Hello everyone,
I'm a newbie to all this honda stuff and I'm glad I found these forums. I usually hang around VWVortex so I'm coming from a dub. Now, I got a '03 Civic DX 5 speed. It's been treating me well so far, but it doesn't come with a tachometer. I was wondering if I could swap in another cluster with a tach, or if there's any other solution. I'm trying to stay away from an A-pillar mounted gauge. Oh and what is the body code for this civic (yes, I'm new to this) . Thanks in advance.

 

Welcome to the Honda scene buddy! Unfortunately I can't answer any of your questions, cuz I'm hardly knowledgable about the 2001+ Civics. Just thought I'd say hey!

 

http://www.7thgencivic.com
Go there, it's for you EM2 2001+ Civics.
I used to own one, that site has some helpful info.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by flare21990 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hello everyone,
I'm a newbie to all this honda stuff and I'm glad I found these forums. I usually hang around VWVortex so I'm coming from a dub. Now, I got a '03 Civic DX 5 speed. It's been treating me well so far, but it doesn't come with a tachometer. I was wondering if I could swap in another cluster with a tach, or if there's any other solution. I'm trying to stay away from an A-pillar mounted gauge. Oh and what is the body code for this civic (yes, I'm new to this) . Thanks in advance. </TD></TR></TABLE>
You can buy a gauge cluster from any 2003-2004 Civic coupe or sedan that has a tachometer (i.e. LX, HX, EX) and it will plug right in. 2001-2002 clusters will not work without some wiring, because the harnesses are different.

To find your chassis code, check the 3rd, 4th, and 5th digits of your VIN. For example, my Civic's VIN starts with "1HGEM1 . . ." so EM1 is my chassis code.

 

Thanks for the info guys. How easy/hard is it to install a new cluster? And will I have to program the mileage? And do you think it will void the warranty?

 

Simply remove your old cluster and plug in the new one. No wiring or special tools necessary.

The best cluster for you to get woud be from a Civic LX 5-speed . . . it has the same engine, so the tach will have the proper redline, and it doesn't have an ABS light. The EX cluster has an ABS light that will light up since your car doesn't have an ABS system, so you'd probably want to open up the cluster and put a piece of tape over it or something to block it. Try a search over at http://www.7thgencivic.com - there are several threads on this subject. This is just one of many informative threads.

Also, to keep your mileage correct, you will have to go to a place that is qualified to change odometer mileage and they can change the odometer in your new cluster for you. This is imprtant since your car is so new - you don't want to run into a problem when you try to sell the car later on.