Mr. Whizzard called today to tell me he'd fixed the power supply and trip meter and everything else on my 1986 cimarron instrument panel. but when he first powered it up, the odometer displayed all zeroes. After doing the repairs, the odometer now displays ERROR.
He had another Cimarron panel there that he'd cannibalized parts from for others, and its NVRAM also displaued ERROR when installed in my panel. His assumption is that both NVRAM chips are bad.
Anyone know where I can get a replacement NVRAM? Ideally pre-programmed to display 96,480 miles?
I called a GM dealer and they said AC Delco will not sell just the NVRAM chip. They'll only take the panel and repair it, replacing the NVRAM if needed, or do a whole panel exchange for a refurbished unit. What's that cost? Around THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS! Just fork over $300 and another two weeks and Delco will happily pop in a chip that cost a few cents or at most a few dollars.
My panel doesn't need repaired! (Now that it's been fixed for $189!) It only needs one stinking little chip. Nice racket AC Delco has there, if the panel manages to last to the maximum 200,000 miles the NVRAM chip will display, the car owner is still going to be jacked for $300 if he doesn't want the odometer displaying FULL. It's situations like this when I wish there was a lawyer in the family...
"What is it about pyromania and civil insurrection?" she wondered. "Can't anyone stage a riot without bringing the matches?" Major Serafina Palacios, Imperial Marines
Here's a picture of the chip I need. I wonder if any other GM's used this same chip?
"What is it about pyromania and civil insurrection?" she wondered. "Can't anyone stage a riot without bringing the matches?" Major Serafina Palacios, Imperial Marines
Check google. Just google ER-1451I. I came up with a couple but you have to contact/email them for a quote.
-Seth
