instrument panel gremlin!
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: marion nc
instrument panel gremlin!
i have a 99 coupe with 24,000 miles. the other night it started doing weird things like instrument panel lights staying on and not timing out and the passenger side window would not work. i charged the battery with a batt. tender and disconnected the cables. everything went back to working except now the right side of the instrument panel is not backlit. the batt. and fuel gauges work but do not illuminate. i have the correct battery and it is one year old. it reads 12.5 with the cables connected and 14.5 with the engine running. the fuses are ok and the dimming **** is working as well........any ideas?.......clay
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
The IP Cluster is illiuminated by two rear high voltage tubes. I would suspect that one of those tubes or the high voltage supply has failed. Now having said that, this would be the first time I've ever heard of this happening. Please pull your codes to start with and see if anything is in there. I guess its possibly the IPC has a failure and note that GM does not sell the parts individually. If you acquire a new IPC, then you'll need to get the odometer updated to reflect the actual mileage and keeping within the law.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
I will give you the answer IF you promise to report back the conclusion and results!
Remove the rubber accordion tube between BOTH doors. Fish the connectors out of the door frame A pillar..
Disconnect the power connector and look for deformed female pins.
Look for deformed female pins.. If you find any,, bend the toung up and that will allow it to make better contact with the male pin.
Remove the rubber accordion tube between BOTH doors. Fish the connectors out of the door frame A pillar..
Disconnect the power connector and look for deformed female pins.
Look for deformed female pins.. If you find any,, bend the toung up and that will allow it to make better contact with the male pin.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: marion nc
thanks again! Bill
for whatever reason my problem has fixed itself for now. everything is working as it should. i believe my battery got very low and caused me some electrical woes. i am using a battery tender faithfully from this point forward...............Bill, thank you very much for taking time to help me out, pictures and all......Clay
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
for whatever reason my problem has fixed itself for now. everything is working as it should. i believe my battery got very low and caused me some electrical woes. i am using a battery tender faithfully from this point forward...............Bill, thank you very much for taking time to help me out, pictures and all......Clay
Clay
You should NOT need a tender. Your battery should be able to sit idle for in excess of 30 days!
One day when the battery is fully charged, drive to AutoZone and have them fully test the battery and charging system.
If the battery is good and runs down prematurely, you have an excessive battery parasitic drain issue.
If the issue returns, let us know.
The issue that you have seems like a serial data buss issue problem more than a power issue. If it ever strands you open both doors and shake BOTH accordion tubes and see if that resolves the issue
BC
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 145
Likes: 0
From: Kingston, On
Hello, I had the same problem a couple of weeks ago, instrument panel acting weird and getting just about every DIC warning message possible. The oil pressure gauge was at zero, water temp was pegged, fuel was zero. Warning lights all on. All power in passenger door was gone, no locks or window. I followed Bill's advice and fixed the connector, and everything is good now.
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