Hi I have a 2002 Chevy Cavalier that I recently had a buddy who works at an auto shop install the white/blue illuminated gauges over my factory OEM gauge. All this process included was sliding the needles thru the holes in the new gauge, but while trying to slide each needle thru the holes we had to move them slightly, which leads me to believe that that thru off the calibration to my gauges? The only gauge that is correct is my Fuel gauge. My speedometer drops all the way down when i start my car, leaving me about 15 mph slower than I am actually going. My RPM gauge is about 600RPMs slow and my temp is about a 1/4 low. If anybody has any idea on how to recalibrate or what might be the problem please help! I cant risk another speeding ticket or afford to pay 475$ +80$ labor to have a new cluster put in.
Thanks
Keith
Please someone tell me there is a way to recalibrate the needles?
Give it some time, it will fix itself. I have Taken my needles off 2 seperate time to instll my guages, the 1st time it work right after. Last spring, it was WAY OFF. A local shop told me $125 to fix it, then when I got my car out for the summer it just fixed itself over the period of a few weeks.
Mine is an 02 also.
Any others with suggestions? I mean c'mon, there has to be an actual way to RECALIBRATE the speed, tach, and temp? Somebody please help!!!!
GM does not define a "recalibration" with the instrument cluster. GM servicing has you run a DTC scan of the instrument cluster than checks it against known values. Pretty much if it is not working, the factory service manual tells you to change out the whole cluster. While not a instant fix, James has the best advice of just waiting. No majic pill for this one.
i thought if you pull the needles off on and 00-up cluster it was worthless?
you just have to pull them off a certain way. It's not a life or death type deal, you just need to be careful for the spring that's behind it. i'm sure James could go more indepth about it than i could seeing as he has done it several times.
From what you said the needles were never taken off? If they were not taken off then there is no issue.
FU Tuning
Correct, I NEVER took off the needles, just moved them slightly to slide them through the holes on the guage overlay. If anybody knows how to recalibrate them, please tell me, otherwise I think I am just going to get a new cluster and throw the gauge overlay away and do it with the blue leds... I liked the pics posted on the site of the original cluster with the blue leds installed way more than the white gauge faces.
Hey Keith you can go to youtube and look it up and theres a guy on there that goes step by step..Thats how I learned to change my stepper motors and recalibrate my needles when I fixed my gauge cluster..
