In another thread I posted about problems I’m having with my fuel gauge after having the shop replace the fuel pump. They’re convinced the problem is the gauge cluster, even though it was working fine before and passes the self-test. They’ve ordered a new cluster from eBay.
Question is: if they replace the cluster, will the mileage change to the other car’s mileage? Looking it up, I see most say the mileage is stored in both the PCM and the cluster.
However, some say the cluster will display the other car’s mileage, while the PCM will have the true mileage. But other places say the replacement cluster will automatically show the mileage stored in the PCM, so the display mileage won’t change after the cluster is replaced. Anyone know for certain which one is correct?
I’d like to not have the mileage change. The car is 20 years old, but only has 106K miles on it. Don’t want the odometer to read higher mileage.
The dash display will read the mileage IN the display, not the PCM. The dash display can be adjusted to read the same (or close to the same) mileage as the PCM if the right tools are used.
Just found this. Couple of guys in that thread said they swapped the cluster in a 2004 or 2006 Caravan and the display mileage didn’t change. Others in the thread say the PCM and cluster store mileage differently, so it will change. Confusing.
Still the sending unit to tell the the gauge or pcm, whatever, where the fuel level is, is in th3 gas tank and connected to the pump, or separate. If they worked on the pump and screwed the gauge up, they screwed up the sending unit. Can’t see how putting a new gauge in will fix that.
When I had my Buick tank replaced, they screwed up the $300 sending unit. The computer could still calculate how much gas was used but had no idea what was in the tank. I lived with it a few years and a few fuel pumps later until I just bit the bullet and replaced the sensor when the pump was replaced. Leaky tank, and had to drop the tank each time to put a pump in.
Well, I’m prepared to be disappointed, because I don’t see how it can be the cluster. But I’m willing to go along with it to let the shop try it and see if it works.
But about what you wrote, yeah, they did test the voltages coming out of the pump, so apparently the sending unit is fine.
That’s why the mechanic thinks the only thing is can be is the cluster. But the cluster passes the self-test. And the cluster was fine going in.
So I guess we’ll see when they replace it what the situation is.
@Nevada_545 above is a pro-mechanic & an older-car Dodge expert. I expect he’s correct, your mileage display should be what you are after. Whether the new gauge cluster solves the fuel display problem, that’s harder to say.