So some yahoo hardwired an S2k cluster into my em1 at one point or another (obviously before i owned it) part of my winter project is to try and get the OEM cluster back in there... problem is that i dont know much at all about wiring. But I do have an electrical-engineering major, buddy of mine, who will help when i take on this project.
Question is, can anyone tell me from these pictures if this harness is salvagable?? The s2k cluster showed everything but mileage, coolant temp and speed. I guess those are the symptoms when you hook it up the wrong way, without the converter box.
I really dont want to have to rewire the whole dash... if i can save this, then im home free for my restore! Thanks eveyrone!

 

Lol have fun....you're better off getting a new dash harness, i can't even tell if the old wires are all still there.swapping the dash harness isn't as hard as you think.

 

get the dash wiring diagram and see if you have everything, then cut off the clips from a junkyard leaving some slack in the wire and solder your heart out.

 

Im guessing i'll have to remove the entire dash to do this? Ive done some searching and found a few threads, but is there a thread you would recommend for this job?

 

Would only the connections from an EJ8 EX work? or could i grab the peices from any EK civic?

 

Any manual 96-00 civic EJ there's no EK's in north america

 

hah, my bad.
But i didnt think all manual civics came with tachs, i thought it was only the EX?
I guess the plugs are still there or something?

 

The wire is is still there tho thus ths why ppl go after the ex and up clusters same plug trust me. I had a 99 dx with no tach but go a Si cluster and it worked fine with the dx dash harness

 

All wiring is there. i had a 97 cx with no tach and i swapped a cluster from a ex with tach and it worked. My current 99 dx has a tach which im pretty sure is stock.

 

That being said, why dont you just correctly wire in the s2k cluster? or are you going for the stock look?

 

You don't have to pull the dash to replace that harness. '96 - '98 may be different from '99 - '00. Generally you can use an automatic dash harness on a manual, but not vice versa. It will need to come from an EX/LX/Si or you'll be missing the cruise control connector.

Harness looks like this when it's been removed:



The connectors on the left plug into the fuse panel under the dash, the large white plug on the right plugs into the stereo.

 

honestly I just wasn't a fan of the S2k cluster. plus I ended up trading it for a full mint GSR interior, EM1 cluster, and $50 on top, hah.

if the dash doesn't have to come out, then I'm probably gonna just replace the dash harness. though, thanks for all your guys help!

 

good deal!