Batteries for SI board?!?!?!

[2l2ltq]

I have been reading on the millions of little things that can cause the tach to intermittently stop working and I am curious as to where is the best place to purchase new batteries for the SI board and i can install them myself??

[jlevie]

The batteries are soldered in. Are you up for replacing them? Before you order batteries you need to pull the SI board and see if the batteries have leaked and caused corrosion on the board. If so, replace the board. Since you don't say what car we can't say what SI board you may have and which batteries it requires.

[dnguyen1963]

Take the SI board (assuming that it is fine w/o any corrosion) to Batteries Plus. They can put in the new batteries for $10 (NiCd).

[Aleman]

I'm currently in the process of replacing my SI batteries. I have the old ones removed, and the new ones are in the mail. I've read that the new batteries need to be fully charged before soldering them onto the board. I have the short lithium batteries & have no idea how to charge them. Has anyone had bad results by installing the batteries uncharged? Can I just go for a long drive to charge them after installation? Thanks!

[dnguyen1963]

Make a metal clip and hook it up the the charger.

[Gregs///M]

New lithium batteries come pre-charged. Just install them. NiCd batteries must be charged first.

[Aleman]

New lithium batteries come pre-charged. Just install them. NiCd batteries must be charged first.

Correct sir. The lithium batteries were pre-charged.

I would not recommend the battery replacement operation for the novice. I screwed up my SI board, because I think I might have used a soldering iron that was too hot for the board to withstand. I had a really tough time installing the new batteries, because the mounting points require very precise soldering. I'm just going to buy a rebuilt SI board from Guten Parts and replace the whole SI board as an assembly - WITH new batteries already installed/mounted.

[dnguyen1963]

Yes, you must use a solder gun designed for electronics.

[redsubdivisions]

I would start with the coding plug on the front of the cluster. That turned out to be my issue, but everyone's is different. They can be had for real cheap online and it's an easier step to start with than ripping the whole cluster out. Ask me how I know. lol

[Gregs///M]

I would start with the coding plug on the front of the cluster. That turned out to be my issue, but everyone's is different. They can be had for real cheap online and it's an easier step to start with than ripping the whole cluster out. Ask me how I know. lol

That's strange, I've rebuilt close to 80 SI boards and I've never seen a coding plug fail. However, it is a solid state chip so I can't say they are 100% robust.

Changing the SI board batteries are best left to professional technicians or someone experienced in soldering.

Low temperature, pencil tip soldering irons should be used. Proper de-soldering techniques should be used. The batteries are also glued onto the board so that is a challenge removing them physically.

Lastly, and most importantly, care must be taking in removing all of the solder from the tabs. If the battery tabs are still adhered to the soldering cups on the board, they can be easily ripped off, ruining the SI board.

Also you must install your new batteries with good solder joints. If your heat it up too much, you will damage the printed circuit board. If you heat it up too low, the solder will not flow correctly into the joint and fail prematurely.

It would be best to practice on some garbage electrical circuits. Remove some simple components and reinstall them.