Question about gauges

[Will]

My rpm gauge wouldnt work one day when i first started driving then it kicked in. Now every morning my battery gauge doesnt come on until i thump around it. I also have the smell of burning plastic sometimes. Is this just a loose connection? I already posted on this but never got a good response.

[speedracer95v6]

Um..I would take out your instrument cluster and make sure there is nothing that looks burned or anything. That could be a real fire hazard.

Sounds like more than a loose connection, IMO, but if you take the instrument cluster out and make sure, that could fix it if nothing looks burned or damaged.

What year is this car and firebird/camaro?

[Will]

it is a 1996. IT just has the smell of burning plastic and sometimes it takes the gauges a while to kick in and the battery gauge kicks in when i thump the glass around it.

[99v6cam]

Do you have aftermarket gauges?

[speedracer95v6]

Make sure your wiring harness under your hood are whre they are supposed to be(basically make sure they aren't on headers/exhaust manifolds and that it looks intact and not damaged) and make sure there is no damage leading up to the firewall.

I'll bet you have actual cluster problems. You might have to get another one. Is this a camaro ro firebird? That will make a litle difference on how to get the cluster out to make sure it isn't cooking in some way. :(

[Linxs]

Originally posted by speedracer95v6:


I'll bet you have actual cluster problems. You might have to get another one. Is this a camaro ro firebird? That will make a litle difference on how to get the cluster out to make sure it isn't cooking in some way. :(

he has a 96 camaro.

[speedracer95v6]

I prolly missed that somewhere.

Disconnect your negative battery terminal, I think, otherwise just do both.

Take off your dashpad(the big part with the vent that goes to towards the windshield). Be careful, support that vent well and be gentle when you take it out or it will crack usually at the vent. The dashpad is connected by big velcro-like things, and the edges are under the plastic A pillar covers.

Once it is off, you need to unbolt the kickplate under the steering wheel, just like 3 little bolts. Now you should be able to see all the bolts that hold down the instrument cluster bezel. There are a few on top and all around. When you take it off, it will still be connected at your headlight switch, so leave your door open and carefully lay it down, stil connected. Don't put too much stress on the wires and stuff.

Once that is off, you should be able to just unscrew the instrument cluster and pull it out and disconnect the wiring harness from it. Look at the wiring harness real well, and if it looks good, put the instrument cluster gauges side up.

Take out the small bolt/screw things that are only in the black part of the cluster that go around the edge of the cluster. Don't take out the screw that hold on the transparent part, cause that gets you nowhere, just take out the screws from the black part, the transparent part is attached to.

Once you get that part off, now you have bare flat gauges. The plastic piece that has the needles/gauges on it, will come out of the lower half of the if you gently pull it off, bit by bit. It is just held in by some metal prongs.

Do not take off your needles, they are a pain to get right again. Once you get it loose, all that will be holding it on is your odometer, by a small rippon. Disconnect the ribbon from the circuit board. Inspect all the parts you can see for obvious problems.

If nothing there, then turn the cluster over and remove the black plastic cover on the rear of the circuit board(held on by several torx screws). From there, you should be able to get the circuit board out. Look it over, and check the bulbs while you're at it. If nothing looks out of place, reverse this procedure and see if it helps anything.

If it's still the same, I'll bet it's your instrument cluster. I'll also bet you will see some obvious heat damage if you are smelling something, either on a wiring harness in the dash connecting to the cluster, or in the cluster itself. Just be careful with the dashpad and don't take out those needles(the gauge face and needles come out of the cluster in one piece)!

This procedure could take upwards of 30min-1.5hrs, depending on any trouble you have with the paneling, and you will need a torx screw driver, a nut driver would be helpful, and then prolly a philips head screw driver.

Good luck and be careful!