InfiniteReality

My cluster hasn't worked for a full week and my HUD just shows "--" as well. My cluster plug is plugged in, since my seat belt, check engine light and turn signals all work (or come on when I start the car), but no back light, no DIC, etc....just dead.

I have a 04 cluster. Any help with which years will for sure work for my car, it's driving me nuts in the morning with no cluster lighting, no window switch lights and no fog lights.

thank you in advance, I need to get something ordered soon before I accidentally run out of gas one day.

SilverC54me

Any late 1999 through 2004 cluster will work with the HUD, without HUD any year IPC will work in any car with a possible lamp change for the seatbelt light. The cars mileage is stored in the cluster so replacing it will change that.

Now for one possible solution with out a complete cluster replacement. there is a small circuit board inside the cluster that may be bad. It controls the DIC display. This may also impact all the back lights on the dash.

Gary

InfiniteReality

Thanks for the help! I assumed the mileage would be in the cluster, although I was hoping not. Just a matter of finding a mileage close to mine now.

As far as the DIC circuit board, do you think if it's bad nothing will work? I should have clarified a bit more, I have zero gauges that actually work, no back lighting, no DIC, no fogs or window switch illumination. My window switches themselves work and will illuminate when I open the door to get in. The fogs do come on/off when I use the key fog, but neither works when driving. Mostly nothing works other than seat belt light, check engine and HUD illuminates "--"

Vetteman Jack

Moving to C5 Tech for more responses.

SilverC54me

From what you are describing I think there may be more wrong than a bad IPC. And the issues are probably not related however, there are a couple of common item that can cause a whole host of issues.

First is the connections at the starter where the battery and alternator cable come together.
Second is the ignition switch, these are notorious for arced contacts.
Third is the serial data bus, there are many points were issues can occur on it. The star connector in the passenger foot well, the wiring harness going into the doors, drivers seat harness can and has had bad connection in the connectors and potential shorts to ground or B+.

Each of these is well documented on the forum. Bill Curlee has posted detailed information on the ignition switch and serial data bus.

Gary

lionelhutz

Sounds like another issue besides the cluster being bad. The serial bus would be a good guess since it controls a lot of the lighting and passes data to the IPC.

InfiniteReality

Thanks for moving it in the tech section, I should know better. Also thanks for the replies!

The only reason I assumed it was the cluster was because when they'd go out or didn't come on, I could "love tap" the top of the dash and they'd come on. Sometimes first time, sometimes 10th time, but always did. I couldn't really find much information about this certain issue on the forum, other than one thread and a new cluster fixed it..

Something is definitely lose, or at least was lose since no gauges work now. Here's a little more information.... For the past month or so 90% of the time my gauges would work. They'd sometimes work and sometimes would randomly not work or go off and later come back on while driving. I noticed this over bigger bumps, but only sometimes. They typically always worked in the morning when going to work, but 50/50 shot if they'd work in the afternoon. Everything on the car worse fine, just the dang cluster as a whole.

I'll dig around on where SilverC54me suggested after work today and hope I get lucky. Will also check the fuses while in passenger foot well since they stopped work all together and maybe find a blown fuse which then I'll know something is grounding out. Any other suggestions while I'm digging around tonight?

Thanks again!

Bill Curlee

Take the cluster out and take it APART! Its modular and EASY as pie to troubleshoot.

Some of the connections are contact ribbon connectors and some are plug in connectors on the board. Take them out , inspect the contacts, clean them and reassemble.

Also carefully inspect the female pins inside the main connector on back of the module. Look for spread female pins. Conducting a male pin PUSH PULL test is the best way to insure that they are good and tight..

Here are some post on cluster dissection!

- C5 Gage Cluster disassembly - http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...post1570380674

- C5 Gage Cluster Post - http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...post1570380878

Hope this helps ya..

Nothing ventured,,,,,,, NOTHING GAINED!!!!

Bill

InfiniteReality

Pulled the dash apart last night and ya'll called it! Had a pin in the female plug for cluster harness loose. While pulling it apart, I tugged on the main harness wires and cluster worked again so knew that was the issue before I got the cluster out. I fixed it and no more dead gauges!!

Now the bad news, go figure, lol. On my way to work this morning, for some reason my right signal doesn't work now, haha. Doesn't work with the hazards either. Guess I have another loose pin on that harness it seems.