gauge cluster swap?
 

hey, all, I'm new to the boards! actually I dont even own a mazda, but my girly does and want to help her out, so I'll be here asking stuff for her! hey, if I get the money, I'll buy a mazda 3 or 6! anyway!

what I need to know is how hard would it be to swap a gauge cluster from a different protege to her 03 DX? she really wants to have a tach and I think that she needs one too! is it a easy bolt on, or is there a lot of wiring involved? and does the milage swap over from the old cluster to the new one seeing it's a digital thing... basically is it stored in the computer or the cluster?

if someone knows, PLEASE let me know! thanks in advance!

heres the deal... i've heard that it does and doesnt work as far as the tach is concerned. i did the swap from lx to es b/c i broke some needles ( don't ask...) and it was just plug it in and it works. the mileage is stored in the cluster, so it will reset when you switch it out. i've heard that a dealership can set it right for you, but i'm not sure. now for the real fun news... unless you get a cluster out of a wrecked protege, expect to shell out about $350 for the new cluster.
in other words, go buy an autometer tach and stick it on the dash.

only way to make it work would be to run the wires from the diag box to the new cluster...the DX simply isnt wired to have a tach...I tried the swap myself and everything in the display EXCEPT the tach will work if you do the swap...IF you decide to do the swap however I will buy your old DX cluster

I dont know for the 03's but I have a 00 dx and I swapped out the cluster and it worked perfectly fine tach and all. Maybe the 03's are wired different but I really would not know that. The only thing to be aware of is that whatever milage is on the cluster stays with it.

what did you get the cluster out of? LX or ES,Auto or Manual...I tried the swap on my '00 and it didnt work

I am not sure but I had two different clusters and they both worked in my dx. Do you have a manual or auto?

Manual

thats weird I dunno if maybe our cars were made at a different time or something then. Cause the two different clusters that I bought from ebay worked perfect. Its funny too cause after I put in the cluster with the tach now my dome light has like a dim function that it never had before. Like when you turn off the car the dome light stays on and then dims off after like 15 seconds.