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  • 1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk-
  • SN95 4.6L Mustang Tech

Cluster swap

  • Thread starter Thread starter Javeed Mohammad
  • Start date Start date Feb 20, 2012
J

Javeed Mohammad

Member
Feb 9, 2012
47
2
9
San Antonio
Feb 20, 2012
#1
  • Feb 20, 2012
  • #1
How do you swap your cluster with another without triggering your theft system
 
8

88BlkStngGT

20+ Year Stangneter
Feb 24, 2003
30
0
7
Ohio
Feb 21, 2012
#2
  • Feb 21, 2012
  • #2
Javeed,
You have two (2) options: You can swap the printed circuit board of your original cluster to the new cluster or have your ECM reprogrammed to the new cluster at a dealer ($) or friend that has this capability. All of this with the battery disconnected for the initial swap of course.
 

txredgt

10 Year Member
Oct 26, 2009
1,343
33
69
Feb 21, 2012
#3
  • Feb 21, 2012
  • #3
Or disable pats.
 
J

Javeed Mohammad

Member
Feb 9, 2012
47
2
9
San Antonio
Feb 21, 2012
#4
  • Feb 21, 2012
  • #4
how do you disable the pats

and i dont want to sound dumb but what is pats. lol
 

wmburns

SN Certified Technician
Aug 14, 2009
5,892
514
204
Houston Texas
Feb 21, 2012
#5
  • Feb 21, 2012
  • #5
It's important to mention the model year of the car. The procedure is different depending upon the version of PATS used.

For example, the cluster of a 96 can be swaped without re-programming anything.

For the MY that require re-programming, the PATS board itself can be swapped to avoid re-programming.
 

txredgt

10 Year Member
Oct 26, 2009
1,343
33
69
Feb 21, 2012
#6
  • Feb 21, 2012
  • #6
Pats= passive anti-theft system. If you have a hand held tuner you might need to take it to a shop but they will be able to do it. But as burns stated, year model of the car will help us. Also, which cluster are you switching to?
 
J

Javeed Mohammad

Member
Feb 9, 2012
47
2
9
San Antonio
Feb 22, 2012
#7
  • Feb 22, 2012
  • #7
txredgt said:
Pats= passive anti-theft system. If you have a hand held tuner you might need to take it to a shop but they will be able to do it. But as burns stated, year model of the car will help us. Also, which cluster are you switching to?
Click to expand...
im switching to the same year mustang which is an 02 but the reason why i was switching is bc of the lights that are on the new cluster.
 
J

Javeed Mohammad

Member
Feb 9, 2012
47
2
9
San Antonio
Feb 22, 2012
#8
  • Feb 22, 2012
  • #8
88BlkStngGT said:
Javeed,
You have two (2) options: You can swap the printed circuit board of your original cluster to the new cluster or have your ECM reprogrammed to the new cluster at a dealer ($) or friend that has this capability. All of this with the battery disconnected for the initial swap of course.
Click to expand...
how do i swap the printed circuit board step by step bc i really wanna swap them already just dont know how. thanks
 

txredgt

10 Year Member
Oct 26, 2009
1,343
33
69
Feb 22, 2012
#9
  • Feb 22, 2012
  • #9
Remove the headlight switch, remove the 2 screws that go up into the top of the dash and that piece should pop out. After that it will be 4 screws that are black, the gold screws you see are only for the clear plastic cover do don't worry about those. Carefully pull the cluster away and you will have 2 different harnesses to unplug. After that take it to where you can sit down and work on a bench/table. Pull then both apart side by side to compare each. You will now remove the 6 hex gold screws on the back of each ad take that part off. I'm pretty sure that will expose the circuits on the back and you might have to unplug 1 ribbon wire ad that's it, swap it into the other and that's it.

I'm not too sure why you want to do this swap for the same cluster essentially. You could do whatever they did to yours and it would probably be easier.
 
J

Javeed Mohammad

Member
Feb 9, 2012
47
2
9
San Antonio
Feb 23, 2012
#10
  • Feb 23, 2012
  • #10
txredgt said:
Remove the headlight switch, remove the 2 screws that go up into the top of the dash and that piece should pop out. After that it will be 4 screws that are black, the gold screws you see are only for the clear plastic cover do don't worry about those. Carefully pull the cluster away and you will have 2 different harnesses to unplug. After that take it to where you can sit down and work on a bench/table. Pull then both apart side by side to compare each. You will now remove the 6 hex gold screws on the back of each ad take that part off. I'm pretty sure that will expose the circuits on the back and you might have to unplug 1 ribbon wire ad that's it, swap it into the other and that's it.

I'm not too sure why you want to do this swap for the same cluster essentially. You could do whatever they did to yours and it would probably be easier.
Click to expand...
ok i did it and i thought it would switch the mileage on the car too bc my car has had gears on it ever since i got it and it through off the actual mileage on the car, so i calculated the actual mileage that it had and the new cluster that i bought was only like a hundred miles off. but i switched everything and it still has the same mileage..
 

txredgt

10 Year Member
Oct 26, 2009
1,343
33
69
Feb 23, 2012
#11
  • Feb 23, 2012
  • #11
Javeed Mohammad said:
ok i did it and i thought it would switch the mileage on the car too bc my car has had gears on it ever since i got it and it through off the actual mileage on the car, so i calculated the actual mileage that it had and the new cluster that i bought was only like a hundred miles off. but i switched everything and it still has the same mileage..
Click to expand...

Correct, when you swap out the brains of your cluster to the front of the new one it will have your original milage. Only way to get the milage of the other cluster is to install that back part as well. Problem with that is your car won't start since the pats system doesn't recognize it as the original and won't let you turn it on. Only way thy can be done is if you disable pats.
 
J

Javeed Mohammad

Member
Feb 9, 2012
47
2
9
San Antonio
Feb 23, 2012
#12
  • Feb 23, 2012
  • #12
txredgt said:
Correct, when you swap out the brains of your cluster to the front of the new one it will have your original milage. Only way to get the milage of the other cluster is to install that back part as well. Problem with that is your car won't start since the pats system doesn't recognize it as the original and won't let you turn it on. Only way thy can be done is if you disable pats.
Click to expand...
is there anyway to disable without having to buy a bypass system.
 

txredgt

10 Year Member
Oct 26, 2009
1,343
33
69
Feb 23, 2012
#13
  • Feb 23, 2012
  • #13
Do you have a hand held tuner like an sct? Pats actually does some good stuff but I have an aftermarket alarm and it does more than pats so I don't mind disabling it. I actually don't know if pats can be disabled without a tuner, I doubt it though.
 
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