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How To

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Re: How To

Postby Mazda Mender » Sat Nov 30, 2013 10:54 pm

How to modify the Mazda Bongo temperature gauge and add temperature and fuel warning lights



Modifying the temperature gauge


The temperature gauge in the Bongo has a large dead zone and only moves if the temperature gets too high by which time some damage could have been done to the fragile aluminium head.
This modification makes the gauge more active under normal running conditions so that high temperatures can be detected early.
This is a simple mod which only requires a tiny bit of soldering and combined with the warning light modification, this gives a good warning to potential problems with your cooling system........


1. Switch off ignition and disconnect the battery

2. Remove the instrument cluster:
i. Remove the 4 screws holding in the instrument cowl.
ii. Remove the plastic instrument cowl, (you may need to unplug the fog light switch to remove it fully)

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iii. Remove the 4 screws holding in the instrument cluster

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iv. Remove the 2 plugs on the back and pull the whole instrument cluster out.
Exposed instrument cluster
Removing the cowl

3. Remove the temperature and fuel gauges
i. Remove the clear plastic cover and black plastic cover from the front (These can be removed in one piece)
ii. Looking at the back of the instrument cluster; remove the 6 screws on the left hand side which are holding in the fuel and temperature gauges.

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4. With the temperature and fuel gauge out you should be able to see a zener diode connected to the bottom left of the temperature gauge (it's a small red bead with a black line on one end).

5. The zener diode just needs a small piece of wire soldered across its leads to short it out (this means the mod can be removed easily by just removing the short).

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6. If you are fitting the warning light kit, now is the time to jump forward (part 3, iv in the next section) and mount the LEDs.
Zener diode with small wire short across the legs Screws removed

7. Mount the gauges back into the plastic instrument cluster and hold it in with a couple of screws (preferably not the 'E' or 'T-U' screws).

8. Bend the legs of the resistor so that it fits between the 'E' and 'T-U' terminals.

9. Crimp a red ring terminal onto each leg of the resistor and screw it in between the 'E' and 'T-U' terminals, bend the terminals away from the copper tracks to ensure that they don't short out any of the copper traces.

10. Replace all of the remaining screws and reassemble the instrument cluster

11. Plug the instrument panel back into the car, reassemble the instrument panel and re-connect the battery.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fitting the warning light kit


Adding warning lights is a simple modification to allow you to retro-fit fuel and temperature warning lights.

1. Switch off ignition and disconnect the battery

2. Remove the instrument cluster:
i. Remove the 4 screws holding in the instrument cowl (see pictures above).
ii. Remove the plastic instrument cowl, (you may need to unplug the fog light switch to remove it fully)
iii. Remove the 4 screws holding in the instrument cluster
iv. Remove the 2 plugs on the back and pull the whole instrument cluster out.

3. Connect up the light kit.
i. Strip each wire approx 1cm and crimp a red ring terminal on the end (you may need to fold the bare wire over so the crimp can hold it better)
ii. Remove the clear plastic cover and black plastic cover from the front (These can be removed
in one piece)
iii. Looking at the back of the instrument cluster; remove the 6 screws on the left hand side which
are holding in the fuel and temperature gauges.
iv. Decide where you want to mount the LEDs.

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Removed gauges showing the LEDs in position
v. Drill a 3mm hole for each LED. 4.5mm if you are using a bezel (this can vary depending on the particular bezel you may have so it might be worth starting with a 3.5mm hole and testing the fit first and work your way up to 4.5mm).
vi. Run the LEDs through the back of the instrument cluster (I used 2 unused bulb holder holes so I didn't need to drill any extra holes).

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vii. Insert the LEDs into the holes you have just drilled, use hot glue to hold in the LEDs if you are not using bezels.
• If the LEDs are not labeled then it should be wired as follows: orange/brown is the fuel LED and pink/purple is the temperature LED.
viii. At this point it is worth covering the back of the LEDs in an opaque silicon sealant or glue, in order to stop light from the nearby bulbs bleeding through when you switch on the car's lights.

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ix. Mount the gauges back into the plastic instrument cluster being careful not to dislodge either Running the LED leads through the cluster Black silicon covering the back of the LEDs.
x. Screw in one of the screws labelled 'E' to hold the gauges in place. If you are modifying the gauge to behave more linearly then now is the time to prep/mount the resistor.

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xi. Wire up according to the wiring diagram that is included with the kit (in case it's different from ours). Do not over-tighten the screws and remember to add the resistor back between the 'E' and 'T-U' terminals.

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4. Test the light kit
i. Plug the instrument panel back into the car and re-connect the battery (don't screw anything in yet).
ii. Switch on the ignition; the temperature warning light should illuminate briefly.
iii. Once you are happy everything seems to be working you can set the fuel warning light as Completed wiring including resistor Completed wiring detailed in the fitting instructions which come with the kit.
iv. Mount the control box somewhere behind the instrument cluster and reassemble the instrument panel (don't forget to plug in the fog light switch if you removed it).
The Disclaimer:-
This post is a natural product made from recycled electrons. The slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and in no way are to be considered flaws or defects, the articles/answers/comments are provided for information purposes and they are not intended to substitute informed professional advice, I or mazdamenders.net cannot personally be hold responsible for any damage occurred from following this procedure or any injuries from it. Proceed at your own risk.


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