Anyone know how to get a new instrument cluster for the SPI focus...Well the ones without a tach in them...Mine doesn't have a tach...and I would like to have one..anything helps... :)

umm if you really want the tach in dash its very hard first you have to buy the cluster its about 300. I tryed a junk yard and they said 100 but its easier to buy and after market tach. and you are still able to buy white face gauges for the no tach cluster

HI NooBs!! Welcome to FF! First off, try Ebay. If you pay over $60 you got smoked. You have to watch for one that is either very close to your mileage or just over. When your mileage and the "new' mileage match, do the swap. Done. It's completely plug-and-play, not like the add-on tach. I see you're having problems with your add-on tach,FR2. There will be no such problems with the no-tach-to-tach-swap. Swap, done.

If you got the cash just get it from the dealership for $300. They will send it to you from the factory with the exact miles you had on your old one. If you buy them off ebay with the promise of "if you take it to the dealership they can reset the mileage for you", you've been duped. The dealership cannot reset the mileage for you. Also depending on how nice the guy at the Ford parts store is, you might have to pay an extra $100 for the core charge you would have recieved, because your trading up to a better cluster.

Originally posted by kinkyfink
If you buy them off ebay with the promise of "if you take it to the dealership they can reset the mileage for you", you've been duped. The dealership cannot reset the mileage for you.
WRONG!!!

The dealership can reset the milage for you. i was at my dealership yesterday and spoke with the service manager. unfortunatly the dealership i was at would charge me one hour of labor ($100) which i dont think is worth it. but it can be done!!

so all you need to do is swap a no tach for a set with a tach and it will be hunky dory? no extra wires? the tach will just work?

the tach will just work. as simple as that. just unplug one and plug in the other.

the problem is the milage on the odometer is in the tach, so unless you get a cluster with the same # of miles or get it reset your odometer will be off.

Well every dealership I went to said they would have to send it into the manufacturer to get it reset, they couldnt do it there. Maybe in Colorodo there super duper special or something, I dunno.

well, dont believe me if you dont want to.... doesnt really matter to me.
if you dont believe me, call my dealership. the number is 720-469-1801 ext. 202

from my understanding, the dealership has to upload information to someplace else, then download new info, so its not the dealership that does it, though it is done there.

maybe my dealership is super duper special, but then again, mayb emy dealership just cares about its customers.

and the technology is there, no extra work at all, why do they make the cars different? (some with a speedo, and some with both tach and speedo? you would think to save costs they would put the same in all instead of making a different part.

What happens to the warranty of your car if you do a swap of the speedo? If I change out the tach and the replacement has lower mileage what will the dealership do? I do not want to void the warranty. Would the dealership even know the difference?

since we are just talking about replacing one stock focus guage cluster with another, there should be absolutly no waranty issues. unless the new part causes damage. (for example, if you install a CAI, it doesnt effect your waranty, but if you injest water because of that CAI, your waranty doesnt cover it)

as for a cluster with lower miles. it is possible to tell, though i dont know all the specifics. and if you try to sell the vehicle with the incorrect milage it is illegal.

My dealership told me that this MIGHT void the warranty, just because the vin numbers wont match (unless you buy brand new of course), not sure though.

i think your dealership is full of crap and just wants your $.

Installing aftermarket or non-stock parts on your car will not void your waranty unless the new part causes the problem. This is the law! Please see the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

I just recently swaped my guages I got the ZX3 set from a junk yard I bought them for 50 and I say its worth it. and about the warranty, unless you find a set near your milage it will void your warranty B/C your warranty is based on your odomiter trust me I already know my extended warranty was canceled for it.

hey everyone, this is probably the wrong forum for this, but i bought a speedo/tach cluster off ebay for $75.00. it has 92,282 miles on it. none of the dealerships here in San Antonio would do the mileage swap. so if any one wants to buy it from me, i will sell it for $60.00. shipping should be about 10 bucks. it works too. i took mine out and pluged this one in. thats how i got the mileage. any ways, let me know.

