I've searched on these threads and have looked at them as they come up, since I knew that mine was on its way to trouble because it would periodically go blank. I've never seen or had what is happening now.

1-about 2 years ago, pulled the dash and cleaned the contacts and also installed a small wire for better contact in the post that is supposed to be the ground. This had minimal results, so I was looking to eliminate a nuisance.

2-today, pulled the dash and attempted to solder a small jumper wire to what I thought was the ground. This was to eliminate the dash losing power (you could still read the #s for mph, rpms, oil pressure and temp, coolant temp, mileage, etc., although not at night). I based the location of the wire on a picture I pulled off of a previous thread (can't find it, but if it would help someone in diagnosing the problem, I'll email it since I saved the photo).

Anyways, after soldering the wire, I reconnected the dash. I turned the key and thought (can't confirm) that all was ok. Got power to the dash was all I remembered. I put the fascia back on, all screwed in, and started the car and got a mess.

The mph gauge looked like a slot machine (the bars were lighting up and down at random) and the tach was completely off (I could see later on that the lights were working even though the tach area wasn't lighting up and showing no info-I drove it home with the fascia off). None of the driver's information was coming through. No oil pressure/temp, no mpg, no trip odometer, and worse of all, no fuel gauge. I thought maybe I didn't hook one of the harnesses up correctly, so I redid those with no success.

I went back to the jumper wire and removed it, reinstalled the dash, and got the same mess. After driving the car around (about 50 miles), the lights didn't light on and off as much on the mph, but still no info and no tach info at all. In fact, the mph actually read k/hr, even though the selection was on English units.

One note that may or may not be important. When the jumper wire was installed, it seemed as if the board was "higher". That the wire may have been interfering with some contacts. When the wire was pulled, it seemed to seat much better.

Does anyone have an idea as to where to begin? I really am not looking forward to sending this thing out to a repair shop that will get me for $200-$400. I'm aware that Gordon Killebrew has a book on these things, I'm wondering if anyone has one of those and if this particular issue is addressed. I'll probably be buying this book soon.

Thanks for any information on this one. I'm perplexed.

 

You might try this link. I am having lighting problems and have tried everything short of the light switch.

http://www.corvettemagazine.com/1999...ash/dashp1.asp

 

I am having the same problem, it goes totally dark then may or may not come back.

I found this, sounds more affordable.

 

I got this off a thread earleir... the most comprehensive instructions for digital dash repair I've seen.

http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/index.shtml

 

Got a question for ya- You say your dash works occasionally? When it is working, watch your Voltmeter. What does your Alt output look like?

My dash does the same thing yours does and I have gone over absolutely everything I can think of (or anyone else has suggested - including the digital dash repair book)... I think my problem may be power related... YOu have the exact same symptons... What are your volts reading (while idling and driving)?

 

My volts don't say anything since those driver information areas are blank. The box outline is lit up, but no information is being processed and displayed.

The altenator was replaced 1 month ago, with no problems since.

Prior to the replacement, the dash would cut in and out the same as it was doing recently. I'm sure it was a bad ground. These other issues that came up today have me very concerned because I'm thinking it could be a bad harness or the jumper wire thing having messed up the board somehow.

 

I think the search function and how far back you can search are messed up, so I will post what I have offered many times. The lights for the cluster connect through the pin closest to the center of the circuit boards (two boards) of a single row of pins that the boards plug each other together. The socket on the rear board (close to the driver) has its spring become age relaxed and this causes connection resistance and the lamp current then causes heat which unsolders the pin on the front board and your lamps become intermittent or go out. The easiest repair and it is permanent is to solder a short insulated small wire from the pin on the front board to the socket on the rear board and this problem will never show up again. Resoldering the pin and it will only unsolder itself again. You could install a new socket, but the wire is a permanent solution. I did it to mine about 5 years ago and I drive my 87 every day.

 

Mine would go blank.
I took all 3 layers apart,I wore 200 magnifying glasses & soldered all the solder joints that were cracked.About 50 of them.
You need solder removeing strips it sucks up the old solder & then resolder.
Ive had no problem since.

 

Well, tonite it worked for about 30 seconds, then the slot machine started up again. All areas blinking and flashing. I think I have some bad solder joints.

Will Gordon Killebrew's book help?

I'm a babe in the woods when it comes to electrical repairs.

 

I give, I am sending mine to this guy in the morning , he says there is a power supply that goes weak and can cause a lot of issues

http://www.corvettedashclusterservic...0Clusters.html

 

Well, it now works for longer periods of time. I've been driving it daily to work (about 20 miles each way), and it is working about 70-80% of the time. When it isn't working, I get some of the flashing lights some of the time, and the dash going blank some of the time. This scenario at least allows me to read my gauges.

Any thoughts? Cracked solder joint somewhere along the line?

 

happened to mine... power supply was shot... i think my alternator killed it....