Expert: Roland Finston - 10/3/2011

Question
How many hours will it take to replace a gauge cluster? It's in a 1998 caravan I checked all the fuses and they are all good still but none of the lights work on the gauges. My sixteen year old step daughter drives the van so I want to get it fixed very soon. thank you for your help very much.     


         Nick

Answer
Hi Nick,
I can tell you the steps which should be less than an hour:
Remove the cover on the steering column (screws on the under side of the column)
Remove the bezel between the steering column and the cluster bezel
Remove left end cover of the dash
Remove screw at left end of cluster bezel and headlamp switch
Remove screws holding bezel to instrument panel from each side of steering column
Disconnect clip holding cluster bezel to panel from above right side vent louver
Bezel as a whole should now separate from the panel.
The cluster should now come out, remove wire connector from the back of the bezel/the plug from the rear side (there might be screws holding the cluster in place at the corners)
Install is the reverse. Be careful of the louvers which are delicate, be careful when inserting clips to hold bezel to panel
The chances are that the lack of lights has to do with a cold solder joint between the socket for the plug and the circuit board. I assume that the other lights on the dash are present and variable. There is an electical connection for each socket pin to the board and the light are carried on the orange wire of the plug going into pin 6. So try reheating the solder joint between the socket connector and the circuit board using a soldering pencil to reheat it. Verify that you show variable voltage on the orange wire at the plug pin 6 when you turn the lights 'on' and you vary the dash lighting level.
Roland