No speedometer, no tachometer, no temperature gauge, ABS light, airbag light

Tiny
BRAD PILLOUD
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO
  • 4.8L
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 200,000 MILES
No speedometer, no tachometer, no temperature gauge, ABS light, airbag light, random dead battery, transmission won't shift out of second gear and not one code. Riddle me this. I replaced shift solenoid A and B water pump, belt I'm about to set it on fire and drive it off a cliff.
Thursday, August 20th, 2020 AT 11:53 AM

17 Replies

Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
With all that going on, we need to start with checking for codes. Clearly we are going to have to start working through this once we know what the codes are. I doubt they are all related so let's get the codes and figure out what we can tackle on this post and then we will need to start a new post for different issues.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/checking-a-service-engine-soon-or-check-engine-light-on-or-flashing

We need to keep each post to one topic just so that others can find the solutions if they have a similar issue.

Let us know what codes there are and we can go from there. Thanks
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
BRAD PILLOUD
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
There are no codes.
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
If your ABS and airbag light are on then there has to be codes or the code reader could not communicate with them due to the code reader not being capable or they are not communicating with the tool.

What scan tool/code reader did you use to check codes?
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
BRAD PILLOUD
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
I've put my hands on every wire I can reach in this darn thing and I cannot figure it out.
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
BRAD PILLOUD
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
This Chinese dealio.
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-1
Thursday, May 13th, 2021 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
BRAD PILLOUD
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
The check engine light is not on.
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
BRAD PILLOUD
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
I can do without the tachometer and the speedometer and even the temperature gauge being out because the CPU will still tell me if the engine or transmission is overheating. But the transmission is acting like it's limp mode and I can't get it out. Reverse good, in drive first is good smooth into second (better be because I replaced the shift solenoids) but in second instead of shifting into third I lose power and the rpm's go up, I wouldn't know how far because the tachometer is stuck at 15000.
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
BRAD PILLOUD
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
Even stumped the expert.
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
Sorry for the delay. I was doing my actual job.

So focusing on the transmission issue, I need a complete breakdown of what you have done so far, what transmission you have (assume you have the 4L60 but you could have the 80). I see you did solenoids but did you do all of them or just the 1-2 solenoid?

Next just double check the fluid for level and condition and we can go from there.
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 54,137 POSTS
I have seen a bad cluster cause this problem. here is a video to show how to replace it with a rebuilt unit:

https://youtu.be/_HEC44xENxw

Please run down this guide and report back.
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
BRAD PILLOUD
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
I did solenoid 1 and 2 only the fluid was dark, but there was not any debris on the magnet other than the expected amount of the magnet sludge for this many miles, but nothing that would lead me to believe that any part of the transmission broke.
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
BRAD PILLOUD
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
Could a bad instrument cluster cause limp mode?
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
4DRTOM
  • MECHANIC
  • 467 POSTS
Hi Brad,
How did this problem first begin? Did this start with one thing went wrong then the others as time went by? Did you just buy the car or one day you went out to start it and it was haywire? Any moisture getting in the car (fog forming on the inside windows) or did it get wet and spills?
Tom
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
BRAD PILLOUD
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
I just bought it. I was driving and the trans got hot, assuming from water pump going out which I replaced. I pulled over let cool put water in it and when I went to drive it it was in limp mode and I can't get it out.
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
4DRTOM
  • MECHANIC
  • 467 POSTS
Hmm,

Interesting, so do you know the water pump was bad? Was it leaking or something like that. So I'm understanding that the engine did not overheat just the hot transmission light did go on then after it cooled down from sitting while you did the pump it was upon start it was in limp mode and the battery isn't holding a charge? Is the battery low now?
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
BRAD PILLOUD
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
Well, I've pulled out the stereo and the Sirius module and I've got the instrument cluster out and now the battery isn't draining over night, but it shudders while running a little. I haven't tried to drive it to see if it's out of limp mode yet though. The water pump I found out was leaking and that was the catalyst for the change.
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
4DRTOM
  • MECHANIC
  • 467 POSTS
Hello,

i ask about the battery being low because a low voltage condition will cause modern cars to do strange things. With the battery having a full charge and shorting the battery cables together to reset the computer let us know if your out of limp mode. Then we can find out why the cluster is running the battery down. How old is the battery?
Tom
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021 AT 6:38 PM

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