whats with these digital clusters?
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 64
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From: Plainfield IL
whats with these digital clusters?
I have an 85 L-98 and the cluster is starting to do the dimming thing that I hear they all start to do, but only when my headlights are on. It has only gone completely dark once (that time my lights were not on), but if you hit a bump it goes back to normal. It does not do this very ofter, but when it dims the blinkers and the highbeam indicaters come on, something else I have been told is common. Is the only cure for this to spend $300 to $400 on a repair? It almost seems as if this type of problem, being as common as it is, would have a more simple fix. Does anyone know exactly what part(s) are going bad to cause this? Is this defect really something that cost this much to fix or is it just a cheap relay or connection that can be fixed? Has anyone ever fixed a cluster themselves?
Thanks,
Ryan
Thanks,
Ryan
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 62,153
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From: Athens AL
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
C4 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Re: whats with these digital clusters? (corvette8585)
What youll have to do is take it apart and resolder the connections, plus change the 4 bulbs. Not a $400 repair, but one that requires some knowhow.
I'm sure someone will have more clear step-by-step directions.
I'm sure someone will have more clear step-by-step directions.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 294
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From: Princeton Texas
Re: whats with these digital clusters? (corvette8585)
Do the turn signal and the bright light indicators glow a little? This happened to mine and turned out to be the ground pin on the circuit card had a cracked connection. While replacing the bulbs, check the connector on the circuit card to make sure there are no cracked solder joints at the connection point to the circuit card. The bulbs are available at pep boys. Remember not to get the oil from your skin on the bulb or it will cause premature failure. Handle the bulbs with gloves or a cloth.
fp
fp
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,261
Likes: 4
From: Middle River MD
Re: whats with these digital clusters? (corvette8585)
I saw a thread some time back about this and someone provided a link that was very detailed about troubleshooting and repairing the digital cluster. I may have it saved somewhere, but hopefully someone else has it available.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,261
Likes: 4
From: Middle River MD
Re: whats with these digital clusters? (HeeHaw89)
I think this is it! - http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/index.shtml
[Modified by HeeHaw89, 2:31 PM 2/5/2003]
[Modified by HeeHaw89, 2:31 PM 2/5/2003]
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
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From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Re: whats with these digital clusters? (corvette8585)
There are 2 circuit boards in the cluster and there is a single row of pins on the forward board that plugs into a socket on the rear board. The pin closest to the center of the board carries the lamp current and the socket spring relaxes with age and makes a resistance connection which gets hot from the lamp current. It unsolders the pin. Resolderin the pin won't help and I fixed mine by soldering a small insulated piece of hookup wire from the pin to the socket and will never have that problem again.