Originally posted by Caleb
hey everyone, this is probably the wrong forum for this, but i bought a speedo/tach cluster off ebay for $75.00. it has 92,282 miles on it. none of the dealerships here in San Antonio would do the mileage swap. so if any one wants to buy it from me, i will sell it for $60.00. shipping should be about 10 bucks. it works too. i took mine out and pluged this one in. thats how i got the mileage. any ways, let me know.

Go to the Buy-Sell-Trade Forum! You should get a better response there.[thumb]

Little do many people know that there is a digital tach (rev meter) on the cluster without one. All it does is replace the trip meter with a digital read. To do this you would have to turn your cluster into TEST MODE. The instructions can be found here. http://www.focushacks.com/index.php?modid=13
Another little known fact is that the non-tach cluster has a shift light. This is an UP ARROW that can be seen by doing a test mode. But for some reason it wont come on (automatics)

Originally posted by ill faded sole
Little do many people know that there is a digital tach (rev meter) on the cluster without one. All it does is replace the trip meter with a digital read. To do this you would have to turn your cluster into TEST MODE. The instructions can be found here. http://www.focushacks.com/index.php?modid=13
Another little known fact is that the non-tach cluster has a shift light. This is an UP ARROW that can be seen by doing a test mode. But for some reason it wont come on (automatics)

To get the tach to read on the digiatal LCD you need to put it into test mode every time you turn on your car which is a little anoying after a while. and is in a bad spot to read while driving, its easier to read a needle gauge, also the reason the shift light doesnt come on for an automatic is becuase you dont shift an automatic, the shift light is just as it means to let you know when you need to shift and that is for folks who have manuals.

UMDivx, I am aware that the shift light doesnt come on becuase of obvious reasons. And it does get a little annoying to put the LCD into test mode. But I was just pointing out that the non-tach cluster does have a rev-meter and shift light.

lol thanks for the reply's, I allready knew about the LCD tach...but I don't like it because it's too precise, I like the needle better...You know what sucks tho, they put tach's in Automatics, but not all manuals, that doesn't really make sense, you don't have to see your RPM's in an automatic cus you don't have to shift...but you think that they would put one in all manuals because you should have to know your RPM's so you don't be redlining all da time and stuff..anyways..thanks...Anyone know if the Centerforce Dual Friction Clutch will work on the SPI Tranny? at Cal-Focus it says that the clutch will work on any focus with 5-speed manual.. just wondering... thanks!

NIR, true but most of the time people shift short. Not letting max rpm for the gear. It does suck for thos with a manual transmission but no tach, I used to drive by sound (no tach) in another vehicle I had.

With the automatics you can actually make it shift, without putting it into lower gears. It is all in the way u use the gas pedal

OK a couple of replies here;

1st - I have a 2002 auto SPI... I don't have the tach. So.... I guess I am going to whine too!

2nd - The auto shifter has a small button for the OD on the underside of the shifter. I use this button to keep my car in a lower gear when I want to have better acceleration at lower speeds. Once the SPI gets over 50mph I hit the OD button so I don't over rev the tiny SPI rubberband.

3) Riddle me this... I had 35,400 miles on my odometer on my stock cluster. I ordered a replacement on ebay and put it in the car. I was going to take mine and put in a glow gauge but have decided to go for a cluster with a tach in it since mine is the non tach version. I have driven over 3000 miles on the replacement tach. If I put the original tach in my car it will still say that I have 35,400 miles which is still under warranty. Can the dealership find out from the computer that I have the extra miles on my car since I had a different tach in it? If I put the original tach in am I still under warranty since it reads less than 36k miles?

Umm, If you are with law enforcement please disregard this post. [driving]

it is possible to tell the milage from the ECU i believe, if the check it. if they do happen to check it, then not only will they refuse to work on your car, but they have the right to report you to the local athorities. (i am not sure about the specific laws, but its not legal)

i personally would not risk it.

Even the gauges with tach's have that stupid shift light. I just ignore it though, it tells me I should be in 5th gear when Im going 30 mph.

