B4 Vdo gauges retro fit?

B4Dan · 04-08-17, 12:33 PM

Looking at fitting the three Vdo gauges to my b4 is there a step by step guide to removing from one car and refitting into another? And which bits do I need?

quattrodave · 04-08-17, 11:04 PM

You need the interior loom that they attach too for the lights and voltage feed, a replacement dual oil pressure sender (or one off the donar vehicle) as your original is just a switch and the oil temp sender from the oil pump (pressure relief valve end).

I made up my own feed for the temp sender and pressure sender from the engne bay into the gauges in the car (basically 2 wires).

B4Dan · 04-08-17, 11:17 PM

So the replacement sender screws into the oil filter housing is that right and will the loom just unplug from the donor car and plug into mine or will I need to start splicing and making bits of loom for it to work?

msh · 05-08-17, 05:40 AM

Well, first, Dave is talking about cars up to approx 1993, and second, he's talking about five pots. Five pots have temp sender in oil pump - six and four pots have it in oil filter housing - these two senders aren't interchangeable as far as I'm aware. Pressure sender is the same for all situations.

As for the year, in B4 there were two types of gauges - old type and new type. Old type is the same as used in B3, separate gauges with small separate loom which also have light booster [apparently VDO decided that those three bulbs puts too much load on cluster pot]. New type, found on later B4's, have gauges like found in C4, single block of gauges on a PCB with connector at the back. Old type gauge loom plugs into dash loom, there's white 2x3 pin connector with offset for the rows, for this purpose, and gauge loom also has two pin connector where sender loom [essentially two wires with two pin connector at one end and two single pins at the other] attaches and also it connects to cigarette lighter and ashtray light and lights booster [looks like relay]. Dunno exactly about new type, but probably there's also separate sub-loom, only lights booster now is on the gauge PCB.

So, what do you need for complete retrofit:
Plastic part which around gear lever, with all stuff that attaches to it - gauges, loom, lights booster [if old type gauges], ashtray etc.
Small trim which goes in front on upper edge of gauges, bolts where no-gauge ashtray upper side attaches
plastic part around handbrake lever, because that's where cigarette lighter is now located
senders and wires for them

In case if you acquire those two big and vital interior parts damaged, with, let's say, hooks on which rear part hooks on, broken, and your existing parts are good, you can modify your parts to accept gauges/cigarette lighter - front part requires just rectangle cut for ashtray; holes where bolts go in are already there, below the trim, rear part requires hole drilled for cigarette lighter, it can be removed from respective trim bit quite easily.

B4Dan · 19-09-17, 11:21 AM

Thanks guys, I've got my gauge cluster now, with centre console and trims, old style gauges with the light booster and seoerate e wiring, dated late 95, only problem is the loom has been messed with by someone so will have to be creative with how I wire it in, anyone got a detailed step by step or a wiring diagram for both the VDO cluster and the car, a late 93 2.0e low spec car with the 2.0abk

04-08-17, 11:04 PM	#2
quattrodave Grown up member Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bingley Posts: 634	You need the interior loom that they attach too for the lights and voltage feed, a replacement dual oil pressure sender (or one off the donar vehicle) as your original is just a switch and the oil temp sender from the oil pump (pressure relief valve end). I made up my own feed for the temp sender and pressure sender from the engne bay into the gauges in the car (basically 2 wires).

04-08-17, 11:17 PM	#3
B4Dan Grown up member Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Bedfordshire, United Kingdom Posts: 75	So the replacement sender screws into the oil filter housing is that right and will the loom just unplug from the donor car and plug into mine or will I need to start splicing and making bits of loom for it to work?

05-08-17, 05:40 AM	#4
msh 4 ring whore! Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Rucava, Latvija Posts: 3,816	Well, first, Dave is talking about cars up to approx 1993, and second, he's talking about five pots. Five pots have temp sender in oil pump - six and four pots have it in oil filter housing - these two senders aren't interchangeable as far as I'm aware. Pressure sender is the same for all situations. As for the year, in B4 there were two types of gauges - old type and new type. Old type is the same as used in B3, separate gauges with small separate loom which also have light booster [apparently VDO decided that those three bulbs puts too much load on cluster pot]. New type, found on later B4's, have gauges like found in C4, single block of gauges on a PCB with connector at the back. Old type gauge loom plugs into dash loom, there's white 2x3 pin connector with offset for the rows, for this purpose, and gauge loom also has two pin connector where sender loom [essentially two wires with two pin connector at one end and two single pins at the other] attaches and also it connects to cigarette lighter and ashtray light and lights booster [looks like relay]. Dunno exactly about new type, but probably there's also separate sub-loom, only lights booster now is on the gauge PCB. So, what do you need for complete retrofit: Plastic part which around gear lever, with all stuff that attaches to it - gauges, loom, lights booster [if old type gauges], ashtray etc. Small trim which goes in front on upper edge of gauges, bolts where no-gauge ashtray upper side attaches plastic part around handbrake lever, because that's where cigarette lighter is now located senders and wires for them In case if you acquire those two big and vital interior parts damaged, with, let's say, hooks on which rear part hooks on, broken, and your existing parts are good, you can modify your parts to accept gauges/cigarette lighter - front part requires just rectangle cut for ashtray; holes where bolts go in are already there, below the trim, rear part requires hole drilled for cigarette lighter, it can be removed from respective trim bit quite easily.

19-09-17, 11:21 AM	#5
B4Dan Grown up member Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Bedfordshire, United Kingdom Posts: 75	Thanks guys, I've got my gauge cluster now, with centre console and trims, old style gauges with the light booster and seoerate e wiring, dated late 95, only problem is the loom has been messed with by someone so will have to be creative with how I wire it in, anyone got a detailed step by step or a wiring diagram for both the VDO cluster and the car, a late 93 2.0e low spec car with the 2.0abk