Hello, I'm new to this forum. I own a 1988 Corvette Convertible, which I bought recently. Unfortunatly I've run into my first problem. My guage lights to not work. The ones in the console work fine, and it isn't a problem with the dimmer. I've checked the fuses and they all look good. I think I might have some dead lights under the guages. Does anyone have any ideas? How difficult would it be to have the lights replaced?

Thanks,
Steve

 

Hey there, Killroy!

I'm sorta new here too! Welcome aboard!

There are 4 halogen bulbs that provide backlight for your instrument cluster. If the bulbs are out and the gauges don't work either, you probably will need to have your cluster repaired. If the backlight bulbs don't work, but gauges do, then you may have all 4 bulbs burned out, or you may have a grounding problem. In my case (87 convertible), I had a grounding problem and a couple of the bulbs burned out also.

There are lots of articles scattered throughout this forum and across the web about how to take out the cluster and clean the contacts and replace the bulbs. It took me a couple of days to get this job done on my cluster: removing the cluster, cleaning the contacts (repeated 3 times!), and reassembling everything. Replacing the bulbs was an easy task with the cluster out of the car. Tried it from the front with the cluster still mounted and had lots of problems.

This operation was something I HAD to do myself. I would not have been able to afford to "hire it done"! Every once in a while, the cluster will still go dark on me (actually for my symptoms, the turn signal and high beam indicators light up when the cluster lamps go out). I don't look forward to tearing into the dash again! Might wait until winter downtime.

Luck with yours!

 

There are also ways you can fix the dash yourself if it's a grounding problem. (Which is what it sounds like for Bama)

All 4 bulbs don't usually go out at the same time, which means it's a connection issue.

If you are a DIY-er there are solutions.

Once I fixed the dash on my 86 I never another problem with it.

 

Thank goodness for the IE Favorites...
http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/index.shtml
I went through this with my 87. It is most often the ground off the instrument cluster. The fantastic article shows you how to disassemble and clean the contacts. After taking it apart about 3 times (it would work a few weeks then quit) I ended up soldering a separate wire as a ground and have had no problems since. Good luck. The article will save you $400 on a new cluster.

 

That's exactly what I did and never had a problem again.

The dash comes apart relatively easily. Just unscrew until you get to the part you need to fix.

 

Sounds like a ground to me. And that article is excellent.

 

Thanks for the responses guys! That is a great website. Now, my only problem is finding the grounds to check them. Could I get a little direction, or some pics? Thanks again!

Steve

 

Someone posted a picture awhile back showing grounds, there's one on the drivers side door pillar, not the door, just in front of it low, if you roll back the carpet you'll probably see it, there's another on the drivers side located behind the valve cover on the block, and finally you can splice into the ambient sensor, it's attached on the inside of the car to the main wire harness at the firewall-about the size and shape of a dime, two prongs, splice into the black/white wire, run it through the firewall and ground it, this may do it, but even if it doesn't leave it on.A good, cheap book to get is Gordon Killebrews $29.95, you can find him on the internet. Most everyone agrees he is the Guru.

 

This may sound strange, but if all 4 lights are out, maybe the cluster holding them is loose. Try to get to the back of the panel(on the floor laying on your back) and just see if you can push on the cluster panel, maybe that will make the connection. I had the same type of problem on a 77 Grand Prix.

 

Rick Lambert mentioned the one on the drivers side pillar. There are two circuit boards inside the digital display. The circuit boards lie parallel and connect to each other through a set of pins. One of the outter pins on one side is a ground. This is the one that kept failing on me. I would pull apart the boards, clean all the pins and it would work for a few days. I finally ended up soldering a wire, bypassing the pins for the ground pin only. The internal connection was probably broke. This fixed it for me.