Broken Speedo Base on Instrument Cluster

[Prafeston]

Well I just purchased this speedo on eBay a couple weeks ago and I didn't notice it until I went to install it yesterday, but it's got a broken base for the Speedo cable as well as one of the pieces where the electrical plug connects. I'm trying to figure out what my next move should be. I tried electrical taping the the speedo cable to the cluster, but it didn't hold. I was thinking about trying to dremel out the one from my stock cluster and plastic welding it onto the new one. I don't believe there is anything I can do with the seller as I already left positive feedback when the cluster arrived. It said it came from a running car so I just figure it was good. After further inspection it looks like the cluster was just ripped out of the dash without undoing any of the connections. I should have inspected it better before leaving feedback. Any thought on how to fix this?

Also when I was testing it out after trying to install it a few times the RPMs were working fine (That connector was the one with the broken center piece, but it held it just fine) The gas gauge on the other hand didn't seem to be working. It was resting in the center when the car was off, but when I turned it on it shot up to like past full and I know that I had under a 4th a tank when I swapped clusters. Do I need to swap the clusters on a full tank?

I have a feeling I just had a 75 dollar lesson!

Stock cluster.


Tachometer Cluster with Broken Speedo Base.

[Larry Hampton]

Is it a white or orange cluster? I'd be interested in it if it's white, it also looks to have some soldering done at "buzzer".

[koRnhead]

For the broken plug......just look at how the connector goes on ur old cluster....install the new one the same way. As far as the speedo cable.....whatever you can make work.

[Prafeston]

Is it a white or orange cluster? I'd be interested in it if it's white, it also looks to have some soldering done at "buzzer".

It is a white cluster with tach and trip meter. Was looking forward to installing it. Let me know if you are interested. I contacted the seller today and asked him if we could work something out or else I was going to contact eBay about the item not being as described.

[Prafeston]

[Prafeston]

For the broken plug......just look at how the connector goes on ur old cluster....install the new one the same way. As far as the speedo cable.....whatever you can make work.

Yeah, I didn't have any issues with the plug. It's the plug for the tach that had the broken center piece and The tach seemed to be the only thing that was working properly. I stupidly forgot to check the blinkers and highbeam.

[TominMO]

Two possibilities on the speedo:
1. check to see if an Aspire speedo will work. Even the base Aspire speedo come with a tripmeter, and Aspire speedos have the same gearing as the Festy ones.
b. use a normal Festy speedo. You wold lose the tripmeter, but at least you have a speedo. Maybe later on you'll find what you really need/want.

The white thingy for the electrical plug is nice to have but not necessary. But do try to get some bux back from the seller if he didn't inform you of these two issues.

[Prafeston]

This is what the eBay ad said.

"VERY RARE 90 MODEL FORD FESTIVA Instrument cluster with a factory Tachometer.
will work on any 1989-1993 Ford Festiva model and would be a great upgrade from the plain factory style gauges.
Odometer reads 197K miles and it was pulled from a running vehicle that is being parted out!"

The key words here are "...it was PULLED from a running vehicle"

Little did I know that actually meant they pulled the cluster right out without undoing any of the connection on the back. And the only photo he had on the ad was of the front.

[TominMO]

It is common for the white plug guides/locks to break, so no biggie there; it'll still work. But the speedo connection issue deserves some money back, for sure.

[Prafeston]

Unfortunately the guy stated in his ad that he doesn't return used items. I've emailed back a couple times and he's just saying it worked fine on the car he pulled it from and he's sorry it doesn't fit, but he won't give me a return. I guess I'm gonna have to see if eBay will back me at all on this.

[Prafeston]

What about the gas gauge thing? Any reason why it would show as a full tank when I know it's not?

Oh an this is something else the guy told me...is there anywhere I can pick up this speedo cable he is talking about?

"The speedometer connector just slides ON on stays SNUG on my old Festiva. It is a bright yellow connector and slides ON(no holding clip). The car was crushed...I did not know otherwise I would have included the speedo cable."

[bravekozak]

That is another reason why I prefer to buy most items at the junkyard or from fellow members here. We all know to undo the speedometer cable at the transmission, pull the cluster forward and then press to remove the wiring connectors and speedometer connector. I normally only buy NOS Festiva stuff on the bay. Expensive lesson. I would have never charged that much for a fellow member.

[Larry Hampton]

I think I bid on that, $35 was as high as I went.

[Prafeston]

No it wasn't the parts one being sold at auction. It was a BIN ad that started at like 130 and he had it down to 99. I pt in an offer at 75 and he accepted.

Any idea what's up with the gas gauge shooting up to full when I know its closer to empty?

[Larry Hampton]

Does your old gauge read correctly?