Cluster doesn't light up it will not start!

Hi,

This is an odd one. I have a few questions. When this happens, do any of the electrical components work? If nothing does, have you checked the basics such as a poor connection at the battery or the ground at the engine?

Also, have you been able to scan the computer to see if there are diagnostic codes that could be related? I ask because this sounds more like an electrical issue than a defective instrument panel. If it were only the panel, that would be different.

Let me know as much as you can.

Take care,

Joe

PS: Yep, hands are still getting dirty. LOL

Hi guys. I've read about this quite often, and I did repair this problem on a relative's '99 van. There were broken solder connections on the instrument panel's connector, but I can't remember if you just had to flip the assembly over or if the circuit board had to be unbolted, then flipped over. He was getting it to crank for about six months by banging on the top of the dashboard. Funny thing is he didn't remember anything quitting or going dead while he was driving.

As I recall, there's two rows of terminals on the connector. The broken connections usually occur on those at the end of a row. Look for a thin crack or a black circle around the terminal where it's soldered to the board. Resoldering those connections almost always only needs to be done once in the life of the vehicle.

I'd have to guess the replacement cluster didn't solve the problem either because it also has bad connections, or it was for a different application, meaning different set of optional equipment.