I'd removed the top and front dash panels today to clean them up for dye and paint later this week, everything came apart and went back together nice and smooth.
After all was said and done, I get in, and turn the key, the gauge cluster lights work fine, the gauges themselves are fine, but the odometer is damn near blank.
Its like it doesnt want to glow at all. If I look real hard, you can *BARELY* see the digits.
But i'm stumped, i've checked the harness for the cluster and its secured just fine. I didnt futz with any electronics while I had the dash panels off.
What in the frack happened to my odometer, and how might i fix it?
Freakin morons.... When will they learn. Hold On Not Done Accelerating
Take the cluster out and give it a love tap. When I put my sunfire cluster in the temp guage was very dim, I gave it a tap and now it works fine.
Yup, a love tap or too is all you need.
Tried the love tap already... from many different directions.
It looks like the odometer LCD isnt getting proper voltage(???)
Freakin morons.... When will they learn. Hold On Not Done Accelerating
Got infuriated, tapped it rather hard, blinked on.... All well and good
Hit a bump... Blinked out... tapped again blinked on
This is annoying. I'm gonna rip apart the cluster tomorrow at the shop and check the connections for the odometer LCD
Freakin morons.... When will they learn. Hold On Not Done Accelerating
It's a common problem... even if you don't @!#$ around with the cluster (example: radio installation... but on a Cavalier, you have to remove the dash... so I guess it's 'near' it).
The odometer light always blanks out. Very common. Smack the top of the dash (pound it!!) and it should be good. There isn't any connection to check, the bulb is soldered in place.
If it's dead, you have to replace the cluster or somehow replace the bulb. Not easy to do.
would replacing the gauge cluster trip out the theftlock system?
I'm thinkin about just pickin up another cluster from a 'yard or something.
but that will only happen if i fail to solder in a new bulb
Freakin morons.... When will they learn. Hold On Not Done Accelerating
::EDIT::
well, removing the cluster is simple, done that already, might as well tear it apart and poke around while i'm at it, maybe give the cluster a new face too.
Freakin morons.... When will they learn. Hold On Not Done Accelerating
Defekter Engel wrote:would replacing the gauge cluster trip out the theftlock system?
I'm thinkin about just pickin up another cluster from a 'yard or something.
but that will only happen if i fail to solder in a new bulb
On a 2000-05 car, replacing the gauge cluster doesn't do anything since it's driven by the BCM. It's only if you swap the BCM or PCM you have passlock to reprogram.
On 95-99 cars... yes, you have to do the re-learn with the passlock system. Since the cluster is what controls the passlock... receives the R-code from the Passlock cylinder and sends the fuel password to the PCM.
that settles it, if replacing the bulb/led goes badly, then a new ('yard) cluster is on the way.
Freakin morons.... When will they learn. Hold On Not Done Accelerating
Perhaps i could try "tapping" with a 12lb sledgehammer?
Freakin morons.... When will they learn.
Hold
On
Not
Done
Accelerating
Yea after my deck install mine went out also! It is a pain to read it, I still haven't got mine fixed yet though!
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2000 Cavalier Z24 A4 Green Met.
I usually just "smack" the top of the dash nice and hard, with my open hand. Kinda like a spank.
On every car I've ever worked on.. this does the trick every time.
question about the odometer (kinda off-topic, but i didn't think it was worth a new thread)
the mileage is not actually saved on the odometer, correct? so, if i switched clusters from my car with 21000 miles to another with, say, 16000 miles, when i put the new cluster in my car, it would read 21000 and not 16000, right? and also, is any cluster from 00-05, cav or sunfire, interchangable? thanks for any help
i had to do the same thing when i put in my aftermarket cd player, some of my gagues didnt light up the whole way (the 5-6 rmp's)
My Other Ride
RIP Saint...Semper Fi.
Brown eye wrote:question about the odometer (kinda off-topic, but i didn't think it was worth a new thread)
the mileage is not actually saved on the odometer, correct? so, if i switched clusters from my car with 21000 miles to another with, say, 16000 miles, when i put the new cluster in my car, it would read 21000 and not 16000, right? and also, is any cluster from 00-05, cav or sunfire, interchangable? thanks for any help
i have the same question... only i have the stock gauge cluster that i will be removing and putting in another stock gauge cluster from a..... ummmmm..... toyota cav...both are 99 gauges clusters... any help(john im lookin your way
) would be apreciated
simple minds talk about other people.
average minds talk about events.
great minds discuss ideas
You can put any guage cluster from a 00-05 into a 00-05 cavalier or sunfire. Meaning, you can put a sunfire guage cluster into your cavalier or vise versa. Also, if you want a tach, you can easily do that too! Just get the cluster with a tach, and plug it in! Viola! No extra wiring needed! I did the same thing with my fiance's 01 cavalier. Her bulb went out after I added factory power locks, boy was that fun! Instead of buying a used exact same cluster, I bought one with a tach, no probs! If anyone wants a cluster without tach with a missing "brights bulb" for $10, let me know. I swapped the brights bulb into the odometer spot, it very difficult and your cluster may not work after fiddling. You have to remove the needles in order to pull these clusters apart which can sometimes ruin the tiny little gears.
Ooops, I forgot to mention. Changing your cluster out, will not affect your milleage. The milleage is stored in the bcm on the 00-05 cavaliers and sunfires.
^ cool, that's what I thought
thanks... looks like i'm getting a sunfire cluster (and HVAC panel)
does it also include the 99 gauge clusters? is the milage saved into the BCM as well?
simple minds talk about other people.
average minds talk about events.
great minds discuss ideas
I'm pretty sure on the 99's & older the mileage is on the cluster, b/c they have the analog mileage & not the digital.
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2000 Cavalier Z24 A4 Green Met.
some 98s and all 99s have digital odometer/tripometer
simple minds talk about other people.
average minds talk about events.
great minds discuss ideas
95-99 are stored in the cluster. 00-05 are stored in the BCM.
so my toyota gauge cluster will be whatever milage was on the toyota when i took it out? hmm that sux...
oh well
simple minds talk about other people.
average minds talk about events.
great minds discuss ideas
