All gauges(including lights) and DIC does not work...ideas?
Thread Starter
Resident moron
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,746
Likes: 20
From: Assachusetts
All gauges(including lights) and DIC does not work...ideas?
After storing my car for the winter, and pulling it out - I've discovered this problem. The car starts, runs, moves fine. However, none of the gauges move (including at startup), no info on the DIC, and the DIC buttons do nothing (not even a beep). I figured it was a fuse - searched around and found no blown fuses.
Think my cluster just died? Or are there other possible problems?
Anything would be useful, I'd hate to shell out the $$ for a cluster and have it not be the problem.
Dope
Think my cluster just died? Or are there other possible problems?
Anything would be useful, I'd hate to shell out the $$ for a cluster and have it not be the problem.
Dope
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 15,960
Likes: 21
From: West Norriton PA
St. Jude Donor '08
Since your DIC is not working I would get hand held scanner to check for codes.
Seems like a bad ground or maybe the body control module ?
Post back codes after using scan tool.
Seems like a bad ground or maybe the body control module ?
Post back codes after using scan tool.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 13,459
Likes: 1
From: Westport, MA. www.tbyrnemotorsports.com - 1-877-4-TBYRNE
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
Had a simular problem with a C6. The guages wouldn't move at all when the ignition was turned on and the car would just crank. Must have moved the right wire or ground at some point because the car ran fine after that.
Drifting
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 1,917
Likes: 3
From: Southern NH
Just to clarify, are just the analog gauges and DIC dead, but the dummy lights work (i.e. Parking Brake)? The reason I ask is the dummy lights are on a separate circuit and ground.
Fuse 19 in the passenger footwell fuse panel provides +12V for the instrument panel gauges when the ignition is ON or START. If that's not blown, then the next thing to check is the ground, which is Splice Pack SP208, which in turn is grounded to G104:
SP208 - Instrument Panel Harness on RH side of instrument panel.
G104 - Below the battery tray on the RH frame rail.
But SP208 is also the ground for a few other things, including the keyless entry receiver so if your keyless works it's definitely not the G104, but still possible its in SP208 .
Don't know how much help this is but hopefully you'll find it.
Fuse 19 in the passenger footwell fuse panel provides +12V for the instrument panel gauges when the ignition is ON or START. If that's not blown, then the next thing to check is the ground, which is Splice Pack SP208, which in turn is grounded to G104:
SP208 - Instrument Panel Harness on RH side of instrument panel.
G104 - Below the battery tray on the RH frame rail.
But SP208 is also the ground for a few other things, including the keyless entry receiver so if your keyless works it's definitely not the G104, but still possible its in SP208 .
Don't know how much help this is but hopefully you'll find it.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,384
Likes: 8
From: Southwest Virginia
My guess is you don't have enough power to the IPC. I'm guessing foot fuse 19 or 25.
After an unfortunate incident with a defective battery charger where I shot 128VAC into my IPC
I have learned a LOT about the IPC, how it works, why it don't work, and how to repair it! I know more about the IPC than I ever wanted to know! I can tell you that all it takes to make the cluster sweep the gauges and display the "Corvette by Chevrolet" message on the DIC is 12VDC on pins A13 and A14 and ground on B13 or B15 or any of the other grounds. If you hook power and grounds to these points, you will see the IPC respond, of course that is if the IPC is good. A14 is full time power and is feed on an orange wire through 10A foot well fuse 25, which also feeds full time power to the BCM. Power A15 is hot on start and run, and is feed on a pink wire through 10A foot well fuse 19. Ground on B13 is on a black/white wire. You didn't say what year car and nothing listed in your profile so I'm guessing around the middle so here is a diagram for a 2000.
Also a few other things to try:
If you have a HUD what is it showing?
Does the IPC back light work?
Does turning the dash light dimmer make the radio or other lights dim?
Does your key fobs work?
