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Europa 463...can you drive with no cluster?

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Otiswesty
Posts: 9465

Re: Europa 463...can you drive with no cluster?

Post#11 » Wed Sep 15, 2021 8:54 am

If you have a 2001 Europa G500, then you are seeing a step wise movement of the speedo needle. It seems like it is just a early "digital" version, not at all smooth analog like the 1999 and very early 2000 G500s.

I think it is supposed to work this way. Maybe it was integral to the design as a cool digital feature. What did the repair place say about it?

I find it mildly annoying, but the readings are accurate.
461.213, 463.241

ekwalberg
Posts: 294

Re: Europa 463...can you drive with no cluster?

Post#12 » Thu Sep 16, 2021 1:08 am

Otisweisty... my 2000 is a late (the last) model... with steering wheel controls. VIN ending in 120507. My speedometer moves completely smoothly. I can’t help but think that a needle that isn’t moving smoothly simply has a little (but consistent) friction in the system causing a stop wise movement. But I suppose it’s theoretically possible that they did a software update to cause it to be glitchy... but I can’t imagine why/how it would be worth making such a tiny engineering change within a production series.
2000 Europa G500

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Otiswesty
Posts: 9465

Re: Europa 463...can you drive with no cluster?

Post#13 » Thu Sep 16, 2021 10:15 am

That's interesting. I have a spare 2000 Europa cluster I will try installing and see if it is smoother.
I suppose it could be an issue with the stepper motor for that particular gauge.

Thanks for the info and correction Erik.
461.213, 463.241

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AlanMcR
Posts: 7729

Re: Europa 463...can you drive with no cluster?

Post#14 » Thu Sep 16, 2021 6:16 pm

IIRC, the needle is on a gear that is then driven by a gear pressed onto the stepper motor shaft. Some crud in the teeth of that gear on the stepper would certainly explain the behavior. You gave me a cluster, the parts might be interchangeable.
...Alan

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Otiswesty
Posts: 9465

Re: Europa 463...can you drive with no cluster?

Post#15 » Sat Sep 18, 2021 11:03 am

ekwalberg wrote:Otisweisty... my 2000 is a late (the last) model... with steering wheel controls. VIN ending in 120507. My speedometer moves completely smoothly. I can’t help but think that a needle that isn’t moving smoothly simply has a little (but consistent) friction in the system causing a stop wise movement. But I suppose it’s theoretically possible that they did a software update to cause it to be glitchy... but I can’t imagine why/how it would be worth making such a tiny engineering change within a production series.


I tried putting in a spare 2000 G500 cluster that I have and the needle motion is totally smooth. I guess my original cluster needs some repair as well to fix the jerky speedo needle movement.
461.213, 463.241

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