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I was in the neighborhood this morning checking on the wanted post I scribed out Saturday night, and I started wandering through the community, as I often do, when I stumbled upon “The Lost Cutlass.” Your story truly gave me all the feels and contrived such an assimilation for me in regards to memories of my first car. A ‘92 Nissan 240sx. A 5 speed in the cleanest shade of white, cute flippy headlights, and a bright blue dancing Dead Bear sticker that I put on the driver’s side tiny rear triangle window so it would always be right behind me, anywhere I went. I wish I realized back then what kind of car I was so fortunate to have been given. I was grateful, don’t get me wrong, but I was also young and I’ll just summarize by saying that car is now my standout “You don’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone” life-lesson. It took a minute to round up the emotions you made me lose, but I wanted to stop by and encourage you to keep your pen to paper. You have a fantastic talent for writing that readers appreciate. From beginning to end, the way you depict and are able to convey senses made me feel like I was playing you in the film version. I felt the mild defiance masked by harmless justification as you explained your convenient access to the DMV database. I mean, maybe part of it is the Missouri factor, but I’m telling you- I felt the weather and smelled the sap! This is an excellent story, and you have a phenomenal gift. Thank you so much for sharing!

Thanks, I'll update you if I can get mine to work properly. I assume a spare cluster is normally not necessary, since I think there are only 2 common issues with these clusters (I hope): soldering going bad and the laser trimmed resistor going slowly to infinity. The first can be solved by re-soldering, the latter will be an issue with all clusters of this age, the laser trimmed resistor was just a bad design. Bad soldering started causing issues on mine as well by the way, resulting in warning lights for oil pressure and temperature turning on when not supposed to.

I'm still learning things almost daily about these cars. With me going this in depth for my car restorations, it has forced me to learn how these cars are put together and the proper and correct ways of doing repairs, etc.

Yup, like what Schurkey is saying, go off the VIN. The door jamb tag is the build date and won't always coincide with the model year thru the VIN info.

Same here, having owned my ‘92 for 24 years now, there’s a lot I’ve learned!

Look at the VIN. That will identify the year, make, model, etc.

Nice work. I'll be dropping the drivetrain out of the International again at some point either later this year or next. Needs a tranny rebuild, new steering rack, new power steering lines, and mounts. Whatever else she might need when it's all opened up. I learned so much with this car that I'm going to apply the process to the STE here pretty soon and make it easier on myself.

Well…that wasn’t fun. The engine support bar is a must. I had to replace the rear subframe mounts since the originals were rusted out. The Dorman replacements are a PITA to install since there’s really no slack in the original bolts, which had to be reused. The old crankshaft position sensor that was broken off was in the top of the pan. I replaced leaking power steering hoses in the process and cleaned up oily wiring and added new split-sleeve wire protectors. The car fired up right away after I had everything reinstalled - definitely a sigh of relief! I lowered the entire subframe to get the oil pan out…replaced the engine and transmission mounts while I had the chance. Definitely use a lubricant and take it slow if you have to remove a crankshaft position sensor.

In the meantime, I will pull spare clusters if you want when I do some junkyarding. I go pretty often. You'll just have to pay for the parts and shipping, it's up to you. Parts for these cars at local yards aren't that bad really price wise. Just let me know.

In this post @RobertISaar can't remember what the other black pad is for on the white resistor IC, but at least he has not seen them causing issues.

Gotcha.

Unfortunately, due to shipping costs and taxes it does not make much financial sense to get anything fixed across the Atlantic.

I was thinking that if this is a remanufactured unit, maybe they would be willing to repair yours at a reasonable price.

@jiggity76, a remanufactured cluster would be a solution, after some odometer transplantation work to keep the mileage of course. I assume that a remanufactured one will also have just a resistor added in order to replace the faulty one between pin 4 and 10 on the infamous white resistor IC (I do not think any 100% accurate original ones still exist). I should maybe ask the Ebay seller if they indeed fix them like that, if it's not to much of a trade secret. As said in my initial post, I live in Europe, so by the time all transport and taxes are paid, a replacement cluster is quite expensive, knowing that repairing my cluster is possible with some soldering work and a 1$ resistor. So that seems to be the best option in case a neat & quick solution is not available (like a replacement for the white resistor IC as Batee makes for Corvettes, or a circuit board as can be found for many other models on https://www.cajuntachshop.com/ ). So I'll try to do that fix, many others on the internet did just that with success. But I remain curious about the effect of degradation of the other black field on the white resistor IC and any documentation would be welcome, I only have the service manual of the car.

