Digital Dash Problems
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
From: Riverside CA
Digital Dash Problems
Is this problem a common one? My dash is completely dark at night, the high beam indicator is always on, and the turn signal indicators glow constantly. The guy I bought the car from said that it was a grounding problem. A catalog I just got says this is an expected failure of the instrument cluster requiring replacement. What's the straight scoop?
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Re: Digital Dash Problems (farhorizon)
The straight scoop is that your circuit boards have lost their ground somewhere and the ground current for the circuits are going through the turn signal lamps keeping them on.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 6,097
Likes: 0
From: High Plains Drifter Fayetteville, AR
Re: Digital Dash Problems (farhorizon)
The scoop is you need to go here: http://www.batee.com/corvette/index.shtml and troubleshoot your problem.
Good luck
J :seeya :steering: :steering:
Good luck
J :seeya :steering: :steering:
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
From: Riverside CA
Re: Digital Dash Problems (jfb)
jfb and JCAIRE2, thanks guys! You just saved me hundreds of dollars. Looks like I'll be tracing loose ground connections. It sure beats parking the car for weeks while the instrument cluster is out for replacement!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 7,459
Likes: 41
From: Spring Branch, Texas
Re: Digital Dash Problems (farhorizon)
Farhorizon,
My 87 had the exact same problem. It went out on the drive home from where I bought it (500 miles away in Los Angeles.) I'll include a couple of additional links that I found handy (in addition to the one already noted above). The problem is the ground but there are several places that the ground may be faulty. In my case, I had to separate the 2 circuit boards and I saw where one of the connector pins had heated up and burnt. I would clean it and put it back together and it would work for a week or so. I ended up removing it so many times that I got so I could pull the dash in 10 minutes flat! I ended up soldering a wire from the bottom circuit board to the top one, bypassing the bad pin. It has been working ever since (knock on wood). This was my last resort as I had tried all the other tips listed. Feel free to email me if you have questions and let us know how it works out.
Good description on how to remove the dash. http://www.corvettemagazine.com/2001...igidashpg1.asp
How to change the bulbs if necessary. http://www.corvettemagazine.com/1999...ash/dashp1.asp
:seeya
My 87 had the exact same problem. It went out on the drive home from where I bought it (500 miles away in Los Angeles.) I'll include a couple of additional links that I found handy (in addition to the one already noted above). The problem is the ground but there are several places that the ground may be faulty. In my case, I had to separate the 2 circuit boards and I saw where one of the connector pins had heated up and burnt. I would clean it and put it back together and it would work for a week or so. I ended up removing it so many times that I got so I could pull the dash in 10 minutes flat! I ended up soldering a wire from the bottom circuit board to the top one, bypassing the bad pin. It has been working ever since (knock on wood). This was my last resort as I had tried all the other tips listed. Feel free to email me if you have questions and let us know how it works out.
Good description on how to remove the dash. http://www.corvettemagazine.com/2001...igidashpg1.asp
How to change the bulbs if necessary. http://www.corvettemagazine.com/1999...ash/dashp1.asp
:seeya
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Drifting
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,861
Likes: 4
From: Houston TX
Re: Digital Dash Problems (farhorizon)
When my digital dash died, I cheated and installed a custom made Autometer gauge cluster that I built with a 200 mph electronic (programmable) speedo, all the indicator lights, etc, etc. Not as cheap as $50 worth of Radio Shack parts, but a lot cheaper at $500 than a new cluster.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,861
Likes: 4
From: Houston TX
Re: Digital Dash Problems (farhorizon)
I don't have a pic of it right now, as the interface cable for my digital camera got damaged and I haven't gotten a new one yet. I'll post it when I do get a pic.
