Made a BIG MISTAKE..ooops
 

when i was taking about the spedometer, i did not think there was a particular way to take out the needles. now my needles are all messed up.
does anybody have anyway to fix this?

do i need to buy a new spedometer from a junk yard?
and would it be compatible?

you can fix this!

just take the needles off replug it into the dash
carefully place all the needles at 0 degrees f 0 mph o rpm and empty

it will work I have done it!

Fix it like irondog says. If you use a junkyard speedo, ur miles will display however many miles were on the junked alero.

that is a GREAT way to sell your car and trick someone for more money.
but i would NEVER do that :p

The tach is easiest. just know what engine, and someone can tell you approx where it idles.

speedo... you can calibrate with a GPS and cruise control.

Gas, it might take a few fills to get REALLY accurate readings.

and temp, get your car to its normal idle heat (usually 1/2 on mine) and set your needle there.


Its not THAT hard.




Also... if the needles move backwards, or really slow... you have the motors mixed up. They seem interchangeable, but they aren't.

haaha i remember when i messed up my needles :lol:

holy shoot man i thought i was done for. my pop keeps getting worried because ill mess something up and then he will freak. and then ill look it up here and ill fix it and he will be like phewwww

so thank you guys for all your help

unless something is very clearly broken (like.. in half) its just a matter of taking it apart again and doing it over.

its the nice thing about cars.

I did the same shit, Except I just slapped the needles back on facing every whichway, then turned the car on then off then on then off & back on and vwallah! The motors aern't run by cables.....so why would it matter which way they face, the motor can always be reset...maybe just works on the 04.....but yeah thats my exp. with it.

my needles are still off.
i plugged it in and then put the needles at 0 degrees, around 1000 rpm, 0 mph, and Empty

the temp goes up to around 3/4 instead of 1/2
the rpm goes to just under 1000 rpm
the mph starts at like 10 mph (i would try putting it back at 0 but then it wouldnt move at all) and the gas one seems ok

good luck, a life lesson is shit never goes back in the way it came out.

true. sucks even more because i went out with my girlfriend and we're on the highway and it says im going 90 mph and she is holding on for dear life :p

I just turned the key to on. The needles all swept forward then back.

is there any place where i could bring it to so it can recalibrate the needles?

Don't worry they will go back. When I took mine off and painted them they were all messed up too. Take them off one more time and put them on just enough and tilt the dash so gravity takes them to zero. Then gently push them down till they click;) ...I put my key in the on position then started...all mine were fine except fuel
Eventually it will correct and go back to normal...mine took a couple of days...don't worry.

give me step by step directions because im a little confused on how you did it.
did you have your car on when you plugged in the speedometer. and when did you put in the needles. etc.

hehe...you're definitely not the only one to have these issue. reading through these posts, I think they have all bases covered. keep us updated on your progress.

speedo is the easiest. turn engine on, put the needle on 0. dundo.

heat...drive around for a few miles to get the car warmed up completely. typically, the needle gets to the exact halfway point if everything is warmed up and cooling system works properly.

tach is the most difficult, but probably the least important (on automatics). Get your heat gauge fixed up, and while in park and engine running, set the needle to your typical rpm. all cars are different. my car idles around 500rpm, and others 750rpm. if you remember where your car normally idles at, set it for that rpm. :)

fuel...fill up the gas and put the needle on the F.

and as the others stated, sometimes the computer will correct it. the closer you are, the easier the correction.

its weird because ill put the needle in for the speed at 0 mph. but then ill start driving and then it wont move. so then ill haveta move it a little past 0 mph. and then it goes automatically to 10 mph

Try this, unplug you're battery take out gauge cluster and set all needles to their rest point, if you need a pic let me know, re-install cluster. Start and restart your car a few times, (approx. 3 times while letting it run 2 minutes each time) I just did exactly what I mentioned after uninstalling my needles and and spinning motors then re-installing them and the reset I mentioned worked for my 04' V6, Hope this helps bud.