences with the GXP cluster in my SLE. Maybe some others have tried it, I'm not sure. If you think there is a way of making it work without the low coolant light, I'll send both clusters your way along with some cash.

[RJolly87]

I think another question that Haro might be able to answer that comes up, what happens when you plop a SSEi or SLE cluster in to a SE?

[harofreak00]

No SE to try that on...

[00Beast]

Do we even have any MN members on here with 00+ SE's?

[RJolly87]

No SE to try that on...

Then you will just have to go buy one, clean it up, and sell it. It is not like anything you haven't done already

[harofreak00]

Well I finally broke down and purchased a GXP cluster to play with. I installed it this friday and have had it installed all weekend with about 500 miles on it already (busy weekend). My original plan of installing the SSEi guts into the GXP face will not work, as I didn't realize that the GXP speedo goes to 160, while the SSEi only goes to 140. If I swapped them, my speedo would be way off. So I left it alone and installed it aways. The LOW ENGINE COOLANT warning on the DIC everytime I start the car is quite annoying. I'm going to see if there is something I can do to trick the car into thinking its in a GXP, or something.

[its840]

unplug the sensor... (coolant sensor that is..)

i have a faulty sensor.. i unpluged it and light went off!!

[harofreak00]

No no no... its not a faulty sensor. Its a known programming error when installing a GXP cluster into a non-GXP Bonneville.

[00Beast]

Is it that the GXP Cluster is looking for a coolant sensor that isn't there? I don't think 00+ SSEi's have one, but the N* does.

[harofreak00]

Correct.

[Archon]

As this switch opens when the coolant level is low, if you ground the input to the IPC, it should shut off the warning.

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[harofreak00]

Thanks Dick, I'll be looking into this shortly.

[Archon]

It'll be interesting to see if that works. It would have been a non-issue (if it works) if they had the switch be open when full like the previous years.

[harofreak00]

That did work! Here is what I did. I grounded pin B1 (Low Coolant Level Indicator Control) to A2 (Ground). I chose to do it right at the connector because it was quick and easy. Using a razor blade, I GENTLY scraped the protective overlay on the printed circuit.

B1


A2


Used a wire about 1.5" long


and quickly soldered it on


This fixed the LOW COOLANT warning on the DIC completely.

However, now I have a new problem. After I got this figured out, I decided I would be keeping the cluster in my car, so it was time to install the correct mileage chip. After installation, I noticed some interesting things. It appears that the chip on the back of the cluster isn't just for the odometer, it is the main brain of the IPC. The volt meter turned into a boost gauge (showing 8v at idle and 18v at WOT, if that makes sense), and because the SSEi uses a 140mph speedo, and the GXP a 160mph speedo, the speedo was off quite a bit. So bascially, installing the SSEi chip into the GXP cluster, makes it think its an SSEi, although its using the GXP face.

This is simply not an option. So I'll be installed the GXP chip back into it. Oddly enough, the odometer difference between the two are exactly 100,000 miles. My SSEi has 176k, and the GXP had 76k. So I'll just have to note that the mileage is incorrect if I do ever sell the car (ya right).

I asked my dad about his experience with changing the odometer at work. He said they send them out to a special company and its pretty expensive.

[Archon]

Glad that it worked out on the low coolant warning. That's quite an interesting find regarding the "mileage" chip.