Instrument panel swap
 

I just bought a 2002 Lesabre Custom that does not have the optional panel with the tach and advanced DIC. Will a salvage unit that does have those options plug in and operate properly? Where is the odometer info stored? Thanks.

Brucesboat,

The Lesabre's odometer information is stored in the car's PCM (computer) itself so if you swap in the optional panel then theoretically you should be able to have the odometer function properly. I would consult some other Buick forums to see if this swap has ever been done because this forum is sadly static most of the time.

Did you have you heart set on utilizing a salvage unit? Maybe it's just me being anal-retentive and overly cautious but I would be a bit leery about using salvaged parts in my baby. I suppose that the condition of the said salvaged part really depends on each and every particular car that it was liberated from but I'd rather score a cheaper OEM replacement panel from gmpartsgiant.com or my local dealership just to err on the side of caution.

Where are you sourcing the panel from?

Have to agree with BuickBag. Manufacturers do some strange things between years and models. Some parts and sections that appear the same won't always work in another model.

Thanks for Info
 

Thanks for the info re odometer storage. I bought a salvage cluster from a 2002 on ebay. According to a service manual, the tach info is a direct connection, not from the info bus, so I'm hoping that getting it to work will not be too difficult.