New user and New to GM- cluster and slow elec drain

[YukonXL04]

If your fuel pump ever dies you can always give the gas tank a good slap with a 2x4. It doesn`t always work but i`ve seen it work many times. It`s not a fix by any means but it will allow you to get it home or a repair shop.

I forgot to add that you should have the key on when you hit the tank, If it works you`ll hear the pump start up.

This has worked on my bros 88 truck and my blazer, didn't work on my grand am.

 

[Sasquatch]

And if your gauge cluster is dead you can always send it out to this guy on ebay that repairs it and sends it back to you with all new stepper motors and also adds a trans temp gauge and programs it to work. you can also choose different color gauge needles.

My oil pressure stepper went bad a few weeks ago and i`m thinking about going with this setup he offers.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221292190131?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

[Red Rider]

Haha.. thanks for the tip. I will carry special 2x4 in the truck. That is a good thing to know in case i gets stuck.

yukonxl04, thanks for the heads up on filter and pump. I will look at records and perhaps change out the filter. I can't imagine that filter is that expensive...

I drove it home last night. We had to jump it. the battery, brand new, was down to 2-3 volts. It jumped fine and showed it charging. if you accelerated, you could see the amps move. When it was home, 30min later, i turned it off, and it showed about 12 some volts. It started up again sluggishly.

The hitch outlet on rear bumper had a tab bent, but it did not seem to be touching others so I don't thinks this was issue with drain. I bent them back.

The cluster came back on and was working fine. I had no single dead gauge and all seemed to be working fine. PO said when it dies, it goes completely dead... whole cluster off. Cluster had been ongoing thing for many years. when they took it to dealer, it always worked fine.

PO said no additions had been made recently. Only aftermarket item is a dvd player for rear, added in 2004 by dealer.

I did not have time to check it out last night, but i will do so hopefully tonight. I will start by looking at records to see what was done recently, to see if perhaps a mechanic shorted out a wire.

 

[Red Rider]

Messed with truck tonight. It had about 12v on battery and sluggishly started. I found one fuse at instrument panel fuse box, left of driver, That had a wire sticking out of it. Fuse was not properly set. The fuse was labeled 'tbc accy'- truck body controller accessory. I think this wire was for the entertainment system for rear of vehicle installed by dealer. Pretty shoddy install. Cluster was dead again bTW.

I checked the fuses in engine compartment as well. I found one labeled 'IPC/DIC' - instrument panel cluster /driver information center. After I pulled it, with key out of ignition, I measured 12v. After resetting it, the mileage went blank, meaning all LEDs were lit up. But it would not turn off, event after couple minutes, and interior lights dimmed off. I pulled the fuse again for the night thinking my drain may be from cluster. I will check it tomorrow.

 

[Red Rider]

here is a picture of my dash once i put the fuse back in:

 

[jesse53]

If your fuel pump ever dies you can always give the gas tank a good slap with a 2x4. It doesn`t always work but i`ve seen it work many times. It`s not a fix by any means but it will allow you to get it home or a repair shop.

I forgot to add that you should have the key on when you hit the tank, If it works you`ll hear the pump start up.

Agree! That got me from being stranded on Christmas eve once in the middle of nowhere in a Dodge Van.

---------- Post added at 09:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:58 AM ----------

I know a place that rebuilds that cluster if that is the problem..

 

[Red Rider]

Took it out tonight. Battery was at 11.6v. But started up fine. Gauges were all working fine again. When I shut it off, this time, there was one dot in middle of odometer on, even after vehicle was locked. I came back 15min later, gauges dead again. Crazy. When they work, everything is perfect.

When I shut it off, battery was at 12.16v.

 

[Red Rider]

Has anyone used the eBay repair shop Sasquach recommended in post #12 ?

Here is link again:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221292190131?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

It is not bad pricing. $227 plus shipping of old core. Not sure cost of shipping and insuring a cluster.

 

[Red Rider]

So i finally took my cluster completely apart. There was really nothing in there that you could mess with as it is all microchips. There were two capacitors that seemed ok though i did not measure there capacity.

The LED tubes that have the odometer and gear indicator had what seemed like a hot spot on inside of both as if something had burned out.

I then re-assembled it all, plugged it back in. It has been working fine since. Has not gone out once. I am suspecting that it could be a problem with the contacts in the connector between cluster and wiring harness. I saw a YouTube video that showed how to re-tightened the female part of connector.

It is weird that it is working now though. I am thinking it may be short lived. Wait and see. The weird thing is that when i unbolted the cluster, is moved the wires around at the connector, and there was not change in cluster. You would think that if this was an issue, it would show.

 

[Red Rider]

So its been two weeks, every time i start up the truck, cluster is working perfectly. Don't know what I did, but I guess it worked... Frustrating (in a good way). I guess I will focus on the other issues