Chrysler Repair: Instrument Cluster: Neon, crysler neon, tiny pins

Question
Hey

Theresa here, I was wondering if you can help me out. We are having problems I think with the instrument cluster. The guages work intermittely and the doors will lock automatically after the door has been ajar for say 40 seconds. I saw this post and was wondering if you could give feedback. My friend took out the cluster and resodered, didnt work, so bought a used cluster from a good friend at auto wreckers, and put it in. Same shit, not working, why I dont know. I kept the old one and I think it was not sodered in all the right places, I checked out pics but my circuit board is a little different. Its a 2002 Crysler Neon. When you take the cardboard off and the pry the circut board off the gauges, on the gauge part poking through are 3 circles with four pins each that push into the circuit board (hope im explaining this right) and then the main connector that plugs into the dash. On each side of the holes where these 3 connector with 4 pins each push through, EACH pin HOLE there a little tiny circle of metal (THEREFORE 2 CIRCLES OF METAL PER HOLE FOR THE PIN) Are these circles of metal what should be sodered? As i noticed a few are completely solid and some you see there is a hole like they are cracked OR AM I SUPPOSED to be sodering the main plug that goes into the dash. If so this plug has really really tiny pins and there are like two rows of 13 surrounded by a platic open cover. When i flip the board over at the tiny tiny base of these pins is this what I heat up (using a magnifying glass cause there small man. I hope you can help. If not, what is it I should be looking for and could it possibly be something else. I cant fix a stick if it broke so in the best laymans terms you can give me would be SO GREATFUL!!!. I am trying to get these intrusments working so i can do my driving test. Can't drive the car if its not working. Thanks man!!!

Answer
Hi Theresa,
The manual doesn't show any details of the circuit board so I can't give you any help on the soldering details. I would look most closely at the solder joints where the socket for the plug is attached to the circuit board, most likely pin 15 and 21 which are the voltage supply wires to operate the gauge. If those solder joints are cracked your gauge will quit. Also verify that the solder joint for pin 10 and that the wire on the plug for pin 10 is grounded (shows short to ground via an ohmmeter).
If a door is ajar and you are moving, the body controller will try to lock it, automatically.
Roland