Digital voltmeter in instrument cluster

[Chris near Kansas City]

This is not for the faint of heart, but I thought I'd share the info just in case. I had found the perfect voltmeter some time back, but when the 3rd one died after getting wet, it was time to get a more reliable unit. Got one from http://www.digitalmeter.com Got the $6 bezel with it, cause I wasn't sure where it was going to end up on the bike and figured if I wound up putting it where most folks do, then I'd need the bezel. I really wanted the meter up high, or near the gauges, but couldn't think of a clean installation of it, unless it went inside the cluster. The only question was, is there room for it? When I got the '01 from Mike in IL, I had to take the cluster out to fix the tripmeter. While I had it out, I looked to see if there was space behind the tach, and there was. I didn't have the meter yet, so I wasn't sure if it would fit for sure or not, and I wasn't ready to leave the bike torn apart until I could spring for the meter, so back together it went. Couple months went by, and I've got the meter, and I'm ready to install it, but don't know where yet. I got a junk cluster from Carl to experiment with, and the experiment went well enough, that Rick near Kansas City wanted his meter in the same spot. Here are the gruesome details, LOL.

Once you have the cluster out of the dash, unscrew the trip meter knob, then the 6 screws holding the lens on.



Carefully lift the lens off the cluster.





I recommend wearing gloves, or covering the entire cluster face with something like blue painters tape, if you have oily hands like I do. I didn't cover it, and I have greasy residue now on the outside edges of the cluster face. The matte black just doesn't look the same once it's been oiled up. Live and learn.



This is the area where you'll be cutting up.



Do some checking to see where the meter would best fit.



Once you're satisfied with the location, and you understand the gravity of cutting into a 10,000 mile cluster from an '03 Voyager, very carefully, scribe the outline of the meter.



Once you have the outline of the meter housing, and since there's already no turning back, it's time to start cutting. I had the best luck using the following method. Carefully drill a bunch of small holes as close together as you can get, all the way around the inside of the scribe line. Then take a small dremel cutoff wheel, and cut the plastic between all the holes. You'll have to cut on both sides of the face, since there are two pieces of plastic and you'll have to do it a couple times, since the plastic has a tendancy to melt and move around, instead of being removed.

[Chris near Kansas City]

In this very out of focus picture, you can see all the little holes inside the scribe line. You can also see a circuit board behind the 2nd piece of plastic. More on that in a minute. Like I said, carefully drill the holes.



This picture shows the dremel cuts without the holes, again, inside the scribe line.



Once you get all you can do with the gauges still in the cluster, it's time to get it out and do the back of the gauge face. Remove the distance/speed/temperature/humidity/scoville sensor from the back of the speedo by popping it out with your fingernail, or small screwdriver.
It may, or may not be glued in. Either way, it'll come out pretty easy. Rick's 03 was glued, my '01 was not.



Another view of the sensor.



Remove the 2 screws holding the speedometer end. You can see the sensor still installed in this pic.

[Chris near Kansas City]

There are 3 sets of 3 screws, one set for the fuel gauge, temp gauge and tach. 6 screws are long (fuel & temp), 3 are short (tach). Remove them.







There are 2 screws holding the tachometer end of the gauge panel into the cluster. Remove those 2 screws.





Carefully lift the gauge panel out of the cluster.



Be careful when handling the gauge panel. There is a foam gasket surrounding the warning lamps and it is easliy damaged.



Set the gauge panel off to the side for now. In the housing, where the voltmeter will go, there is a circuit board that is in the way. You'll remember it from the picture with the holes drilled in it.



Pry the board out of its home. It'll come out fairly easy.



Move it out of the way.

[Chris near Kansas City]

Turn it sideways....





...and bend the wires so that it will lay pretty close to where it needs to be without any help.



Grab some silicone or RTV...



...and glue the board to the side of the housing.



Set the housing off to the side to let the silicone cure. Grab the gauge panel, and finish removing the plastic.



Now the fun part. Enlarge the hole until the meter fits snuggly enough that you could leave it in there without it falling out, and do it without scratching the gauge face, breaking the plastic, cutting your finger or getting disgusted enough to throw the whole thing against the wall. A file works good. This is what takes the longest.