I enjoyed reading your thread here but I must admit that I'm a moron when it comes to electronics. You might as well be speaking Japanese to me. It's not your fault of course, it's definitely mine. Typing in that number on Ebay, this cluster along with 2 others popped up. This one though is a remanufactured unit. Maybe they is a solution thru this place? https://www.ebay.com/itm/124970672582?epid=26044439203&itmmeta=01HY9CCXBWVEKDBMQQ8P48BCGR&hash=item1d18d521c6:g:XMcAAOSwXvphdbou&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4FvtXGhD3ynH%2FUR99gvrGyqpTrQlhnDyASk4eK4%2Fca4OOv6UKXx8PdOAyy%2FJXd3WMC0hivWON5tM5qLEs1dWmPx1EZ93EfcAB%2F%2BzJ5eZEvpxetPo6IIUMG9MT8OPMPQIcO%2BjpkzL%2FaQUte7afW4dnVEX7u%2B98Fy0mu75s5zL%2FRRVZAjq02LztCqfEyXJT09vgK%2BUnLtDo6NivgaICJxkRsB%2Fiy4y%2BwWsfIEQ4oIvDKd1qHxaifOZrp8N7VtlfiBc0bs8chKKpuww9TKZKQRFgUXj4X%2BTx%2FyCYrTQXudxf8%2B4|tkp%3ABk9SR_zVs6zyYw

It seems there are currently no solutions available for the resistor chip or the tacho circuit board for this specific instrument panel; other than bypassing pin 4 and 10 with a trimmer potentiometer in order to be able to obtain the correct resistance again. On all similar fixes, nobody seems to mention the other film resistor, in this case between pin 3 and 13. Eventually that one will also rise to infinite resistance, which should have some undesired effect, but I do not know it's purpose. If someone would have any schematic of instrument panel 25122113, feel free to post it!

Yes it’s getting expensive already. It did sit for a long time so I didn’t mind putting some newer parts on it. I would guess it was all original stuff on it. But anyway I ordered an ecm. I’ve addressed all of the codes it was throwing and 21,43,53 keep coming back. New iac, new knock sensor, new alternator. Still high voltage errors. Sounds like there is an internal voltage regulator in the ecm that can go bad. I tried cleaning the ecm connectors and no change. Runs nice until the ecm takes over then the codes pop up and runs erratic again. I will update after install.

Try not to give into the habit of *throwing money at the problem*. Purchasing unnecessary part is a waste of money........ The code 43 may not necessarily be the knock sensor itself but an issue with the harness or possibly the ECM. Seeing as you have the code 53 (system overvoltage) if you know beyond a doubt that the alternators regulated output is approx 14.2 when the engine is running then the ECM could be the source of the issue.

well if I can get a few more years out of it then its worth $250 to me. It had new tires, front wheel bearings, tie rods, and ball joints before the motor blew up. Intake gaskets were also done a few weeks prior. Trans shifts perfect the ta mount doesn't seem like its structurally compromised at all as Ive hit lots of potholes with it and the ball joints went out before the TA mount did lol. If I cut out around that rust hole could I get a little plate of steel and pop rivet it in to buy me a little more time? that's the only rusty part on the whole mount, or could I pull up the carpet and pop rivet into the mount from the top to keep it secured to the floorpan?

I mean its like any corrosion related failure, its good till its not. Can't actually say it might be good till you hit a pothole wrong and then its game over. Might go 2 years might go 2 weeks.

Other side is perfect i tested it with a hammer. I also tested the one in tge pictures and it was solid everywhere outside of that little hole. It held a jack.. how bad do these get before they fail? I dont want to junk it bc the floors and fuel/brake lines are perfect

Listen, i'm an idiot. I'm presently putting a new transmission in my 375k daily driver. If the underside looked like that I wouldn't be. Anything is fixable, but that's a pretty complex area and a critical one at that. I can see that the rocker and quarter is made of thin air and the metal around the mount isn't that much better. I know used car prices are out to lunch not but not sure I would put the effort in based on what you're telling us. Then again if you've already bought the engine do the minimum to get the car up and running and scrap it after it finishes breaking.

They ain't making those cars any more. Maybe you can weld-in a repair? And verify the other side, too.

Im putting a $250 junkyard motor in my prix and wondering if its worth it with this rust or should i just junk it. Reason it looks muddy is because i put fluid film on it last fall

Hey guys, not sure if I’m replying correctly to these. First things first. Nice engine! Next, thank you for the schematic… Lastly I’m down to code 43 and 53. Knock sensor is new. It’s not running properly. Is smoother now but am curious if you guys have the magic fix? Thanks again for all the helpful information. I got some dielectric grease and electric cleaner. I noticed gm had a bulletin to clean and grease the wiring harness connector. I assume to the ecm. Probably should do all the connector’s I can get to. Could be bad ecm if it doesn’t help. the fan kicks on at weird time’s also. Something electrical is not letting it run right. High idle still also. Iac new.