Some gauges are dead?

[Beastolizer]

So the other day when I turned on my car, all my gauges except for the speedometer just died...they all moved when the car was turned on, then just fell back. Oddly, my speedometer is still working thankfully. I can't figure out what my problem might be. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Parker

[Jean]

What have you already checked?

[Beastolizer]

Basically just my fuses. those seem to all be working...And the fact that the speedometer works still is strange to me. I'm not very good with these kinds of things.

[rThor432]

Plug another cluster in to verify that the problem is in the cluster (which it almost definitely will be). Borrow one from a friend or pick one up at the pick and pull. It's good to have spare parts clusters.

Or just take your cluster apart and check out the SI batteries. There's a good chance that those are toast and they took the board out when they died. They like to leak corrosive acid all over the SI board, which contains a bunch of connections and solder joints for the cluster functions.

Good luck, have fun. For what it's worth, I do these repairs all the time and they are actually almost fun if you are into technical stuff. These cars tend to have issues with the clusters from time to time. even if it's something as small as the odometer gears crapping out. Might as well get used to it.

[Beastolizer]

I'm 17, I hate doing this kind of technical stuff. Buuut if thats what this calls for, then I'll do it.

[rThor432]

I'm 17, I hate doing this kind of technical stuff. Buuut if thats what this calls for, then I'll do it.

The whole thing can be taken apart with a Phillips-head screwdriver. Unless you opt to remove the fuel and coolant gauges which require an 8mm socket, which shouldnt be necessary.

Better to do technical stuff like this at 17 than to do subframe bushings and transmission jobs in the driveway. My opinion anyway-- I'd rather take a cluster apart in the air-conditioned office than to do hard labor out in the shop any day. :)

[bzboardz]

i have the exact same problem with my dash so as i get to fixing it i will update you

[Beastolizer]

The whole thing can be taken apart with a Phillips-head screwdriver. Unless you opt to remove the fuel and coolant gauges which require an 8mm socket, which shouldnt be necessary.

Better to do technical stuff like this at 17 than to do subframe bushings and transmission jobs in the driveway. My opinion anyway-- I'd rather take a cluster apart in the air-conditioned office than to do hard labor out in the shop any day. :)

Well it's not that I don't love working on my car, I just am not good at this technical stuff. It will be a good learning experience.

i have the exact same problem with my dash so as i get to fixing it i will update you

Cool beans.

[rThor432]

Well it's not that I don't love working on my car, I just am not good at this technical stuff. It will be a good learning experience.

Ha, try not to love working on it too much. If you let the E30 know that, it will take advantage of you by keeping you around waaay to much.

But yes, this is a great learning experience. Clusters can be a great money-maker. Solder joints, board swaps, and gauge trouble shooting are very simple and in automotive shops it pays well to know how to mess with them. I'm the only guy at my shop who messes with the internal cluster components, outside of the owner. It also gives me a good excuse to hang out in the air conditioned office library too (the actual shop isnt air conditioned, and can get pretty toasty).

[Beastolizer]

Ha, try not to love working on it too much. If you let the E30 know that, it will take advantage of you by keeping you around waaay to much.

But yes, this is a great learning experience. Clusters can be a great money-maker. Solder joints, board swaps, and gauge trouble shooting are very simple and in automotive shops it pays well to know how to mess with them. I'm the only guy at my shop who messes with the internal cluster components, outside of the owner. It also gives me a good excuse to hang out in the air conditioned office library too (the actual shop isnt air conditioned, and can get pretty toasty).

None of my friends can understand why I dump my money into my car but everyone on r3v certainly can :) It's an obsession now haha.

I'm gonna have to wait until next weekend or so to tackle this. One of my best friends who was addicted to drugs and was sent away to a rehab school in Oregon last December is coming back this Saturday for a week and it will be the first time I've seen him since then so my gauges will have to wait.

[b*saint]

Mine did the same thing only when it was hot. I sold the car before I fix it.

[Beastolizer]

Mine did the same thing only when it was hot. I sold the car before I fix it.

Cool story Hansel. :)

[HST]

Mine did the same thing only when it was hot. I sold the car before I fix it.

Yeah mine too, it keeps popping a fuse.

[Beastolizer]

Yeah mine too, it keeps popping a fuse.

Hmm, do you know which fuse it is?

[HST]

It is a 7.5 amp, it causes the car to not start as well.