thought the dash was fixed...
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,565
Likes: 2
From: somewhere between heaven and hell WI
thought the dash was fixed...
So the dash went completly black the other day. The signals and bright indicators worked fine but the lights went out. The gagues worked but i could not see them at night, day time you could see that they were on but the backing lights went out.
So I pulled the dash and took it apart. I took the upper circuit board out and found the prong on the far passenger side that connects the lower to the upper circuit board was discolored to an almost brownish color. I sanded it with a 220 grit sandpaperand got it cleaner. I put dielectric grease on the prongs and reassembeled the dash. I also pulled the ambient temp sensor and checked that and had fullpower through it.
I put the dash back in today and YAY!!! it all lit up. Until... about 10 min into my ride to work the illumination lights went out again.
So whats up, do I need to break down and have the dash rebuilt? All the bulbs are good as they were replaced not to long ago. And they alllook good.
So I pulled the dash and took it apart. I took the upper circuit board out and found the prong on the far passenger side that connects the lower to the upper circuit board was discolored to an almost brownish color. I sanded it with a 220 grit sandpaperand got it cleaner. I put dielectric grease on the prongs and reassembeled the dash. I also pulled the ambient temp sensor and checked that and had fullpower through it.
I put the dash back in today and YAY!!! it all lit up. Until... about 10 min into my ride to work the illumination lights went out again.
So whats up, do I need to break down and have the dash rebuilt? All the bulbs are good as they were replaced not to long ago. And they alllook good.
Racer
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 317
Likes: 4
From: Hagerstown Md
Originally Posted by ffvetteman
So the dash went completly black the other day. The signals and bright indicators worked fine but the lights went out. The gagues worked but i could not see them at night, day time you could see that they were on but the backing lights went out.
So I pulled the dash and took it apart. I took the upper circuit board out and found the prong on the far passenger side that connects the lower to the upper circuit board was discolored to an almost brownish color. I sanded it with a 220 grit sandpaperand got it cleaner. I put dielectric grease on the prongs and reassembeled the dash. I also pulled the ambient temp sensor and checked that and had fullpower through it.
I put the dash back in today and YAY!!! it all lit up. Until... about 10 min into my ride to work the illumination lights went out again.
So whats up, do I need to break down and have the dash rebuilt? All the bulbs are good as they were replaced not to long ago. And they alllook good.
So I pulled the dash and took it apart. I took the upper circuit board out and found the prong on the far passenger side that connects the lower to the upper circuit board was discolored to an almost brownish color. I sanded it with a 220 grit sandpaperand got it cleaner. I put dielectric grease on the prongs and reassembeled the dash. I also pulled the ambient temp sensor and checked that and had fullpower through it.
I put the dash back in today and YAY!!! it all lit up. Until... about 10 min into my ride to work the illumination lights went out again.
So whats up, do I need to break down and have the dash rebuilt? All the bulbs are good as they were replaced not to long ago. And they alllook good.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,565
Likes: 2
From: somewhere between heaven and hell WI
That worked for many years 
I should clarify. This time when the dash went black, the turn signal indicators DID NOT come on. But they still work.
The tapping trick does not work anymore. It seems that the illumination lights go completly out now, not just dim like they used to.
I should clarify. This time when the dash went black, the turn signal indicators DID NOT come on. But they still work.
The tapping trick does not work anymore. It seems that the illumination lights go completly out now, not just dim like they used to.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 15,019
Likes: 2
I've been going through the same ****, and I am sick of it. Last month I had my dash out 7 times! 
Pull the dash, nothing wrong, put it back together, and it works fine....
for two or three days.
The next break I get from work I am going to get rid of those pins and hardwire the two boards together.
Pull the dash, nothing wrong, put it back together, and it works fine....
for two or three days.
The next break I get from work I am going to get rid of those pins and hardwire the two boards together.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,565
Likes: 2
From: somewhere between heaven and hell WI
Originally Posted by nitronick
I've been going through the same ****, and I am sick of it. Last month I had my dash out 7 times!
Pull the dash, nothing wrong, put it back together, and it works fine....
for two or three days.
The next break I get from work I am going to get rid of those pins and hardwire the two boards together.
Pull the dash, nothing wrong, put it back together, and it works fine....
for two or three days.
The next break I get from work I am going to get rid of those pins and hardwire the two boards together.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Here is what is going on !
The two circuit boards plug together with a single line of pins on the front board into a socket on the rear board. The end pin closest to the center of the circuit board carries the current to the four lamps and this current flowing through an age relaxed spring on the socket (causes a resistance connection) causes so much heat that it unsolders the pin on the front board. The easiest permanent fix is to solder a short piece of insulated hookup wire from the pin to the socket. I did this to my 87 about 10 years ago and have had no problems since.
The two circuit boards plug together with a single line of pins on the front board into a socket on the rear board. The end pin closest to the center of the circuit board carries the current to the four lamps and this current flowing through an age relaxed spring on the socket (causes a resistance connection) causes so much heat that it unsolders the pin on the front board. The easiest permanent fix is to solder a short piece of insulated hookup wire from the pin to the socket. I did this to my 87 about 10 years ago and have had no problems since.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,565
Likes: 2
From: somewhere between heaven and hell WI
Thats what I thought is was and I saw that pin was brownish. I cleaned it and used dielectric grease on it. I did not check the spring resistance so I will have to check that next.
I would bet that is the problem and I will check that soon.
Thanks for the info
I would bet that is the problem and I will check that soon.
Thanks for the info
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,565
Likes: 2
From: somewhere between heaven and hell WI
Do you happen to know which wire controls that pin? It appears that it is in the longer of the 2 connectors. I want to make sure I do not have a bad wire in the connector.
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Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,991
Likes: 5
From: The Pines South Jersey
mine did the same as you guys describe but it worked flawlessly, until one day I was out past dusk and had to use the headlights, the dash illum. started to flicker and then they wnet out an havent been on since. havent had the time to d@#$ around with it yet.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,565
Likes: 2
From: somewhere between heaven and hell WI
Originally Posted by jfb
Here is what is going on !
The two circuit boards plug together with a single line of pins on the front board into a socket on the rear board. The end pin closest to the center of the circuit board carries the current to the four lamps and this current flowing through an age relaxed spring on the socket (causes a resistance connection) causes so much heat that it unsolders the pin on the front board. The easiest permanent fix is to solder a short piece of insulated hookup wire from the pin to the socket. I did this to my 87 about 10 years ago and have had no problems since.
The two circuit boards plug together with a single line of pins on the front board into a socket on the rear board. The end pin closest to the center of the circuit board carries the current to the four lamps and this current flowing through an age relaxed spring on the socket (causes a resistance connection) causes so much heat that it unsolders the pin on the front board. The easiest permanent fix is to solder a short piece of insulated hookup wire from the pin to the socket. I did this to my 87 about 10 years ago and have had no problems since.
I took it apart(at work here) and took the back plate off. I could see the spring was not shaped the same as the rest and looked a little burnt. The white connector was all brown on the side next to that pin. I could not get the back circuit board(not enough tools) so I tried a quick temp fix on it. I found a paper clip that is a little larger that normal. I flattened out the bent part of it so I had 2 pieces of metal parallel to each other. That fit in the spring area on the oppisite side of where the pin comes through. I broke it off and bent the end over so it would not ground out on the back. It fit in there very tight and did not move. Pluged the dash in and BINGO the lights worked and were very bright.
I am going to find a better way to fix it, but am afraid to solder it. For now it seems to work great.
Thank you very much for the info in this.