I haven't been driving my 88 Vette much lately because of the weather but I have made sure to get it out and drive it at least once a week. The Sunday before last I got it out and drove it for an hour or so, no problems. Last Sunday evening I got it out and as I pulled out of the driveway noticed that the entire display - speedo, tach, etc. was dark. I drove it anyway and came home Monday at lunch to troubleshoot a little further and the battery was dead. Having had problems with that battery since I bought the car in May and having read a few threads out here where people with display problems had seen the same thing only to have the dash start working again with a new battery, I replaced it. Still no display. Yesterday I replaced all fuses related even peripherally to the display with no substantive success. Now when I turn the ignition to the ON position, I can faintly see some digits on the speedo side as well as some of the bar graph lit up but it never changes. I have the Helms manual and haven't really dug into it yet, but wanted to check here to see if there was something simple (or effective) to check before I start pulling the dash apart with multimeter in hand and digging through schematics.

Any help would be appreciated. Any thoughts?

 

There are several vert smart dash guys around and I am sure you will hear from them shortly. While you wait think "bad ground(s)".

 

Wish I had a nickle for every time I posted this. Here goes.
The cluster has two circuit boards that plug together with a single row of pins from the front board to a socket on the rear board. The end pin closest to the center of the circuit board carries the lamp current that back lights the LCD's (liquid crystal displays) and an age relaxed spring on the socket causes connection resistance. The lamp current through this connection resistance causes enough heat to unsolder the pin on the front board. Resoldering the pin will not cure this problem and a cheap permanent fix is to solder a short piece of insulated hookup wire from the pin to the socket. I did this about 8 years ago in my 87 and haven't had a problem with my cluster since.

 

Thanks for the info. I'll check that.

 

Advise where to send the nickle, I copied pasted into word then printed in case I ever need it

 

It was a wish, not a requirement!

 

Read the other post on the digital dash question I just responded to.

Good Luck