QuestionQUESTION: Hi Roland, Randy here. I've been a tv repairman for over 35 years, (so electronics doesn't scare me), an alignment specialist for 16 years, (10 from '89 through '99 at a very nice Chrysler dealership), an automotive instructor for 9 years, and I've been repairing Chrysler radios for two dozen dealers around my state. With that background, you would think I could figure out a problem with a digital dash, but since I'm not allowed to buy a service manual for the cluster, I've been following circuits and trying to draw up my own schematic diagram. Still, I'm not having any luck with this problem.
I have an '88 LeBaron, (K-Car style) that belongs to an elderly couple up here in the middle of the rust belt, yet this car looks like brand new. I'm trying to save them the cost of sending the cluster in for repair. The problem is the gauges and odometer fade from normal brightness to nearly impossible to see anywhere from a couple of seconds to an hour after turning on the ignition switch. The traveler computer on the left stays normal brightness. When the headlights are turned on, the display brightens to normal night-time brightness and can be adjusted with the dash rheostat. I can't find my service manual for the car, but I did find the connector pins for the various 12 volt supplies, tail lights, dash rheostat, and grounds. A different cluster works fine, and I switched one of the two boards, and determined the display board is ok. The problem is on the rear logic board.
I've repaired these clusters in the past by resoldering bad connections, and I've had some that I had to send in. One came back with a note that they just "repaired solder connections". Being in tv repair, I know all about bad connections and what to look for. I've also had older Chrysler radios with defective transistors that test good. If there were a similar problem with these clusters, I would think the problem would have shown up long before now. I don't want to just start replacing parts, especially since without a service manual, I can't tell if they are special types of transistors. I could end up putting more problems into the unit.
Can you please tell me if there is anyone who is willing to tell me what to look for besides connections? Or if there's a place that will sell me a copy of the service literature or schematic? I know most people don't want share this knowledge for fear of losing future business, but I'm happy to help other techs with radio problems. They weren't going to send me that radio anyway. :) If I have to resort to sending this cluster in, do you have any preference on which business to choose from the many on the internet? I used to deal exclusively with Downtown Radio of Denver, but since the former service manager bought the business, they will no longer sell me radio service manuals or parts. I'd like to work with someone more customer-friendly.
Thank you very much,
Randy B.
ANSWER: Hi Randy,
You are far ahead of me on experience with the digital cluster. I do have the '88 wiring diagrams for the LeBaron GTS which show the pin assignments and external wiring of the mechanical and the electronic clusters but nothing about the internal electronics. I do notice that the wires that are needed by the different clusters are almost identical except that the mechanical cluster has two ground wires instead of one, while the digital cluster has two illumination wires coming from the headlamp switch (both have E2, but the electronic also has L17 which is also assigned exclusively to other digital display units in the vehicle as well). If the other digital display units show normal illumination behavior then that extra line would not be the cause of the present problem in the cluster (unless just the L17 feed from the common splice to the cluster were flakey).
Might I suggest another solution? Replace the electronic cluster with a mechanical cluster which could be found in a wrecking yard?
If you got the plugs as well you would need to splice 19 wires but then you would be done with it. These earlier models fortunately were not that difficult to switch out between the mechanical and the electronic clusters. When the digital lines were integrated into the body functions, around '90, it became a large job for such a switchover.
The only reference for commercial rebuilding that came to my attention at the Yahoo Autos group called the ChryslerLebaronClub is Crescent Electronics in Windsor, Ontario (phone 519-972-0667).
I am glad to learn of your experience with the cluster. Shall I refer questioners who want repairs to you?
Roland
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QUESTION: Thank you so much. I hadn't even considered installing a standard dash. I touched base with the owners this morning and they are willing to let me have their car a few more days. I have enough of a schematic drawn up that any voltage readings I take will have some relevance, but the system uses an internal minus 30 volt power supply. Negative numbers always throw me for a loop. It's like translating everything in your head on a car with a positive ground system. Life would be so much easier if I was just allowed to buy a service manual for this thing.
Crescent Electronics look interesting. I might give them a try for this cluster and for future radio service manuals.
As for referring people to me, I am always happy to share information but my specialty is Chrysler radios from the late '80s to early '00s. I have lots of parts and service manuals, but I'm really just an overgrown hobby shop. I'd love to get to know people who have worked on these clusters, but I don't think I should attempt to tell people I can repair them. We will both be disappointed. I have had some clusters that just had bad solder connections. Other than that, if I get something shipped in that I can't repair, all I ask is enough bucks for return shipping.
Thank you for researching this for me and for providing the information. "You are truly a wonderful human being!"
Randy B.
AnswerHi Randy,
You are welcome. I will let you know about any radios from that time period that need repair. Unfortunately what seems to happen instead is people try to install new gear which is not always directly compatible with the wiring that is already in place in the vehicle.
If you find out something with this cluster's circuitry that seems generic or problemmatic that I can pass along to others please consider sharing that with me. It is good that a mechanical cluster appears to be quite compatible with the wiring in the '88, except for the plugs themselves. So you don't have to go the limit to fix it.
Your compliments are warming, and may I offer you the same?
Roland
