VDO cluster replacement to individual gauges

[Jarcher3]

2001 Larson 190 LXI 4.3GL VP SX drive paddle wheel spedo


I bought a boat in april and since then the fuel gauge has been slightly off. will read half of empty when the tank has been topped off.

it never really bothered me so i waited till winterizing and had the shop take a look at it and they found that the gauge is bad.

The problem is that i have the 2001 vintage of a VDO automotive style cluster so replacing the fuel gauge is not as simple of an issue.

So my question is, what are my options?
-ebay and great lakes skipper has an option to replace with a 3 gauge setup with 2 combo gauge seen [FONT=Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][/COLOR][/FONT]http://www.ebay.com/... Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][COLOR=#000000][/FONT]
problem is that this cuts out a lot of the gauges from my current dash which are good to have. plus i need to invest another 100-150 on a new depth sounder.. and it is still ugly. and it is still 700$

-Used Larson 230 LXI dash on Ebay. [FONT=&quot][/FONT][/COLOR]http://www.ebay.com/...Sw0e9UwC4G&vxp=mtr[COLOR=#000000][FONT=&quot]

Now this one looks nice and includes all the gauges i would want only problem is i dont know if it will work with my boat, and at the price i dont know if i can just try it...

-final choice is to order gauges seperately, or get a set to built something like on the 230 but fit for my boat and craft a dash. [/FONT]
-With this homemade dash, can i make this out of wood? if so what is a way to get the grain shown and seal it properly still?

Im not looking to cheap out or anything but i want to get something that a actually like for the investment. and with it not being a flat panel it is not as simple as all of the solutions that i have seen while searching.

 

[alldodge]

You can still find the VDO gauges, mines a 1994 and I replaced my gauge a couple years ago because it was hanging. Just took some looking, found a VDO almost an exact match and so close it wouldn't be noticed. Remember the front ring on the gauge comes off so they can be mounted from behind

 

[Jarcher3]

Where can you find them? i wasnt really thinking about replacing them with factory but if its relatively cheap i could consider

 

[alldodge]

Just search for VDO marine gauges then look thru all the different types and styles. Find the on that meets what your looking for and take the part number and search for who is selling it. Sometime places like great lakes skipper has old new stock

https://marine.vdo-gauges.com/instruments.html

 

[Jarcher3]

Okay i looked a little more and only saw one cluster. Great lakes skipper had the replacement dash that i had seen on ebay too. and on VDOs site i couldnt find any clusters... i may be looking wrong tho.

But if the replacement cluster is still 300$ id be tempted to go with individual gauges any ways, i like the look better and being able to replace one at a time later down the road might be worth it.

Also i have contacted larson to see if they know if the 230 dash will fit.

 

[alldodge]

Is there something wrong with helm and the other gauges? Why not just replace the individual gauges that need replacing?

 

[Jarcher3]

The gauge in question is part of a cluster. and with the one bad gauge sadly i cannot just replace the bad one



Talked to VDO and they said that the repair would be 399 plus another 125 to add a voltage stabilizer inline.

Its just hard to think of spending the money on gauges that i dont like in the first place.

 

[alldodge]

OK, got it and understand the issue

 

[Jarcher3]

after having looked online a bit about it.. it says on the Ebay replacements that it is compatible with the 190 the 212 and the 230 of that year... the only difference that i notice on the 2003 setup is that the dash has a different style eyebrow and subsequently gauge holding panel.

My thinking is that with the ebay 230 dash coming complete with the eyebrow down to all the wiring that it should work to swap it over to that one. but my concern is that larson said they dont think it will swap, now they also replied very quickly and im not sure if they actually looked it up.

Im having a lot of internal debates about this because i called VDO and the cost of repairing the old cluster(if it is repairable version) was 399 plus 125 for a voltage stabilizer, plus any additional shipping. and that comes out to the same cost as the larson dash that does have a best offer option in place and i really like the look of.

Any opinions or ideas?

 

[Jarcher3]

So a little update on this one,

After looking through all of the options on this, i have decided to send in the OEM gauge cluster in to CDI Electronics.

The Ebay options that cost 300 are for O/B motors so those were out and the one that could possibly work(Seller said no, but my boat was listed in their "fits" category) was 699...

I called the guy at A&A marine(Classicboating.com) who does the replacements for the four winns VDO and for just the gauges would be ~400 plus the cost of me making a panel for them all...

the issue with the 230 dash is that it is a pilot tube speedo so even if it fit i would still need to replace that if it fit perfectly

So i have taken the easy way out... but the cost had come down since i talked to them last to 369 plus shipping and that would be a flat to repair. no extras for grounds or Voltage stabilizers.

Ill keep updated to whether it all works out.