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About Rob Painter
Expertise
Alarm system questions cannot be answered on this forum. These systems are not what I can answer. Without being physically at the vehicle and not knowing what kind of electrical service has been done on the vehicle, there is no possible way to give an accurate answer over the internet. My expertise is in Ignition/key based anti-theft systems. These issues include GM VATS (resistor chip in key blade) PASSLOCK (MRD)-ignition lock rotation based, no special ignition key and the PKIII Transponder (computer chip in key) systems. These systems are not alarm based and are integral with the starting of the engine. This is why I cannot diagnose alarm problems without physically looking at the vehicle: Alarm systems are a completely different annimal than ignition key/lock based anti-theft system. Many alarm questions come from vehicles 10 years old, and since older, many hands that had been involved over the years.I am an expert in all GM factory (ignition/key based)systems. Alarm system questions pose to many situations beyond my knowledge as to what has been done to the vehicle over the years. Some guy may have actually wired the stereo into the alarm system. Who knows? Over my past 30 years in vehicle wiring repair, I have seen unbelievable wiring disaters done by guys that consider themselves "mechanics." I have seen stereos and alarms intalled using surgical tape. I have seen modules burn up, un-fused circuits, wiring jambed between the doors and even lamp cord used for a starter kill. To answer alarm questions over the internet without examining the vehicle is like asking; What does it take to remove a dent?

Experience
Education/Credentials-ASE certified. 11 years with a GM dealer and 17 years with a repair facility dealing with only the repair of theft recovered vehicles.

You are here: Experts > Shopping > Vintage Cars > Cadillac Repair > 1997 Cadillac Cluster lights

Cadillac Repair - 1997 Cadillac Cluster lights

Expert: Rob Painter - 11/7/2009

Question
QUESTION: While our car was parked for a few hours we began driving home and noticed our dashboard cluster was out. My husband performed a continuity check with a voltage meter on the fuses.. What else could be the problem. Everything else is working perfect.

ANSWER: Hello,

you did not state the model. Deville has another fuse box in the trunk. Did you check more than one fuse box? STS and Eldo have one I believe under the dash and one under the hood.

Rob

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Rob.. Thank you for your quick response. It's a 97 DeVille. Yes we found the other fuse box in the trunk. Dan checked all fuses under the hood and the trunk. I hope you have an answer for us.

Answer
Hi,

Well, the next step is to remove the cluster and see if there is power going to it. If there is--bad news, you need a cluster. There were radio shops out there that repaired them. You could call Cadillac and find out where they send them for repair. Its been years since I had to do one, but I remember a heck of a lot of money.

Another suggestion I have been passing around and I should be getting a kick back is http://www.alldata.com. $30 and type in the specific year make and model and you get all the factory data on the vehicle. Schematics, diagnostics, you name it, it is there!!

This is the factory manual info--very complete and then there is no guessing. BTW, it will tell you how to remove and replace the cluster and anything else.

Please do me a favor, if you go this route and feel my suggestion really helped you, please give my answer a rating.

Thanks and good luck!

Rob

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