• If you currently own, previously owned or want to own an Avalanche, we welcome you to become a member today. Membership is FREE, register now!

Dash gauges sometimes don't work

malibu80d

Full Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2007
Messages
49
Location
Brownsburg, IN
Hi all....I did a search for this problem, but couldn't come up with anything.

Over the past 2 weeks, when I start up my '03 Z71 Avi, sometimes none of the dash gauges will work....other times they will.  The times they don't, they will usually come to life after a couple of minutes like I just started up the truck.  There's been a few times where they didn't work, then worked, then stopped again. 

Can anybody point me to a possible source of the problem?  A bad ground wire?  Fuse?

Thanks
 
Does everything else work when the dash gauges don't. Chimes, interior lights etc. Anything on the DIC
 
I'm thinking the connector in back of the cluster or the ignition switch. But don't buy anything till you check things.
 
RedAvy13 said:
the cluster also could be broken

Yup but I think when it warms up that may be a connection issue.
 
It did it a couple more times today.  The chimes do work upon startup even when the dash guages don't.  It did something different today too....at one point the speedometer and tach froze where they were while all of the other guages went back to zero.  It also seemed like I was stuck in 2nd gear for a bit, then all of the gauges came back to life and it shifted like normal.  Kinda weird. 

The more I've read about it, it sounds like the ingnition switch is going bad. 
 
Yeah that is what I'm thinking also.  That why I was asking about other systems.

How old is the battery ???
 
I would think it's the ignition switch going bad.
 
Think think think...  :beating: geeze peeps give the guy some good advice instead of telling him "maybe its your battery" "maybe your ignition switch" "maybe its the connector" Maybe the flux capacitor is bad"

IF ALL THE GAUSE STOP WORKING AT THE SAME TIME or ALL GAUGES HAVE A DELAY FROM START UP then its a common prgramming error. PM me your vin number and instrument cluster part number and Ill confirm the issue for you.

0000C778 New software in lieu of replacing hardware to address warranty issue with all IPC cluster gauges being inoperative.

15182173 N/A New software for start of production
16001314 N/A Operating system
 
I don't tell anyone I know what is wrong I just understand what they post and give suggestions. I can not tell what is wrong from 1 thousand miles away. If they are close I won't meet them and test things. You can't tell people to go out and buy parts and not have it work out unless you are willing to pay for the part yourself.



TXSZ66AVLANCHE said:
Think think think...  :beating: geeze peeps give the guy some good advice instead of telling him "maybe its your battery" "maybe your ignition switch" "maybe its the connector" Maybe the flux capacitor is bad"

IF ALL THE GAUSE STOP WORKING AT THE SAME TIME or ALL GAUGES HAVE A DELAY FROM START UP then its a common prgramming error. PM me your vin number and instrument cluster part number and Ill confirm the issue for you.

0000C778 New software in lieu of replacing hardware to address warranty issue with all IPC cluster gauges being inoperative.

15182173 N/A New software for start of production
16001314 N/A Operating system
 
I've been dragging my feet on getting this fixed, but since this past tuesday, all gauges have gone dead and not worked.  Everything else seems to work fine.  So it looks like it's time to actually fix this.

I'm looking at ordering the new ignition switch from autozone...but they have two.  Does anyone know which one I should order?  The 10 pin or 14 pin connector?  It's a 2003 1500 w/ 4 wheel drive.

Thanks
 
Call the dealer with your vin number, they are not that expensive. Just make sure you confirm thats the source of your problem before you start throwing parts at it.
 
Personally I would take the cluster out, check the contacts, plug it back in and see what happens, its really easy to take out, a lot easier than the ignition switch!

Didit
 
Ok, I removed the instrument cluster tonight and inspected all contacts.  Everything looked good(no corrosion).  I was surprised how easy it was to remove it, only took about 5 minutes.

After plugging it back in and putting the dash all back together, it still didn't work.  It's been about a week since any of the gauges have worked.  I haven't had any shifting problems lately either. 
 
TXSZ66AVLANCHE said:
IF ALL THE GAUSE STOP WORKING AT THE SAME TIME or ALL GAUGES HAVE A DELAY FROM START UP then its a common prgramming error. PM me your vin number and instrument cluster part number and Ill confirm the issue for you.

0000C778 New software in lieu of replacing hardware to address warranty issue with all IPC cluster gauges being inoperative.

15182173 N/A New software for start of production
16001314 N/A Operating system

I checked the instrument cluster part number: 15182146

I tried to PM you, but can't figure out how to on this forum
 
Had a prob like this on my old '02.  Guages were wacky for about a month then went totally out.  Replaced the ignition switch and prob gone.  The only difference I'm reading is when my guages started acting up, a lot of the lights on the cluster would light, flash, whatever. 

The prob I had with the '04 was the guage cluster stepper motors.  That usually effects only a couple of the guages not all of them.  GM will replace it free if under 70K miles.  After that, they only charge for labor.  Read that as parts free.

At least the ig switch is fairly cheep.  Good luck
 
malibu80d said:
I checked the instrument cluster part number: 15182146

I tried to PM you, but can't figure out how to on this forum

I can already tell you without the VIN number that you have a programming issue with cluster part# 15182146 The bad deal about this is you can also have a problem with the stepper motors inside the cluster.

Reprogramming the cluster will fix the problem with the entire cluster being dead but you are guaranteed to have a problem with stepper motors in the future. email me your vin number and Ill send you a instruction sheet to take to the dealer for programming (so they wont charge you to diagnose) Joe1129uscg@aol.com
 
TXSZ66AVLANCHE said:
Call the dealer with your vin number, they are not that expensive. Just make sure you confirm thats the source of your problem before you start throwing parts at it.

I called the dealer and they said it was part number 15242754.  I looked that part up and it looks like it's just the ignition switch box that drops out beneath the lock cylinder.  Does the ignition switch not include the whole wiring harness for 2003's?
 
TXSZ66AVLANCHE said:
I can already tell you without the VIN number that you have a programming issue with cluster part# 15182146 The bad deal about this is you can also have a problem with the stepper motors inside the cluster.

Reprogramming the cluster will fix the problem with the entire cluster being dead but you are guaranteed to have a problem with stepper motors in the future. email me your vin number and Ill send you a instruction sheet to take to the dealer for programming (so they wont charge you to diagnose) Joe1129uscg@aol.com

I'll give you a call tonight Joe.  I went ahead and replaced the ignition switch tonight and it did not fix the problem.  Figured I'd try the cheaper route first.  I ended up gettting the ignition switch for $25 from rock auto and it surprisingly only took 45 minutes total for the replacement, so I'm not out too much at this point. 

Thanks for all the advice...I'll keep updating until the problem is solved.
 
Possibly it might just need reflashed at the dealer also


Didit
 
Final update:

It was recommended to me to try and swap out clusters w/ somebody else who had a similar year avalanche to see if their cluster worked in my truck.  I swapped clusters w/ my cousin who has an '04 and all the gauges worked perfectly.  Then I plugged mine back in and still dead.  It appears that TXSZ66Avalanche's advice was right in that I most likely had a programming error. 

So rather than messing around w/ the programming and possible future problems, I decided to go ahead and replace the entire cluster....w/ a custom white SS cluster from Prime Power.  It came pre-programmed w/ my milage & hours and for my VIN.  It looks very sharp, but more importantly all gauges work!  Plus it has a tranny temp gauge. 

Thanks again guys for all of the help and advice and to Prime Power for the great deal on a custom cluster  (y).  I'll try to take pictures of it and post them up. 
 
Back
Top