Help! My 86 c4 has gauge cluster problems

[501nbc]

I have a 86 c4 and I'm having problems with my gauges. The cluster doesn't come on the first time you turn the key on. After you turn it off and back on again a couple of times it starts to cycle through all the item on the cluster. It never shows the right gas level, speed, tach, or anything. The lights inside the cluster were blown. So I changed them thinking it would fix. But did no good. They won't even come on. I would appreciate the help!

Nick

 

[boomdriver]

Could be a couple things...

There is a common digital cluster issue that helped end their use, but thats easy to repair. Thats just a cracked solder connection on the circuit board. It can make the cluster go dark, flicker, or the signal lites & hi beam lite ON with everything else dark. Common complaint. Sometimes the larger section screens get damaged. Thats not good. Rebuild/exchanges are around $350 if yours is repairable.

The other possibility is a bad ground....somewhere. The harness has grounds in several places. Rear of driver side cyl-head, trans bellhousing, engine block behind oil filter...and others along the frame as needed. All dash power originates from a single post behind the battery where fusable links protect base power supply. Those are good for corroding being near the battery with the corrosive fumes or spillage around the battery.

 

[vetteoz]

Bad grounds are common cluster problems

Some reading
batee.com - C4 Corvette Digital Cluster Instrument Gauge Panel Meter Dash Repair Guide 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989

 

[501nbc]

The high beam light and the blinkers work fine. It's just the gauge themselves that's not working. The problem didn't just start at once. It started withe the background light on the cluster first. You could see the speedo and other things but was very hard. And now it shows nothing when the key is first turned on. If you turn the lights on then the clusters will light up on one side but does not read correct. Then you turnbthe lights off and the cluster cycles thru the rest of the functions and goes blank. I gave taken the cluster apart and replace the lights inside. But they don't work either.

Nick

 

[vetteoz]

It started withe the background light on the cluster first. You could see the speedo and other things but was very hard. And now it shows nothing when the key is first turned on.

Did you READ the link I posted for you above????

http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/repairing_interboard_connector/repair.htm