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I'm thinking of purchacing a Citroen BX dashboard from a superior model than my BX 14 wich currently only features a Velocimeter, fault lights and an analog clock, for one with various analog indicators including temp sensors and tachometer.

Specifically this one.Sorry for the pic quality

Although the connections are identical I'm worried in case my car doesn't feature the specific components to "read" these inputs, in wich case it'd be silly for me to fit an instrument wich displays this reading. For example, my car has lights that display overheating in a boolean way (on oveheat, off regular temperature) and since it doesn't include a tachometer I don't know if it has the means of reading RPMs.

Would it be safe to assume all displays will work? Could I install aftermarket components to provide the readings if it doesnt?

My car is a gasoline carburettor BX 14 from 1990.

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  • If one of the gauges does not work, you can get a schematic and trace out what wire you need. As for the temperature gauge, you may need to change the 'coolant temperature switch' to a 'coolant temperature sender'. The tach may need a wire to the negative side of the coil.
    – rpmerf
    Commented May 6, 2016 at 17:12
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    So, after one year, did it work?
    – gota
    Commented Feb 1, 2018 at 11:17
  • No, It did not. I eventually found that my car had all the aditional sensors like revs and oil preassure but they weren't wired in to the harness. I did, none the less wire them directly by soldering an additional conection from the back of the dashboard to the sensors directly. Worked a charm but very inconcenient.
    – EChan42
    Commented Mar 26, 2020 at 15:38

1 Answer 1

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The basic answer to your question is: Yes

To be more specific, I cannot tell you if it will work or not. It appears you already have the specific dash version you want. What you can do is install it and see if it will work. What is the worst which can happen? If you are not modifying anything to fit the different gauge cluster, all you have to do is reinstall the old one and you are back where you started. No harm; no foul.

Again, I'm not sure about your exact model and manufacturer, but most vehicle manufacturers (excluding super cars and low volume vehicle producers) create a single wiring harness which will work across different models and sometimes even different platforms. This means most likely all of the wiring is in place to provide you with the connections you need as well as the input to the gauges. They do this for two simple reasons: 1) reduced engineering costs; 2) economy of numbers. Yes, both of those are related to saving money, but it's provided two different ways, which equates to even more savings and therefore more potential earnings. If the connectors are exactly the same, more than likely it will plug in and work for your needs.

If you find the gauges don't work, you can always go the aftermarket route to get what you want. There are plenty of gauge companies which will provide you with what you need. The main factor here is the outlay of money which you will incur in order to fulfill your needs/wants/desires. Companies such as Autometer, Classic Instruments, Dakota Digital, and VDO are just a few brands which can provide gauges for you. They can provide different sizes of different gauges for just about anything your heart desires. Going this route would require some fabrication, but if you are willing to put in the work, it really isn't too difficult. I've seen some really nicely done home installs. It just takes some research to figure out what you want and how to do it.

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    To add a little - even if a certain sensor isn't present, the wiring for it probably is, so getting it to work should be as easy as installing the sensor and plugging it in (being generic here), but I agree that most sensors are probably present because the ECU is going to use the input from them even if your "cheaper" instrument cluster doesn't show it.
    – JPhi1618
    Commented May 6, 2016 at 19:24
  • @JPhi1618 - Great points! Commented May 6, 2016 at 19:53
  • @JPhi1618 is it safe to assume a carb car from 1990 has an ECU?
    – EChan42
    Commented May 7, 2016 at 12:39
  • @EChan42 - No. Not one with a carb. 1990 is kind of a rough dividing line where everyone had started going to EFI. Obviously if it's EFI, it will have an ECU, but don't assume that with a carb. Commented May 7, 2016 at 13:28
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    Thanks, that's a strike against replacing the dash, but I'm still ever so so tempted to just go ahead and install senosrs if it fails. Thanks for all your help
    – EChan42
    Commented May 7, 2016 at 19:09

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