QuestionQUESTION: Hello:
I own a 1998 Cadillac Deville (base model) and the instrument cluster is working intermittently. You could start out the day with all your dash lights and then at any time, poof!, the cluster section quits working. It's happened several times now in the past few weeks. it would be out for a few days or a day and it comes back on again. I know it isn't a fuse or it wouldn't come back on, although i did check it the first time it did this and it was fine. i've tapped it and nothing. My wife tapped it on th bottom this morning and she said it popped on. Well what do you think? I know that there is a body control module somewhere, don't exactly know, behind the glove box, or back seat somewhere, anyhow I was told that it carries a power supply to that cluster or perhaps the cluster has a loose connection, I don't know if thats a possibility or not, or is the darn cluster itself going bad. Those are my options as it stands. What can you tell me via your expertise?
Thank You
Donald
ANSWER: There's no way for me to be sure, but I think the cluster itself is going bad. Instrument cluster failures on this type of dash display are fairly common due to the electronic nature of the display. Eventually it will go off and not come back on.
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QUESTION: Hello again:
It's highly unlikely that I will be able to get a new cluster right? I would like your suggestion on a route to take. Used seems the only option other than refurb. A used one, with that same or more miles, might be, to me questionable. Refurbs are hard to locate. So what do you suggest?
Thanks Again
Donald
Answer Cadillac may have new ones still available, it would be worth asking. It will be expensive, but that will give an idea of how much to pay for used or refurbished. As to used ones, they are very likely to suffer from the same problem as your existing one. In every major metro area there is a shop that repairs instruments. Sometimes it is the same one that repairs OEM radios. If you ask around at a couple of used car lots you should be able to get the name of one of these guys. I think that would be your best solution.
