Most conveniently T14, the inturment cluster plug 'opens uj', so you can
swap wires amoung the positions in the plug.
I think there are about 4 layouts ..
in watercooled Vanagons ..
if you look at the dirrerences for each year in the Bently wiring diagrams..
it's something like ..82 diesel is one arrangement of those wires,
83 and 84 are another arrangement.
85 is another one,
and 86 and up ...
something like that.

so having one year instrument cluster in another year van will work ..
as long as the right wires from the go to the right pins of T14 for the year
of the instrument cluster.

they're there in the wiring diagrams, the pins and wire colors you need.

That's the only connector plug I think I've ever seen where you could just
'open the side of it' and move wires from one spot to another.  That is a
super nice feature of vanagons !

scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "HotelWestfalia" <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, April 16, 2011 6:36 PM
Subject: Instrument plug wires from an '85 to an '88.

I have a van that was altered from an early model to a newer one.  The clock
and the fuel gauge does not work.  I'm suspecting the arrangement of the
wires in that long plug that hooks up the instruments being in different
order.  I always would have liked to know of both models' wire sequence so I
can either make an older one have a newer instrument or vica versa.
I think, this has come up sometimes ago, only I'm not sure if there is a
write up about it somewhere.
Any of you?  Please?

My great respect to the List.

Zoltan