Instrument Cluster
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 276
Likes: 5
From: Sarasota Florida
Instrument Cluster
Hey guys just curious if anyone has had this particular or if you are aware of a way to fix it.
Basically my instrument cluster will not light up unless the car has been baking in the sun and it's hot inside. On cold mornings, nothing. When I get in the car at 6pm to go home, it's on and working. But if I go home at say 9, and the car had some time to cool off, it won't turn on. In the mornings I can still see all the numbers, it just isn't back-lit. So at night I have to shine a flash light on my dash every so often to see where my temps and speed are. The photocell/dimmer function was my first thought since holding a light to the photocell doesn't increase the brightness or dim, but I haven't poked around to replacing it. I used to be able to give the cluster a little smack and it would come back on, now it HAS to be warm in order to light up. Any ideas?
The cluster works fine other than that. I ripped the whole thing apart (except the LCD's) and had very minimal burn marks but just to be safe I was planning on switching to something less hot like the Xenon or LED bulbs. Batee does have a photocell kit for around 70 bucks, I'm just a hack job with soldering.
Basically my instrument cluster will not light up unless the car has been baking in the sun and it's hot inside. On cold mornings, nothing. When I get in the car at 6pm to go home, it's on and working. But if I go home at say 9, and the car had some time to cool off, it won't turn on. In the mornings I can still see all the numbers, it just isn't back-lit. So at night I have to shine a flash light on my dash every so often to see where my temps and speed are. The photocell/dimmer function was my first thought since holding a light to the photocell doesn't increase the brightness or dim, but I haven't poked around to replacing it. I used to be able to give the cluster a little smack and it would come back on, now it HAS to be warm in order to light up. Any ideas?
The cluster works fine other than that. I ripped the whole thing apart (except the LCD's) and had very minimal burn marks but just to be safe I was planning on switching to something less hot like the Xenon or LED bulbs. Batee does have a photocell kit for around 70 bucks, I'm just a hack job with soldering.
Last edited by Stephenms; Jun 13, 2017 at 05:46 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,785
Likes: 91
From: Leander TX
If you tap on the dash will it turn on? It really sounds like a bad solder joint or the power supply going out. If you are comfortable soldering then I would buy a new power supply, and the backlight repair kit. If you are comfortable doing board work then just send it to them.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,091
Likes: 600
From: Question Government
Hehehe.
