HELP!!! One year only?
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Teching In
Joined: Jan 2016
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HELP!!! One year only? I'm almost done with my 5.3 swap into my 98 bird. I have a 98 harness and Pcm but I'm wondering if I need a gauge cluster out of a 98 trans am. I know harness is diff than 99-02 but is the gauge cluster too?
A couple things that are a fact about the 98 cluster, that does not happen with the 99-02 clusters......the engine in the 98 cars will pretty much not run if the cluster is out of the car. The engine barely stays on....backfires, misses, coughs and hardly will stay idling.
The engine in the 98 cars will also run that badly if the Coolant Temp Sensor is failed or not plugged in.
So its possible you need a 98 cluster. I found this out when I removed my 98 factory cluster to install a new one with a 200mph speedo faceplate. I started my car with the cluster out, just to move it into the driveway and thats how bad it ran. I popped it in....ran perfect. Popped it back out....ran like crap again.
I have also had my Coolant Temp Sensor unplugged and the engine won't really run....plug it back in and runs perfect again.
Weird stuff.....but I've always said that all PCMs are not created equal.....some have minds of their own.
.
The engine in the 98 cars will also run that badly if the Coolant Temp Sensor is failed or not plugged in.
So its possible you need a 98 cluster. I found this out when I removed my 98 factory cluster to install a new one with a 200mph speedo faceplate. I started my car with the cluster out, just to move it into the driveway and thats how bad it ran. I popped it in....ran perfect. Popped it back out....ran like crap again.
I have also had my Coolant Temp Sensor unplugged and the engine won't really run....plug it back in and runs perfect again.
Weird stuff.....but I've always said that all PCMs are not created equal.....some have minds of their own.
.
A couple things that are a fact about the 98 cluster, that does not happen with the 99-02 clusters......the engine in the 98 cars will pretty much not run if the cluster is out of the car. The engine barely stays on....backfires, misses, coughs and hardly will stay idling.
The engine in the 98 cars will also run that badly if the Coolant Temp Sensor is failed or not plugged in.
So its possible you need a 98 cluster. I found this out when I removed my 98 factory cluster to install a new one with a 200mph speedo faceplate. I started my car with the cluster out, just to move it into the driveway and thats how bad it ran. I popped it in....ran perfect. Popped it back out....ran like crap again.
I have also had my Coolant Temp Sensor unplugged and the engine won't really run....plug it back in and runs perfect again.
Weird stuff.....but I've always said that all PCMs are not created equal.....some have minds of their own.
.
The engine in the 98 cars will also run that badly if the Coolant Temp Sensor is failed or not plugged in.
So its possible you need a 98 cluster. I found this out when I removed my 98 factory cluster to install a new one with a 200mph speedo faceplate. I started my car with the cluster out, just to move it into the driveway and thats how bad it ran. I popped it in....ran perfect. Popped it back out....ran like crap again.
I have also had my Coolant Temp Sensor unplugged and the engine won't really run....plug it back in and runs perfect again.
Weird stuff.....but I've always said that all PCMs are not created equal.....some have minds of their own.
.
It sounds like you're swapping to a former V6 Firebird. If this is the case, as long as the car is the same YEAR, the old V6 cluster should work. If the year is different you need to change the cluster. I did a similar swap but it was on an 02 Bird, V6 cluster worked fine and I kept it that way because I wanted to have it a sleeper look.