QuestionQUESTION: The electronic instrument cluster only partially works. I have been told that the part needed to repair it is no longer available. The head lights come on by themselves and continues to run the battery down, when jumped it will start but for now it just sits in the garage because you never know if it will start again when you take it out. Is this a lost cause or is there something that can be done to repair the car. It originally belonged to a family friend and only has about 70K miles on it and is in great condition other than these problems. Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
ANSWER: Hi Sarah,
Let me look at the wiring diagrams to see why the headlights might come on by themselves. But first: Are the low beam lights coming on and if so can you switch them to high beam in the usual manner..or do the high beam lights come on by themselves?
What parts of the instrument cluster don't work?
Roland
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QUESTION: Hi Roland,
It is just the low beams that come on, a couple of times when we had been driving at night they had gone off by themselves and took hitting the switch several times before they came back on to. The high beams did not come on. the parts of the instrument cluster that don't work include sometimes the speedometer, but that seems to be working now. The odometer & trip display, seat belt reminder, headlight indicator (both high & low), temperature gauge, fuel gauge, voltage gauge, message center...basically most everything but the speedometer. This happened about 2 years ago but hasn't done it since..the doors would lock on there own when the car was turned off. Some of the other switches such as some of the seat adjustments and cruise control don't work as well. I hope this clarifies. Thank you for your quick response. Is this a lost cause? Thank you sooo much for your help with this, I feel like I'm at my wits end. But I love the car.
ANSWER: Hi Sarah,
Let us deal with one problem at a time. The low beam head lamps coming on by themselves, in light of the history of them going off by themselves which you say was corrected by "hitting the switch several times" suggests that the problem is internal to the headlamp switch. Aside from removing and replacing the switch that could be verified by means of an ohmmeter to test across two sets of pins that control the headlight activation inside the switch. Is there someone there who can get involved?
There is a short term way to gain control over the low beam headlamp activation by itself and that is by removing a small square box under the dash located in what is called the "relay block" located on the panel next to the driver's left leg. It has spaces for 17 such boxes and the specific box in question is the next to the most forward box in the top row of 4 spaces in that top row, e.g. the #2 space counting from the front. If you pull out that box the low beam lamps will be disabled (but not the high beams). Then you can safely use the car without fearing that the battery will be discharged. It is possible that relay itself is turning 'on' by itself rather than the headlamp switch being the cause and that could be checked also with the meter, but given the history I suspect the headlamp switch proper. That is something that could be bought at a dealer or at a junkyard from a '92 Lebaron or Daytona. But for now, try removing relay #2 in the top row so the low beams won't come on by themselves. You can insert it back in when you need them for night driving.
There is a electronic cluster repair service in Canada that I can give you the address and phone number for, but even that would be good first to check out wiring of it for a possible 'cold' solder joint which could be fixed with a touch of a soldering pencil to the circuit board. Again, anyone handy there?
As to the other issues, let deal with those later.
Thanks for the rating and nomination. Feel free to do both of those again (there is a limit of 5 nominations in a month).
Roland
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QUESTION: Hi Roland,
As far as someone to help, my husband is not mechanical so I will have to take it to a mechanic but I will print this out and take it with me, thanks. As far as this electrical board that controls the electronic cluster everyone (aka; mechanics) keeps talking about, is what I have been told correct? Is this the route of my electronic cluster problem and it can't be fixed because the part in question can not be obtained?
AnswerOn the cluster, it should either be repairable (if it is a loose solder joint or blown fuse, for example) or as I mentioned there is a company that would offer to repair it. I doubt it can't be fixed one way or the other. Again, before sending it anywhere is the only thing that works now the speedometer? What else works, or doesn't work?
Additional info: for now verify that fuse #14 in the fuse box under the dash is working/not blown as it provides power to operate the dash warning lights and all the gauges. It is 2 amperes capacity if it needs replacement. If it is good, then the illumination lighting, brake warning lamp, anti-lock brake warning lamp, oil pressure, air bag warning lamp should also work. If the gauges and the speedometer don't work, then there are two wires that send all the signals necessary for those that come from the body control module under the dash, and those two wires should be verified as connected and the cluster joints where those wires connect to circuit board should be checked. Only after that would I suggest sending the cluster for repair.
As for getting this done, and also the headlamp switch issue, if you have identified a mechanic who is skilled with electrical repairs then I would be pleased to copy the pages from the service manual that shows the wiring diagrams and the mounting instructions for these parts and send them to you by postal mail. It costs me 10 cents a side for that and you can cover those costs and the postage by sending me back postal stamps. Let me know your postal mailing address if you want me to do that.
Thanks for the kind remarks and the nominations.
Roland
