Speedometer needle problems
 

Today I instaled white faced gauges and then the needle for rpm is too high, the speedometer doesn't work until I go 45 and its pointing at 15-20 mph, the temp gauge goes to over heated level. Idk why, I installed the needles back to same position as original. Only gauge not giving me problems is the gas gauge needle. Does it need recalibration? What kind of shop does that?

Never mind I got it. Wiz you can delete this

What did u do to fix this? Having same issue!

please explain how you fixed this for others

Sorry I don't get notifications since I sign in with facebook.
Get a GPS speedometer app on your phone if you have one amd the accelerate to 40 mph and place the speedometer needle at the 40mph mark and there you go, it's calibrated. Its not safe but i did it on a long road with almost no traffic. Now with the rpms, you need to know what rpms it is on idle in park when warmed up, wait till your car is all warmed up and stick your rpm needle little by little and flick it till it's very loose and keep slowly pushing it in. Rpm one is the hardest. The temperature one is the easiest. Warm up the car then place it in the middle.

I think I have a similar problem. I took out my cluster in 1999 to clean all the dust behind the cover. My hand slipped and I bend the speedometer needle over the peg. I freaked and bend it back over. Then I replaced the cover and when for a drive. The needle moves but not accurate and or slow responding. It said I was going about 5-10mph when I was going about 35-40mph. Maybe 20mph when I was going what I am guessing was 50-60mph. I have read how to remove these needles again and again. I did not know how delicate they were. Is there a video for 4th Gen Maxima that shows how to remove the needles?

The needles are spring loaded. You cannot just pop them out and think its gonna be all good. You have to get it properly re-calibrated to avoid any error. There are a few people out there that do re-calibration.

I figured that I wanted to replace the cluster with an all digital one anyway. Since that seems almost impossible. I want to mix and match white 99 gauges with grey/clear needles from a 97 SE in a all new 99 cluster. I would like to use the 2001 Silver SE cluster with the 97 SE needles. But I think installing it beyond my expertise. So are there any videos out there on how to remove the needles?

Its not impossible..you just need to know the wiring schematics part of it. It is very time consuming. Some people claim using a fork yes a "FORK" to pry off the needle with no problems. As far as tutorials I would check youtube. If your looking for the titanuim look, I would stick with the 99 Se limited instrument cluster.

I used two spoons. One on each side. Calibrate it like I did. But make sure there's almost no traffic. A youtube video showed me that but it was from another car.

Strange I am missing a post. Let me try to remember everything I said.

I watched some videos on YouTube. Including the one where this guy just pulls off the needles with a fork. That made me cringe just watching it. But I cannot find one relevant to 1999 Maxima.

I know it is not impossible. I said it almost impossible for me. How much harder is it than installing a car stereo? Because I have done that. I think I just need to get better and confident at reading wire schematics. What I would like to do is pull the about six inches to a foot from the 2001's wire harness. It might be to hard for me but maybe someone else on here can. Then the female cluster connections from a 1999 and make some kind of plug and play adapter for them. I am surprised no one has thought of this before.


More than anything I would like an all digital display like this one:
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....417e12f61d.jpg

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....1243be9f02.jpg

I cannot seem to find much information about it except that it is from a 1991 Maxima.

I would like to get a hold of it and give it the white LED treatment. I think it would be easier to do the clear red plastic treatment to make it look like white LED LCD. :)

JLA117 do you have the URL for that YouTube video by any chance?

Okay I am back from the salvage yard and they had almost exactly what I was looking for. This cluster had white gauges but it is from a 1998. But it will work right? I also found those "SE" needles on a 1996.

I got good at removing the needles. It is not that hard. Except for the temperature one. When I rotate the needle it keeps hitting the side wall of the cluster. I mean slamming into the side wall hard. Is there an easier way to do this one?

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....6191e28e73.jpg

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....67e27fad1c.jpg

I never realized that the needles are black and have square edges. They look silver/grey and round in photos. I did not realize the clear strip down the middle creates an optical illusion. :laugh:

Here is my current cluster:
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....2eadcf89b6.jpg

GOOD NEWS EVERYBODY!
The salvage cluster with the white gauges works perfectly and looks really nice. I love the "Platinum" color of the gauges at night.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....e890c5ab41.jpg

I also acquired some white needles for testing.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....903cc89e3d.jpg





bad news no one: I played around with the old cluster (black gauges). I followed all the directions carefully when putting on the white needles from a 1996 Maxima. I ruined all the gauges in the process. The two outside ones now point permanently up and the inside ones point permanently down. On top of that the "orange" color some how is present on the completely white needles.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....b01529b68b.jpg

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....2407fe5ff8.jpg

Also bad news no one:
Needles on the 1999 Maxima clusters are solid orange.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....7bb93a3d38.jpg

https://youtu.be/2vsZaryVhKo this is the one I saw

The rpms are the hardest to calibrate. I still don't have them perfect, did u manage to get rpm perfect?

Here is what the old damaged cluster looks like with the black/clear/black SE needles. There is an interesting peach color illuminating both these needles and the white needles. I am not sure how this is possible. I guess there is an orange filter or LED somewhere inside the gauges I do not know about.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....c7f4c960e6.jpg


No I did not. For the time being I think I am done with self experimenting with gauge needles.

Great job man...I saw your problem of he calibration coming tho...been there done that..it needs proper re-calibration.

Yeah I am not brave enough to drive doing the street while messing with the needles.

JLA117 - Do you have a salvage yard near you? I got this new cluster, three sets of needles and whole bunch of other "knick-knack" parts (security light, dimmer switch, etc) parts for under $30. They all look just as good or way better than the parts in my car.

I was looking at the back of my old cluster do these bulb slots for the different gears actually work if I insert lamps in them on a 1999?
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....b0003c7f44.jpg

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....2234b16758.jpg

Where would I get a bezel trim that has the cut out for the shift indicators?


Also does anyone know how to remove the color tabs without damaging the inserts?
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....562ba15183.jpg

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....ae54209cc3.jpg