This is what it should look like from the back side, except without the broken piece.



Again, be careful with the foam gasket thing. This is all that's left of the one from the junk cluster. Also, it goo's up the warning lamp squares.



Once the voltmeter fits, blow the dust out of every nook and cranny of the cluster. You may need to trim part of the voltmeter near the tach.



When you are satisfied with the fit and everything looks good, it's time to install the meter. Around the back edge of the front of the meter, the portion with the lip, run a black Sharpie around the perimeter. Let it dry. Do it again. Around the hole, use the Sharpie again to cover the now exposed edge where you cut the panel. This keeps the dash lights from lighting up the red plastic of the meter. It was about this time that Rick figured out that there didn't appear to be enough room for the metal retaining clip that would normally hold the meter in. Too late to do anything about it. With the precision fit of the meter in the hole, some silicone on the back should be enough to hold it in place.

[Chris near Kansas City]

Running the black Sharpie around the backside will give a finished look to the meter when viewed from the front. You can also see the new, oily finish I gave the panel. Sigh.



Drill a couple holes in the rubbery plug. Attach some eyelets to a couple wires and poke the wires through the holes.



Attach the wires to the back of the voltmeter and reinstall the panel, making sure the wires won't rub against anything or get pinched. Once you've got the panel back in, clean up the face as best as you can. Put the lens back on, so you don't get any other fingerprints on it. You can connect the 2 wires for the meter to the back of the cluster. Remember the 3 sets of 3 wires for the gauges? Each set of wires has a brown, a black with yellow tracer, and a yellow/white wire. Put a small eyelet on the end of each wire that you poked through the rubbery plug. Connect the negative wire from the meter to the black with yellow tracer and the positive wire to the brown wire. Slip the eyelet of the new wire under the eyelet of the cluster wiring. Doing this, the meter will come on only when the ignition is on, and the wiring will be neat and compact. You could always hook the wires wherever you see fit. I installed a switch so I could turn off the meter if needed somewhere down the road. Plug the cluster in to make sure it works correctly before reinstalling it into the dash.



Once you get everything put back together, it should look something like this, except without the scratches on the meter. Don't know how, but I did get scratches on my meter. I also recommend, as does digitalmeter.com to get the meter that reads to the tenth, instead of hundredths. Less movement to distract the eye.



Again, this install isn't for everyone. You do get some glare during the day because of the flat and smooth nature of the meter lens. If the sunlight is in the right spot, you can't really read the meter, but overall, I'm pleased with the results. Not really pleased with my install, but you can't pitch a no-hitter every game, right? Now, what to do with the $6 bezel......

[frank in ohio]

Chris:

A few weeks ago I rode down into West Va. to the New River Gorge Bridge, the one where they close it down one day a year so folks can bungee jump off of it. I think I'd consider doing that before doing what you did.

Very scary, but looks very nice.

frank

[David (N. Alabama)]

I was sweating just reading your post Chris. Whew! Quite an ambitious project.

[dapasda]

Chris:

A few weeks ago I rode down into West Va. to the New River Gorge Bridge, the one where they close it down one day a year so folks can bungee jump off of it. I think I'd consider doing that before doing what you did.

Very scary, but looks very nice.

frank

I live about 45 minutes from the New River Bridge. I wished I would have known your were coming, would have loved to meet another Voyager owner. Bridge Day this year is October 17.

People come from all over the world. Here is a website (http://www.wvbridgeday.com/). There are always lots of bikers at Bridge Day.

[Rick near Kansas city]

Quite an ambitious project, not really Chris walked me through the hole process.With him watching every step. Well--------------- maybe he did a little. His help was and always will be greatly appreached. He has the touch! Thanks Chris.

[garry]

Those are some great pictures, thanks for the
infor, It good to know you can put something inside that cluster,

[Charlie from Illinois]

Very good Chris. Thanks for documenting this project.

[Mailman Joe]

Waaaayyyyy too much work for me....

I'll just keep spending $25 on the throw-away multi-meter. Nice photos though

[biggersm]

Maybe the AVA needs to sponser a Rube Goldberg contest?

I mean this in a good sort of way; the creativity of some of you is very impressive.

[Mailman Joe]

I could win for best use of duct tape and bungee cords