Originally posted by kinkyfink
Even the gauges with tach's have that stupid shift light. I just ignore it though, it tells me I should be in 5th gear when Im going 30 mph.
i have heard of people removing the bulb that lights the arrow, or putting a bit of black electrical tape over the arrow, i just ignore it personally.

The shift light doesnt bother me as much as not having a tach at all.

Well...Not having a tach is ok...I figured out the redlines on my car by looking at the speeds in each gear...
I don't personally like redlining the car then shifting...
I usually go 30MPH in 1st, 52-55mph in 2nd, 75-80mph in 3rd, 100mph in 4th, and then I just shift to 5th and go to 105-108mph and wait for the gov to kick on.. heh

All I have to say is be happy you got a MTX my car was a handmedown and I had no choice I have the 4spd P.O.S. , I did a guage swap so I could see where exactly it shifts but did not know untill now about the digital guage and about the the legal matter of swaping, strangly enough it is a FEDERAL OFFENSE unless you report to the local DMV that the odometer is incorrect not sure of the consequence if you dont.

the MTX75 is in the Zetec, us SPIers have the IB5. but anyways yea I've called everywhere and no one will do the swap of the milage, the only way to do it is take it to the stealership buy a new $300 gauge and they then send it in to get the milage swaped between the gagues.

Not a bad idea to do this. I too want a Tach and going to a junk yard just might do it. Expired Warranty =).

Forst of all, you can NOT simply pay the money and have Ford send a new cluster with the mileage you state. This is quite illegal. For all they know you are giving them a wrong reading for sneaky purposes. You need to send your old cluster to them, and the ENTIRE time the cluster is out, up until the time the new one is installed, Ford is required BY LAW to keep your vehicle on their premesis. Yes, they CAN do it, but most techs will give you some kind of runaround to suck more of your $. There were a few posts regarding a $900 wire harness Ford said was neccessary. Categorically UNTRUE. The ONLY issue with the swap is the mileage. The best bet as stated previously, is to get a used one close to your mileage or over, and swap when they match.

As far as the shift light goes, I don't think a lot of people understand it's function. As I understand it, it is controlled by a vacuum sensor in the intake mani, and it does NOT illuminate when the engine speed is suitable for shifting, but rather which gear you should be in for best fuel economy. You can indeed drive around going 30 in 5th, and you will be using less gas than going 30 in 4th, but if you need to accelerate quickly, you are going to have to downshift. Once I learned why the light was coming on, it became much easier to ignore it.

lol. as i said before tho..I pretty much know when to shift by looking at the speedo...but other then that, I just listen to my car, it's loud enough so I can have my music blarin and still hear the car...thanks again tho :)

I shift to have fun...not to be fuel saving. My friend works at Ford and he said he could get the tech to do it for a small labor cost and that they would let me use a cluster from a junk yard. Either that or I'm nt going to fool with it and I'm going to just get a small tach to put in one of those pods. Might be just as good of an idea...

i know this is an old post.. but what model car and year do you need to find for the tach?

Ollllld indeed! If you have an SPI, you need a tach from a 2000 to 2004 SPI or Zetec. I dunno if they even used them in the SPI's!
You cannot use a cluster from a Duratec of any year on an SPI because they have a different plug in the back.
I don't know if you can use an SVT cluster or not.
Also, you cannot use a cluster from the 2005 to 2007 models either.

ok thanks for the help.. spi is the stock lowend motor right? im new to the car stuff normaly im a jeep and toyota guy

ok i figured it out.. i got some guages from the junkyard for $30 they were from a car with abs so i had to take the lightbulb out for the brake and abs

Good to hear. It's a piece of cake really, and it's certainly nice to have a tach in the car!
BTW, I'm an MR2 guy myself! God I miss em!

i would love to own an MR2 allmost got 2 1988 MR2 for $100 but dident have a car trailer

it u really want a tach the spi comes wit a one but its digital not very good tho

will a duratec cluster work in a spi???

which ones will fit??

never mind about the duratec
lol

i read after i posted