After an unfortunate incident with a defective battery charger where I shot 128VAC into my IPC
I have learned a LOT about the IPC, how it works, why it don't work, and how to repair it! I know more about the IPC than I ever wanted to know! I can tell you that all it takes to make the cluster sweep the gauges and display the "Corvette by Chevrolet" message on the DIC is 12VDC on pins A13 and A14 and ground on B13 or B15 or any of the other grounds. If you hook power and grounds to these points, you will see the IPC respond, of course that is if the IPC is good. A14 is full time power and is feed on an orange wire through 10A foot well fuse 25, which also feeds full time power to the BCM. Power A15 is hot on start and run, and is feed on a pink wire through 10A foot well fuse 19. Ground on B13 is on a black/white wire. You didn't say what year car and nothing listed in your profile so I'm guessing around the middle so here is a diagram for a 2000.Also a few other things to try:
If you have a HUD what is it showing?
Does the IPC back light work?
Does turning the dash light dimmer make the radio or other lights dim?
Does your key fobs work?
Thread Starter
Resident moron
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,746
Likes: 20
From: Assachusetts
Thanks for the suggestions of things to try. I will check it out and get some answers this weekend. I can't remember if the backlight or dummy lights work or not, but I'm thinking no.
The keyless entry also stopped working.
I have no HUD, the car is a 99 FRC btw.
The car may have drained all battery power at some point during the winter, the charger slipped off at some unknown point and was reconnected when it was found. Not sure if that might be related.
I have had the dash apart before to install a shift light, and I had a minor water problem from the passenger A-pillar at one time too, just for more info.
I will check the ground underneath the battery, maybe clean it up and re-attach it. Got any pics of it? Or is it obvious?
Dope
The keyless entry also stopped working.
I have no HUD, the car is a 99 FRC btw.
The car may have drained all battery power at some point during the winter, the charger slipped off at some unknown point and was reconnected when it was found. Not sure if that might be related.
I have had the dash apart before to install a shift light, and I had a minor water problem from the passenger A-pillar at one time too, just for more info.
I will check the ground underneath the battery, maybe clean it up and re-attach it. Got any pics of it? Or is it obvious?
Dope
Thread Starter
Resident moron
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,746
Likes: 20
From: Assachusetts
All right, long time no see but I got some time to work on the car.
Here's what is happening:
The key fob did not work initially but a re-synch fixed it.
All of the dummy lights (brake, high beams, directionals, check engine etc etc) ALL work fine.
None of the gauges move, nor does the DIC display anything. The DIC buttons don't make any sound. The IPC backlight does not work, nor does adjusting the dimmer switch change the radio brightness.
Everything else electronic in the car works fine. Radio, AC/fan/etc. Just no gauges, DIC, or gauge backlights. Car starts and runs fine.
Something I noticed, is with the ignition on there is a light buzzing coming from somewhere in the dash. I don't know if I've never noticed it before but it's there.
I replaced fuses 19 and 25, no change.
Finally, one thing I wanted to mention is that I've always had a problem with bcm->pcm communication in the car. If I lose battery power or disconnect the battery for a while, they lose communication. I have to resynch them with the proper resynch procedure and then the car will start again. I don't think this is the problem (the car starts just fine) but I wonder if the BCM is going out or something like that.
Or should I just buy a new gauge cluster?
Or what else to try/test?
Dope
Here's what is happening:
The key fob did not work initially but a re-synch fixed it.
All of the dummy lights (brake, high beams, directionals, check engine etc etc) ALL work fine.
None of the gauges move, nor does the DIC display anything. The DIC buttons don't make any sound. The IPC backlight does not work, nor does adjusting the dimmer switch change the radio brightness.
Everything else electronic in the car works fine. Radio, AC/fan/etc. Just no gauges, DIC, or gauge backlights. Car starts and runs fine.
Something I noticed, is with the ignition on there is a light buzzing coming from somewhere in the dash. I don't know if I've never noticed it before but it's there.
I replaced fuses 19 and 25, no change.
Finally, one thing I wanted to mention is that I've always had a problem with bcm->pcm communication in the car. If I lose battery power or disconnect the battery for a while, they lose communication. I have to resynch them with the proper resynch procedure and then the car will start again. I don't think this is the problem (the car starts just fine) but I wonder if the BCM is going out or something like that.
Or should I just buy a new gauge cluster?
Or what else to try/test?
Dope
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