Hey guys, I took on a conversion on my ford that I know nothing about

I have an ED Falcon 4.0L 6 Cyl Auto and it's got this crappy cluster in it - just a speedo fuel and temp gauges so I went and got it an ED Fairmont Ghia Cluster which I was told just drops straight in except for a modification to the oil pressure switch otherwise it'll just read full all the time.

So I put the cluster in and everything works except for the speedo, and instrument cluster (idiot) lights.

In the new fairmont ghia cluster there is a plug for the smartlock but my car is missing this plug, but the smartlock led worked somehow before on the old simple style cluster.

The cluster I got is out of a 3.9L 6 Cyl Auto, pretty much the same setup as my car to be careful of differences in 6 cyl -> v8 setups.

Also my car is missing the (biggest?) plug for the trip computer. It has been through an LPG conversion and during it's history has had this plug lobbed off for some other reason, probably for the taxi meter if it was a taxi at some point.

If I got the dash loom from the fairmont ghia that this cluster came out of (Because I can probably still get that!!), would that fix at least the cluster / trip computer plug problems and maybe the speedo problem?

I admit I'm a complete noob to these ED Falcon and having chopped plugs doesn't help! I'm off to get a gregories manual for it tomorrow too and attack it with a multi meter.

I did a Trip computer (Calais) conversion on a VS Commodore recently wiring the trip computer into the main loom and that worked 100%, and then I was told that the Falcons are even easier than this because all the wiring is there from the factory, but I'm completely lost as to what to do.

Every suggestion is appreciated and welcome! Thanks!

Last edited by danghia on Sat Nov 24, 2007 3:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

mate I am a noob too with this stuff but I would of imagined that the speedo would have worked for sure. May I suggest that you check the main plug (from the donar car) and count the pins/wires then check the one in your dash to make sure they have the same amount of pins an the same colours. I came across this problem with a corsair cluster I changed once. I mention this because you said in your post that maybe the plugs have been lobbed off for a taxi? Anyway, hope you get it sorted..Feel free to help me with my Fairlane cluster conversion!

Also, I have only just aquired my first Ford Fairmont so I don't know a great deal (yet)

Thanks, I'm hoping the speedo might be a sender or a loose connection problem.

I think your fairlane conversion would be similar to my ghia conversion as I read the post on it, but I went and tried it anyway without any research first on it except hearing they'll drop straight in. The fairlane has the digital speedo yeah? I think I have heard these just drop straight in as well. Whether or not they work well...

It certainly drops straight in anyway.

Well it looks like there's a difference between the 3.9L and the 4.1L 6 Cyl motors and I got the one for the 3.9L and my car is a 4.1L. Can anyone confirm this and tell me if would cause the speedo not to work, and if the smart lock modules are different between these models or motors?

Mate I think it needs to be the exact same model to change with, you mention your car is an ED? well if that's the case it should be a 4.0lt motor. Hm,what does your ID plate say?

Does the car look like mine? Bonnet,Rear quarter glass area? (if vented then ea if not then eb-ed)





I am in Bris, sunnybank if you need a hand I may be able to help you.

Yeah mate it's a 4.0L ED, I don't know where I got 4.1L from as I'm new to this car and yeah looks like that one. It says Falcon GLi on the back of it. This cluster came out of a 3.9l but the difference apparently is in the motor over the model of car from what I've learnt talking to another mate about all this. I'm in Brisbane too, but there's nothing much I can do till I get the right cluster now anyway.

That's a nice car mate, I love the reflector bits on these models across the boot. The taillights are the same as yours with the strip through the middle of it, but has the grey (non-armor all'ed) version of the reflector.

Did the ED's come out in the 3.9L or the EA in the 4.0L? or is it totally that the EA's and EB's were 3.9L and ED were 4.0L? If that's the case the cluster's shouldn't be advertised as EA/EB/ED. :/

From what I have found the EA series I/II came out with the 3.9lt engine.
The EB came out with the 4.0 then the ED came out with all bugs sorted and the 4.0lt engine with more power.Yeap I know what you mean. I nearly bought a fairlane cluster off ebay but I was none the wiser until I read the tech documents here.Did you buy from a wrecker? Perhaps go to a wrecker and find a ED with a cluster in it and take that one out so you know it's from a ED. ABC wreckers at Oxley let you do that.


Have a read on this page mate.Tells you about the changes from EA to ED

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Falcon_(Australia)

yes you are correct

no, all EA's are 3.9L either MPFI or CFI, alot of EB1's were 3.9L, from EB2 onwards 4L and most but not all EB2 onwards have SmartLock

Some early EA's had a 3.2L motor but weren't very popular...

It's most common for the cogs in speedo to go soft and break you might wanna check that

That cog your refering to only works for the speedo numbers / trip counter dude.