All Gauges......RANDOM

[dieseldan723]

I have recently been having battery problems. I will be replacing them both shortly, however, I noticed in the past week or so that ALL my gauges will randomly STOP working. The tach, speedo, oil, etc all lay FLAT! The odometer is still clickin the miles, however NONE of the gauges work. Then, all of the sudden, they are working just fine!!

Anyone have a clue what the heck is going on???? :crazy:

 

[dieseldan723]

I have changed my batteries. A tech at the local auto repair shop told me there was a TSB related to the gauges not working when there was low voltage on startup? Since my batteries are bad I am thinking new ones will help. I will keep you posted.

 

[whitetrash21]

some of the early models of gm trucks had issues with defective guage clusters.... what you're describing was often a symptom of that very thing. might check with youyr gm dealer about warranty. i'll see if i can find the tsb that someone posted about it.

 

[Diesel Dually]

You are victim of the notorious stepper motor problem...there are several fixes out there...You may just want to get a new cluster.

 

[dieseldan723]

What is this TSB the local auto place told me about? Will that help? If not, how much is a new cluster?

Thanks guys!

 

[whitetrash21]

some stuff i found at the other place.....

I think the letter he's referring to is about specific gauge failure, not the whole cluster failure. Likely 2 different problems.

Trust me guys, have your batteries tested individually if you have full cluster failure after startup. Especially if it's an 03 and especially if after you run it for a while and restart it they all work correct.

There is a dealer reflash that makes the cluster less sensitive to low voltage.

02 - 05 Chevrolet / GMC / Cadillac All Full Size Trucks and Utilities Clicking Noise from IPC or Gauge Needle Sticking - kw click tick speed speedometer oil temperature tachometer cluster motor panel #PIT3327B - (Feb 4, 2005)
02 - 05 Chevrolet/GMC/Cadillac All Full Size Trucks and Utilities Clicking Noise from IPC or Gauge Needle Sticking
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The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in the PI.

Condition/Concern:
Some customers may comment on a clicking noise coming from the I/P cluster or gauge needle sticking.

Recommendation/Instructions:
Root cause appears to be the stepper motor in the cluster. Due to the magnitude of this concern, certain I/P clusters are now on back- order and the electronic service centers cannot meet the demand for new/or remanufactured clusters. Enhancements have been made to the stepper motors and I/P clusters. The supplier has made available a significant number of replacement clusters to address the back order condition. These clusters include improvements to internal rotors and a new motor design which will address concerns with noise and gages. The Electronic Service Centers ( ESC ) should be able to address dealer orders going forward as a result of better communication with the supplier.

Note: Until back order situation is completely resolved, most replacement clusters will be 2005 model year part numbers and these clusters must be reprogrammed, using a VCI from Techline 800-828-6860 IF USED in a 2003 model year vehicle.

.

Please follow this diagnosis process thoroughly and complete each step. If the condition exhibited is resolved without completing every step, the remaining steps do not need to be performed.

Models:
( (02-05 Chevrolet All Full Size Trucks and Utilities) and (02-05 GMC All Full Size Trucks and Utilities) and (02-05 Cadillac All Full Size Utilities)

no warranty under the 100k Diesel warranty and no warranty simply because of a TSB. However they did agree to give me a "good Will" warranty and fix the speedo for free

 

[Diesel Dually]

Good Job wes!

 

[dieseldan723]

Thanks. Would you trust another shop, other than a dealership, to update the computer?

 

[whitetrash21]

only if they have the same re-flash as gm would put in. i cant see anyone legit investing the time to alter software to adjust only cluster voltage. you may try speakin to some guys with efilive, see if they have any capability in this field. if the dealer has to reflash and it is for a known problem, they may give you a break on it.... worth a shot.

have to let someone else input from here. i dont know to much about local shops having the ability or the updated software to do repair like this.....