A rather disheartening find....I think?

[jessef]

Why would anyone go through all of the trouble to wind it back ? It's a lot of effort. It doesn't make sense

You can just buy a used cluster for a few bucks with lower mileage readout and swap it out.

I know that's what some export/auction co's do.

Jesse

[mararmeisto]

I have some LEDs coming in for the panel (blues and reds), so I'll be going in behind the cluster when those arrive. I'll let you know what I find behind my cluster.

Now that I see what the blue tape looks like, it a_l_m_o_s_t looks like it might be factory installed in order to cover up an opening that is not used on your cluster. Let me explain:

The dials you have on the front are only part of the instrument cluster. Yours has the speedometer, the tachometer, fuel and temperature gauges and all the 'hey-I-gotta-problem-here' lights at the bottom. And those dials are can different for different models. For example, I just changed the instrument cluster in my VW Golf: the one cluster there was a tach, but on the other was a clock in the very same position, same size. And here's the kicker, the circuit board on the back was nearly identical! Plugs were the same, circuit tracings very similar, etc.

So, that circuit board could be for a number of different models--or even different vehicles--and it's been matched up with the dials on the front. The taped-up hole could be for something which is not required in the Delica and the hole is covered in order to keep out dust. The tape's placement looks like it could be where a 'shift up' light for a manual transmission model would be located (relatively common in a lot of vehicles around this time).

I would suggest comparing the vehicle to the odometer: if they look about the same as far as wear/tear and distance - they probably are. As for why someone would rollback the odometer, if you roll back the numbers, not obvious, but if you change the cluster, could be more obvious, especially if the cluster is keyed/serial numbered/coded to the vehicle. Less likely with these, but definitely an issue with newer vehicles.

On the basis of distance travelled alone, would you rather a vehicle with 750,000km or one with 90,000km? That's why people roll back the odometer, sad to say.

[mararmeisto]

Okay, my LEDs arrived in the mail today, and this is what I found:
The yellow circles are where the lights go-

Light holders.JPG (158.44 KiB) Viewed 3850 times

I have pieces of tape over holes in my circuit board as well-

IMG_0944.JPG (81.14 KiB) Viewed 3847 times

These are the LEDs (blue and red) I changed for the lights (white lights with green condoms on them)-

IMG_0946.JPG (132.21 KiB) Viewed 3845 times

And this is what it looks like when illuminated (not a very good picture I know, but at least it's not the sickly green)-

IMG_0948.JPG (26.29 KiB) Viewed 3848 times

While I had the dash open, I also changed all the burned out switch lights, took apart the rear gate switch and cleaned it up so it works (a piece of sandpaper on the contacts), and put the whole console back together. Looks like it's bloody new again!

[JMK]

To remove the front dash cover I see one screw by the brake filler, and two more above the instrument clusters. There seems to be another attachement point on the left but not sure how to access it?

[mararmeisto]

To remove the front dash cover I see one screw by the brake filler, and two more above the instrument clusters. There seems to be another attachement point on the left but not sure how to access it?

There is a fourth screw behind the hazard and rear wiper control switches. Remove not only the switches but the plate they pop into, and you'll see the screw down inside the dash. Use a thin flat-bladed screwdriver to pry this plate off.

After that, there are four screws around the periphery of the instrument cluster (they should be readily apparent).

Good luck.

[JMK]

Thanks J. Paul, I thought I better wait to hear back from you, glad I did. I'm on my way back out to do it now!

[JMK]

snelson,

I have the exact same piece of blue tape in the same spot. If our vehicels were 'tampered' with it would have been the same dealer doing it, or it is factory, which I suspect must be the case.

When I removed the switch panel I looked for other signs it had previously been removed, didn't find anything.

[JMK]

Here's the list of bulbs required for a instrument cluster complete bulb replacement, for the T9's use whatever background color you want:

- 6 (Green) T9's
mini wedge (74-G) :
- 1 blue (for High beam)
- 7 amber
- 8 red
- 4 green (2 signal, 1 4WD, 1 neutral).

[Green1]

- 4 green (2 signal, 1 4WD, 1 neutral).

shouldn't there be 2 4wd lights (wheel lock as well as the little 4 wheel icon)?

[JMK]

On mine the Wheel Lock is amber. Looks like there are 20 of the T5's in total.

[snelson]

That is interesting, we all have tape so far. Seeing the little plastic 'clips' where the blue tape was, I thought for sure everyone else would have some sort of proper cover/flap.

I feel very relieved - though to be honest, I still find it a little odd that the factory would slap a piece of tape over that particular spot..... Regardless love the deli so far and seems to be running perfectly.

LED lights look good - planning on replacing all my interior lights with LED in time.

[jessef]

What size are the t9 bulbs ?

[JMK]

Ooops sorry, should be T10, 194 socket I believe.

[JMK]

BTW,

I have a heck of a time with the LED wedge style bulbs making a connection with many of the Delica sockets. Given that you have to change the polarity if they do not work makes it even worse. I usually have to fiddle with the wires on the bulbs and bend them various ways to get them to work, then on some they make an intermittent connection. I've got one gone out in my dash already. Anyone else found this?

[mararmeisto]

BTW,

I have a heck of a time with the LED wedge style bulbs making a connection with many of the Delica sockets. Given that you have to change the polarity if they do not work makes it even worse. I usually have to fiddle with the wires on the bulbs and bend them various ways to get them to work, then on some they make an intermittent connection. I've got one gone out in my dash already. Anyone else found this?

Nope. Plugged 'em in and they lit up. If they didn't, flipped 'em around. No fiddling with the wires.

What color did you put in?