[Milton-Adamou]

Hi guys,

Today I decided to finally fix my odometer. After reading a few posts on the forum, I ordered myself a 15 tooth gear (luckily the right one) and then proceeded to remove the instrument cluster.

Wow...what a pain in the neck!! Is it just me or is it really, really cramped in there! Maybe it has to do with the fact that I didn't remove the steering wheel. In any event, I don't even know how I managed to disconnect the three main cables as well as the twin-bolted plugs and finally pull out the cluster. This seemed to take forever!

Once out, replacing the actual gear was very easy, especially when following the tutorial found on this forum.

Then I put it all back together...and that's when my problems began.

Basically, the odometer and trip meter now work perfectly, but the three main bulbs that light up the instrument cluster when you turn on the headlights just wont turn on! I did the prudent thing and just connected everything up first before putting the whole dashboard back together, so I can clearly see that the three bulbs are just dead! This is also odd because the watch - triggered by the same headlights switch - works fine (dimmer and all).

Furthermore, my airbag light has gone on. This wasn't the case before I opened up the instrument cluster.

Any ideas?

cheers,


milton

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[PorscheDude]

Here's a good write up on bulb replacement. Also includes how to improve the reflectors inside for better lighting.
http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/elect-08.htm

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[F355GTS]

My lights stopped working after I removed the dash, it wasn't the bulbs but just bad connections from the holders to the flexible PCB, I cleaned up the contacts and they all worked fine.

With the Airbag light did you switch on the ignition with the dash disconnected? if so I think the airbag system will need a dealer reset

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[wiseman]

Yup, same thing. Fixed the gear and then got an Airbag light plus the dreaded <!--sizeo:6--><!--/sizeo-->!. <!--sizec--><!--/sizec--> Had my mechanic reset it.

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[Milton-Adamou]

Yep, that's the other article I was reading. I figured whilst I was in there I would make some 'improvements'. So I called my local Autozone, confirmed that they stocked Sylvania 194 bulbs, but when I got there and read the label, the bulbs were rated 14V 4.6W, not 12V 3.78W as per the article! These were the clear ones. The amber ones were 14V 3.8W, but the voltage is still wrong and they're amber! I can't win [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif[/img]

So I guess I'll try and clean up the connectors. Are we talking about the actual plugs attached to the car, or the PCB connectors attached to the instrument cluster? Also, do you know what the double strapped connector that also goes to the cluster actually powers?

cheers,


milton

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[Milton-Adamou]

Was that *every* light on cluster, including the individual ones, or just the bottom three lights that light up the entire cluster? It's only the bottom three that don't work in my case.

cheers,


milton

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[F355GTS]

Milton

Mine was the bottom 3 lights and it's the bulb holder to flexible PCB that I cleaned up and resolved my problem

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[Milton-Adamou]

Hi mate,

I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out here. I'm just a little slow with this stuff [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif[/img]

when you say bulb holder, do you mean the receptacle that actually holds the buld itself? In other words did you pop the bulb and clean inside the socket? or are you talking on the reverse of the instrument panel, where the blue PCB meets...I just can't figure this out!

Excuse me mate. I just need to sort this out and I just seem to be trying everything but getting nowhere!

cheers,


milton

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[F355GTS]

no didn't take the bulbs out, just where the bulb holder joins the blue PCB, clean both the holder contacts and the PCB

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[968TDG]

You know, I haven't gotten around to replacing my odometer gear, but at one point my instrument cluster lights went out, and I noticed if I press the trip reset button a bit hard they turn back on...so maybe try that? I know it's a long shot, but it definitely happens on my car.

-Phil

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[Milton-Adamou]

Still no luck [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif[/img]

Are there are fuses that could potentially be responsible for this? I looked through the fuse box at everything that sounded remotely related, but everything is good.
Also, what is the fourth 'double connector' responsible for? The one that connects to the bunch of wires coming out of the back of the instrument cluster. I've unplugged the other three flat connectors one by one and noted their respective functions. I just can't seem to figure out what the double connector does?

This is starting to wind me up now, especially since I've 'reconditioned' my instrument cluster mirrors and can't wait to see how much more light I'm getting on the displays! [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif[/img]

cheers,


milton

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[Milton-Adamou]

This is driving me mad!!!

I've cleaned all the connections between the bulbs, sockets, pcbs, lubed up the bulbs with a thin coat of bulb grease, pressed the tripmeter hard, cleaned all the 'edge' connectors for the three gauges and the 'twin-strapped' connectors as well...still no luck! All the other lights come on, including the clock light when the headlights are on, odometer/tripmeter work fine, everything, but I just can't get the three main bulbs to turn on! I'm fairly certain it can't be the bulbs themselves because they were working fine before I took the whole thing apart.

At this stage I'm thinking that I may have yanked a wire or something when I was taking the cluster out...or something! Ideally I'd like a way to verify whether it's on the cluster end or on the dashboard side.

If anyone has ANY suggestions, please let me know.

cheers,


milton

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[DaveN]

I would imagine that all 3 bulbs are in a series/parallel cct so, and I know it's tight in there, you can get out a DVM and follow the lack of voltage back to the actual connector of the flexible PCB. If you have no voltage at the point where it enters the connector the at least you can now pull out the official wiring diagram and find you way back to the battery.
It may just be a bent pin on the connector or a pinched point on the flexible PCB as I would suspect. After all, there is no reason for the light voltage runs not to go to a common bus rail before it leaves the PCB.

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[Milton-Adamou]

Hi guys,

So in the end I pulled out my Voltage Meter and just tapped around. In five minuted I reliased that the three bulbs were receiving current just fine. I then tested all three bulbs. Dead as doorknobs! Shock, horror, can't believe I didn't even try this out sooner. I just didn't think it was possible that ALL three bulbs could have gone out together, especially when everything was working fine before I pulled out the instrument cluster.

So I guess sometimes it is the simplest things...just thought I'd let everyone know.

cheers,


milton

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