Cheap digital dash fix?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 800
Likes: 3
From: Port Orange FL
Cheap digital dash fix?
I had a guy today tell me that he bought some polarized window tint and installed it over his sunburnt digital dash and it looks like new again. I have seen posts before where people were able to see the sunburnt dash by looking at it with polarized sunglasses, but not anything before about installng polarized tint over the dash.
Does anybody have any verification that this actually works?
Thanks
Roy
Does anybody have any verification that this actually works?
Thanks
Roy
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
I dont think there is a cheap fix even if you do the labor yourself which I highly doubt you can. Best to send it off and have all new guts put in it. I think its like 300 but it might be up to 400 or 500. Dont qoute me on that though. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,642
Likes: 5
From: One day you're a Comet...the next day you're dust... Arkansas
I had a guy today tell me that he bought some polarized window tint and installed it over his sunburnt digital dash and it looks like new again. I have seen posts before where people were able to see the sunburnt dash by looking at it with polarized sunglasses, but not anything before about installng polarized tint over the dash.
Does anybody have any verification that this actually works?
Thanks
Roy
Does anybody have any verification that this actually works?
Thanks
Roy
Racer
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 377
Likes: 10
From: Chicago IL
not that it's that cheap, but I bumped into a post on ebay yesterday for a repair service out of bristol pa. thought it was 150 to restore sun faded cluster. I sent my cluster for repair to a corvette parts dealer somewhere in bristol pa many years ago - still working fine. check it out, there are before and after picts on ebay and looks good to me.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 858
Likes: 5
From: Fl,USA
I just replaced my LCD crystals for my speedometer and gas gauge. They were "sun bleached" just as you describe. The tint will not work.
What has happened is internal damage to the LCD crystal. The way it works is it allows the light to shine though by moving the liquid electronically to allow the back light to shine through. The sun bleach effect is basically because there is no more liquid in that spot.
The only fix is to replace the crystals. Just be very careful when installing the new ones that they are "in place" and the spring clip is not under it. It will crack your new LCD panel.
Jim Adams sells the crystals on ebay for $90.00 each. I just bough 2 from him. He is a stand up guy.
He can be reached at witchcityeng@yahoo.com.
Good luck!
John
What has happened is internal damage to the LCD crystal. The way it works is it allows the light to shine though by moving the liquid electronically to allow the back light to shine through. The sun bleach effect is basically because there is no more liquid in that spot.
The only fix is to replace the crystals. Just be very careful when installing the new ones that they are "in place" and the spring clip is not under it. It will crack your new LCD panel.
Jim Adams sells the crystals on ebay for $90.00 each. I just bough 2 from him. He is a stand up guy.
He can be reached at witchcityeng@yahoo.com.
Good luck!
John
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 800
Likes: 3
From: Port Orange FL
not that it's that cheap, but I bumped into a post on ebay yesterday for a repair service out of bristol pa. thought it was 150 to restore sun faded cluster. I sent my cluster for repair to a corvette parts dealer somewhere in bristol pa many years ago - still working fine. check it out, there are before and after picts on ebay and looks good to me.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 800
Likes: 3
From: Port Orange FL
I just replaced my LCD crystals for my speedometer and gas gauge. They were "sun bleached" just as you describe. The tint will not work.
What has happened is internal damage to the LCD crystal. The way it works is it allows the light to shine though by moving the liquid electronically to allow the back light to shine through. The sun bleach effect is basically because there is no more liquid in that spot.
The only fix is to replace the crystals. Just be very careful when installing the new ones that they are "in place" and the spring clip is not under it. It will crack your new LCD panel.
Jim Adams sells the crystals on ebay for $90.00 each. I just bough 2 from him. He is a stand up guy.
He can be reached at witchcityeng@yahoo.com.
Good luck!
John
What has happened is internal damage to the LCD crystal. The way it works is it allows the light to shine though by moving the liquid electronically to allow the back light to shine through. The sun bleach effect is basically because there is no more liquid in that spot.
The only fix is to replace the crystals. Just be very careful when installing the new ones that they are "in place" and the spring clip is not under it. It will crack your new LCD panel.
Jim Adams sells the crystals on ebay for $90.00 each. I just bough 2 from him. He is a stand up guy.
He can be reached at witchcityeng@yahoo.com.
Good luck!
John
John, your response is certainly the way it has always been done. But if you do a search using the word polarized, you will find numerous posts where guys were able to see the display on their sunburnt digital dash by looking at it with a pair of polarized sunglasses.
I could see this guys dash just fine when he fired up his car. He claims you couldnt see it at all before the tint.
I had never heard of polarized window tint before, and I am just curious if anyone else here has ever heard or tried this fix.
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Racer
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 304
Likes: 1
From: Carson City Nevada
I just replaced one of my LCD's for $89 from a guy on ebay. Here's a couple of links for the parts. You do have to be kind of tech savy though. 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/84-89...spagenameZWDVW
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/84-89...spagenameZWDVW
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/84-89...spagenameZWDVW
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/84-89...spagenameZWDVW
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/84-89...spagenameZWDVW
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/84-89...spagenameZWDVW
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,324
Likes: 5
From: Charlotte NC
I just replaced one of my LCD's for $89 from a guy on ebay. Here's a couple of links for the parts. You do have to be kind of tech savy though.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/84-89...spagenameZWDVW
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/84-89...spagenameZWDVW
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/84-89...spagenameZWDVW
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/84-89...spagenameZWDVW
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/84-89...spagenameZWDVW
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/84-89...spagenameZWDVW
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio TX
The sunburnt or washed-out problem won't be solved with window tint. The console uses coated ("chromatic") glass for the LCDs and it's this coating/LCD that's worn out. The only solution is replacement. Best location is witchcityeng at the ebay site as he offers all C4 LCDs.
A telltale sign is whether or not you can see displays from the dash when the car is not running. You should only see "pure black."
There's a Forum member who has an excellent write-up on his website for details on the Dash Repair here -> http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/repair.htm
This picture (without the damage) shows the coating when viewed from the front -> http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/clusterpics/lcd1.jpg
This picture (without the damage) shows the coatings from the rear. I'm guessing that over time UV rays "burn through" the dash and affect these coatings -> http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/clusterpics/lcd4.jpg
HTH, Mike
A telltale sign is whether or not you can see displays from the dash when the car is not running. You should only see "pure black."
There's a Forum member who has an excellent write-up on his website for details on the Dash Repair here -> http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/repair.htm
This picture (without the damage) shows the coating when viewed from the front -> http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/clusterpics/lcd1.jpg
This picture (without the damage) shows the coatings from the rear. I'm guessing that over time UV rays "burn through" the dash and affect these coatings -> http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/clusterpics/lcd4.jpg
HTH, Mike
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
From: Fairhope Alabama
Polarized tint
My 89 dash is sunburnt and is plainly visible with polarized glasses on. Been to several tint shops but found no polarized tint. Did a web search and had people emailing me trying to get me to invest in developing a polarized tint. Guess the only answer is spend the money.
Cruising
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Dash cluster LCD's
I sell new LCD's on ebay witchcityeng...I've experimented will polarizers and the effect does not meet my standards. Most LCD's have uneven fading patterns so if you use the polarizer you'll have dark spots. To get that "as new appearance" on your dash, new LCD's are best.
Cruising
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Dash cluster LCD's
I sell new LCD's on ebay witchcityeng...I've experimented will polarizers and the effect does not meet my standards. Most LCD's have uneven fading patterns so if you use the polarizer you'll have dark spots. To get that "as new appearance" on your dash, new LCD's are best.
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
From: Dickinson Texas
