Instrument panel backlight problem - Please help!
Thread Starter
2nd Gear
Joined: Dec 2009
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From: Belair Manitoba
Instrument panel backlight problem - Please help!
While on vacation in Florida I just purchased my first Corvette. I bought a 2002 Convertible and once returning home to Canada I noticed that the speedo/tach back lights are only working intermittently. All the other gauges aside from the speed and tach are working fine (radio, HUD buttons, heater and radio backlights all work great). Fuses are fine as they were the first things I checked. Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks in advance for your help! Great site!
Brad
Thanks in advance for your help! Great site!
Brad
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
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From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Our main Gauges (IPC) are actualy lit from the front by two UV (Blacklights) tubes on each side of the Cluster, Get your interior dark and turn your lights on, if you get your face close to the IPC and peer into each corner you should be able to see a faint Purple glow, that's the UV tubes... If you do not see that glow then your UV tubes are not working.
When the lights work intermittantly... do the gauges still function?
Have you checked for any codes by chance?
When the lights work intermittantly... do the gauges still function?
Have you checked for any codes by chance?
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
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From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
I believe you have to get a whole IPC just to get the Tubes! Nice huh?
Do the gauges still function when the lights flick off??? It could be the plug on the back of the IPC is loose...
Tim
Do the gauges still function when the lights flick off??? It could be the plug on the back of the IPC is loose...
Tim
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
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From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Use these, ignore the waterfall if you don't ahve a vert;
http://www.vetteessentials.com/instr...zel_howto.html
I doubt if it's the connector at the back of the IPC but hopefully you only have a loose connector at the UV power supply, here's it's connections;
Power (Thick Rainbow colored wires) and left UV tube harness (Blue and Gray wires);
Other side showing the UV tube, although it's dark;
Tim
http://www.vetteessentials.com/instr...zel_howto.html
I doubt if it's the connector at the back of the IPC but hopefully you only have a loose connector at the UV power supply, here's it's connections;
Power (Thick Rainbow colored wires) and left UV tube harness (Blue and Gray wires);
Other side showing the UV tube, although it's dark;
Tim
Last edited by tstar; Dec 6, 2009 at 05:44 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
Likes: 18
From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Those instructions in the site I sent are the best I've seen;
http://www.vetteessentials.com/instr...zel_howto.html
http://www.vetteessentials.com/instr...zel_howto.html
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From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Le Mans Master
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From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
15" huh? Heck Bill, I never thought of slapping chains on the ole girl and using her to plow my freaking Driveway! I actually got caught in a Blizzard on the way back form the New Header Install/Dyno session, it did prertty good.... Kinda!
Tim
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
hey Tim
T2 (Tim) and i have redone (yet again) my custom gauges from Speedhut. it turns out that wiring it to the white white only succeeded in killing 2 batteries in 9 months and about 20 visits from AAA (real nice guys BTW )
anyway... we have finally rewired it to the light blue (which i think is what u said to wire it to in the beginning). now i remember why i made the managerial decision to use the white wire instead (it made it brighter).... i cant read anything on the gauges using the light blue wire. its too dark at night. it looks like a blue mushy glow - no numbers. i have the black faces, white letters and blue glow. after reading this thread im wondering if the blue with the black light is the cause of the problem.
your thoughts?
T2 (Tim) and i have redone (yet again) my custom gauges from Speedhut. it turns out that wiring it to the white white only succeeded in killing 2 batteries in 9 months and about 20 visits from AAA (real nice guys BTW
)anyway... we have finally rewired it to the light blue (which i think is what u said to wire it to in the beginning). now i remember why i made the managerial decision to use the white wire instead (it made it brighter).... i cant read anything on the gauges using the light blue wire. its too dark at night. it looks like a blue mushy glow - no numbers. i have the black faces, white letters and blue glow. after reading this thread im wondering if the blue with the black light is the cause of the problem.
your thoughts?
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
Likes: 18
From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Hmmm I wouldn't think so BUT UVs can do some odd stuff for sure! The only real way to find out is to unplug the UV tubes from their power supply and see if that helps... You won't be able to see your needles though.
Your best bet if it still persists is to get Jeff (XtremeVette) to make you up a set of his custom faces for the Speedhut ones...
Tim
Your best bet if it still persists is to get Jeff (XtremeVette) to make you up a set of his custom faces for the Speedhut ones...
Tim
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 15,615
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From: exactly where i want to be
Cruise-In 9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
Hmmm I wouldn't think so BUT UVs can do some odd stuff for sure! The only real way to find out is to unplug the UV tubes from their power supply and see if that helps... You won't be able to see your needles though.
Your best bet if it still persists is to get Jeff (XtremeVette) to make you up a set of his custom faces for the Speedhut ones...
Tim
Your best bet if it still persists is to get Jeff (XtremeVette) to make you up a set of his custom faces for the Speedhut ones...
Tim
