Help
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,267
Likes: 27
From: Texas
Help
My gauge cluster went nuts
It turns on but it just flickers and nothing works
it eventually stops flashing and locks on random bars so I have no idea my speed/rpm or fuel or oil or temp
It just randomly did it while driving home
Its an 85 corvette
What could be the cause?
I think its a short or bad plug going into the cluster
anyone know which wire it could be or a common remedy?
this is my daily driver and i have no choice to drive it like it is
I NEED to fix it tonight
It turns on but it just flickers and nothing works
it eventually stops flashing and locks on random bars so I have no idea my speed/rpm or fuel or oil or temp
It just randomly did it while driving home
Its an 85 corvette
What could be the cause?
I think its a short or bad plug going into the cluster
anyone know which wire it could be or a common remedy?
this is my daily driver and i have no choice to drive it like it is
I NEED to fix it tonight
Pro
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 639
Likes: 1
From: Brookfield CT NCM#522998
My gauge cluster went nuts
It turns on but it just flickers and nothing works
it eventually stops flashing and locks on random bars so I have no idea my speed/rpm or fuel or oil or temp
It just randomly did it while driving home
Its an 85 corvette
What could be the cause?
I think its a short or bad plug going into the cluster
anyone know which wire it could be or a common remedy?
this is my daily driver and i have no choice to drive it like it is
I NEED to fix it tonight
It turns on but it just flickers and nothing works
it eventually stops flashing and locks on random bars so I have no idea my speed/rpm or fuel or oil or temp
It just randomly did it while driving home
Its an 85 corvette
What could be the cause?
I think its a short or bad plug going into the cluster
anyone know which wire it could be or a common remedy?
this is my daily driver and i have no choice to drive it like it is
I NEED to fix it tonight
the same thing happened to me on my 86 when my battery went dead; after getting it charged up, everything went back to normal. The easiest thing to sheck first is the fuses and relay's. As long as the car is still running ok when the cluster is freaking out, it probably isnt from the ECU. If the fuses and relays check out; then (gulp!) might be time to rebuild the cluster. There are several sponsors who can perform this task and it's reletively cheap; the biggest hassle is taking it out, mailing it to them, and waiting for it to come back. You might find someone who can sell you a rebuilt cluster, and then pay you for your core, with no downtime (except during the swap anyway!) There are lots of threads here on pulling apart the dash, and the Haynes manual has a pretty detailed DIY on it. Good luck, I'm hoping for the best for you!
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,267
Likes: 27
From: Texas
Well ****. This one isnt the stock one. Its out of an 87 since mine was stolen when I bought the car.
What in them goes bad? fuses all look good I believe
I will recheck them
car still runs normal
What is the normal turn around time on the rebuild?
What in them goes bad? fuses all look good I believe
I will recheck them
car still runs normal
What is the normal turn around time on the rebuild?
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Your 85 and 87 cluster are essentially the same. One thing I would try is to unplug the two cables on the cluster, , use a Q tip with contact cleaner sprayed on it and wipe the pins on the cluster and plug the two connectors back in and see if that fixes it. There isn't a single circuit that causes your symptoms and you might measure your battery voltage to see if you have a discharged battery (12.0 volts or lower). If no luck, I would consider removing the cluster and doing the same thing (Q tip) to the edge connectors on the two circuit boards in the cluster. DO NOT use any kind of abrasive on the gold plated circuit board fingers ! If you still have trouble, then it is time for a repair station to look at your cluster.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,267
Likes: 27
From: Texas
Im pulling it out this weekend
hoping its just a bad ground to the whole thing since some of the wiring looks like **** under the hood and dash
if its dead I will be driving without gauges for a while lol
hoping its just a bad ground to the whole thing since some of the wiring looks like **** under the hood and dash
if its dead I will be driving without gauges for a while lol
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,043
Likes: 8
From: Tampa Florida
You can check/clean the connectors that go to the cluster and pull the cluster apart and clean the connections between the 2 main cards to see if this helps. Sounds like a bad/failing internal power supply problem to me though.
Good luck with the repair.
Good luck with the repair.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
From: Hudson Ohio
I had the exact same on my 84 about 3 years ago. The soder on the heads of the pin connectors that connect the 2 circut boards, due to age, no longer had good contact. Thus the flickering. Got out the old soder iron and and added some sodered the pins on the connector. No flickering since.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,267
Likes: 27
From: Texas
I had the exact same on my 84 about 3 years ago. The soder on the heads of the pin connectors that connect the 2 circut boards, due to age, no longer had good contact. Thus the flickering. Got out the old soder iron and and added some sodered the pins on the connector. No flickering since.
I really dont want to send it off if I dont have to
i will be checking the connections then ths if I can find it
Pro
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 639
Likes: 1
From: Brookfield CT NCM#522998
Your 85 and 87 cluster are essentially the same. One thing I would try is to unplug the two cables on the cluster, , use a Q tip with contact cleaner sprayed on it and wipe the pins on the cluster and plug the two connectors back in and see if that fixes it. There isn't a single circuit that causes your symptoms and you might measure your battery voltage to see if you have a discharged battery (12.0 volts or lower). If no luck, I would consider removing the cluster and doing the same thing (Q tip) to the edge connectors on the two circuit boards in the cluster. DO NOT use any kind of abrasive on the gold plated circuit board fingers ! If you still have trouble, then it is time for a repair station to look at your cluster.
with the poor voltage idea, because I had the same symptoms with a failing battery; when the battery was fully charged the cluster went right back to normal.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
From: Hudson Ohio
Check out this site and follow the links at the bottom.
http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/repair.htm
http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/repair.htm
Pro
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 639
Likes: 1
From: Brookfield CT NCM#522998
Check out this site and follow the links at the bottom.
http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/repair.htm
http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/repair.htm
+2 very nice details. What a life saver (and $$$)...Hats off to you twotone84vette