Hello Eveyone, I'm new to this forum but I'm a long time Corvette owner. I own a 1987. Bear with me as I try to explain what happened. Yesterday (12/16) I installed aftermarket headlamps from Mid America Motorworks with modular halogen lamps and I needed to clean the under the center console plate (shifter). I spilled coffee down there one too many times and the switches for the power windows and rear veiw mirrors were getting sticky. While I was at it, I pulled the radio bezel panel to get at the radio to see if I could diagnose a problem with the power antenna.

After I put everything back together I turned the ignition switch to the on position and noticed right away that the instrument cluster was completely dark. Perhaps this is coincidental and it was just time for the thing to go bad. On the surface it seems to have nothing to do with the activity I noted above but it's driving me crazy that before I did anything all was working perfectly with the instrument cluster. I can see that all the (LCD's) gauges, the speedo and tach displays are working properly but I've lost all illumination.

All the fuses are ok. Is there something else I can check on my own, a relay perhaps, before I go through the expense of getting a replacement or pulling the part for repair? Did I short something out? How could I lose all the illuminaton at once with no warning whatsoever?

Any feedback, suggestions or help of any kind would be greatly appreciated. Any ideas?

Important: the cluster still works. I can see all the displays. It's the illumination or backlighting that's gone.

 

check all your connectors to display andand dic. you mah have tugged on the dic wires when you pulled your radio. all it costs is aliitle time.

 

Pull the dash cover off the display and check the 4 illumination lamps with an ohmeter. There are two circuit boards in the cluster and they plug together with a single row of pins on the front board into a socket on the rear board. The end pin closest to the center of the board carries the lamp current and this current through an age relaxed spring on the socket causes connection resistance and heat enough to unsolder the pin. You cannot fix this problem by resoldering the pin. I soldered a short insulated piece of small hookup wire from the pin to the socket about 6 years ago and have had no trouble since and I drive my 87 everyday.

 

It may also be the light sensor on the top left of the board has gone bad. When it goes bad the board thinks it's night-time and doesn't illuminate the board. Have to tried the cluster after dark? Is there any illumination when you turn the headlights on after dark?

 

ok this sounds screwy, but tap the instrument panel just to the right of the headlight switch. my dash blacks out, and then i knock it with my knuckle, and bing!!!! everything normal.
My guess is there's a connector that works loose back there, and a simple tap makes everything all right
ummm accidental find......I was using a whisk broom one day, and put my hand on the top of the seat, reached around to pull the seat forward, and accidentally hit the panel with the end of the whisk broom, and my dim dash went bright.
Then when my dash went black, the only thing that showed was the two turn signal arrows, tap! and everything normal........
I dont know........ I must live a charmed life...........

 

Do a search on this subject. It's a very common prob. and an easy fix. This has been covered on hear several times before. Why wait for detailed instrutions when they are already hear. That search bar is great.

 

Try this site http://www.corvettemagazine.com/1999...ash/dashp2.asp

 

http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/index.shtml

 

Don't touch your cluster yet.

Those lights are on the same circuit as the auto tranny indicator light and a/c and radio lights. You might've damaged or shorted the circuit when cleaning. Do any of those lights work?

Check the 3amp fuse in your fuseblock.

 

Thanks for your reply. The 3 amp fuse is good. The a/c and radio lights are good. I have the 4+3 manual so no tranny light.

 

No illumination at all... lights on or even after dark.

 

I'm moving down the list of suggestions... checking the connectors to the display is next. What does "dic" stand for?

 

Digital Information Center (DIC)