Gauge Cluster - 2012 Bighorn -> Laramie Longhorn Swap

[907engineer]

Hey all! First post, long-time reader of the useful info here — thanks to everyone who’s posted before.


Onto my issue…

I have a 2012 Ram Bighorn that came with the digital EVIC screen, and I’m getting some flickering in the backlight on my coolant gauge. So if I’m going to swap in another cluster… MIGHT AS WELL go with the fancy Laramie Longhorn one.

I ordered one from a parts dismantler on eBay from a 2011 Laramie Longhorn, and it arrived today. I wasted no time installing it. All the gauges seem to function normally — cruise control works, shift indicator, signals… but my horn no longer works, the volume/track rockers on the back of the wheel don’t work, and the directional steering-wheel buttons for the EVIC don’t work.

(Side note: the coolant gauge backlight on this cluster is flickering too. Is that a common issue with these?)

Again, my truck is a 2012, which obviously has a different steering wheel than the 2011 truck the cluster came from.

Am I supposed to change something in AlfaOBD? Or did I screw up and should have gotten a 2012 specific cluster, I thought that all 09-12 should work? Anyone run into this before? Appreciate everyone in advance!

 

[04fxdwgi]

Did you remove the steering wheel to perform this swap?

Also, the VIN number must be changed on the donor cluster to match your truck. Just looked in AlfaOBD and the options on the 2 years are the same.

 

[RodeoRam]

You had to take the plastic covers, top and bottom, off the steering column to change the EVIC, right. Been a while since I did mine. Might you have bumped some wiring or a connector loose in the column because it sounds like when a clock spring needs to be replaced.

 

[907engineer]

Did you remove the steering wheel to perform this swap?

Also, the VIN number must be changed on the donor cluster to match your truck. Just looked in AlfaOBD and the options on the 2 years are the same.

No I didn't need to pull the wheel. Still am using my 2012 wheel.

The gauges are indeed functioning. Just wheel controls are lost. Can't imagine coding the vin to the cluster would do that...

 

[907engineer]

You had to take the plastic covers, top and bottom, off the steering column to change the EVIC, right. Been a while since I did mine. Might you have bumped some wiring or a connector loose in the column because it sounds like when a clock spring needs to be replaced.

Nope, just pull the cluster surround (3 T25's) and the two 7mm bolts holding in the cluster. Pops right out.

It thought I may have messed up the wiring, but reinstalled my stock cluster as a check, everything worked again. Tested the Longhorn cluster a second time, still no dice.

 

[jawzs2]

2012 is an odd year. Ran into this with my son's 2012 - I needed to get one out of another 2012 for it to work. Although I admit, I didn't research it that much, may have been able to fix it, but didn't want to waste the time.

There's a guy on FB that knows these pretty good - can't remember his name though - I think it's Frank,....."something" - LOL - sorry I'm not more help