[V8] Instrument cluster fix - FIXED

Fri Jan 10 10:00:51 PST 2014

Ah. Good to know.  It's been almost 10 years since I last had to fix mine
-- according to this thread:
http://www.audifans.com/pipermail/v8/2004-September/003714.html

Ingo (just lurking)

On Friday, January 10, 2014, Ed Kellock wrote:

> Went into the IC again tonight. Short story is its fixed now. Yea!!
>
> I had avoided removing the boards inside the first cover that you remove.
> These two boards connect to each other through one small block of about a
> dozen pins. About half of those were loose and trying to fall out when I
> disconnected the two boards. I remembered reading about this exact thing in
> one of the many emails I found that talk about this problem. It was from
> Mike. I just never got the right idea in my head of this type of
> connection.
> Now it all makes sense.
>
> Thanks!
> Ed
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ed Kellock [mailto:ekellock at gmail.com <javascript:;>]
> Sent: Thursday, January 09, 2014 7:30 AM
> To: Steve B
> Cc: Mike Arman; V8 at Audifans. Com
> Subject: Re: [V8] Instrument cluster fix
>
>
>
> Thanks Steve. When I plugged the IC in last night after more soldering
> repair, the same issues remained. In the morning, everything wad working
> okay, as it had done in the past. This morning, everything worked much
> longer than it ever has, bit still all three gauges failed in the same way.
> T Prior to that, the oil pressure gauge floated up to the peg once or twice
> but returned to normal.
>
> It seems like the issues are improving as I do more soldering, but that's
> not the result that one would typically expect. Definitely seems to vary
> with temperature.
>
> On Jan 8, 2014 10:53 PM, "Steve B" <urq at pacbell.net <javascript:;>> wrote:
>
>
> I've got similar symptoms on #2.  While my opinions on the whys and
> wherefores may be slightly different, I had done all the standard fixes and
> yet it is still intermittent.  What I found was that by wiggling one of the
> connectors from the car to the IC I could see the gauges react.  It has
> been
> a while, but I think it was the yellow connector.
>
> I think the problem is that the socket connections have worked loose over
> the years.  My plan its to install longer pins on the IC and hope for the
> best.  I can't imagine changing the connector on the wiring loom is going
> to
> be a simple task.
>
> You may want to try wiggling connectors as I did to see if you can identify
> bad connections as I saw.
>
> Good luck Ed!
> Steve Buchholz
>
>
>
>
>
> Ed Kellock <ekellock at gmail.com <javascript:;>> wrote:
>
> I know Ingo has reported that he did this and it corrected his issues as
> well.
>
> I have spent the last three nights doing this and still no change in the
> behavior of my IC.
>
> I still have dead fuel and temp gauges and a pegged oil pressure gauge. In
> the morning they will usually be all working correctly, but within a few
> miles, poof again.
>
> Really annoyed at this point.
>
> Ed
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: v8-bounces at audifans.com <javascript:;> [mailto:
> v8-bounces at audifans.com <javascript:;>] On Behalf Of
> Mike Arman
> Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 9:29 AM
> To: v8 at audifans.com <javascript:;>
> Subject: [V8] Instrument cluster fix
>
>
>
> From 2005 posting:
>
>
> > I had similar very symptoms on my V8 - fuel and temp gauges dropped
> > sporadically to zero, came back with a whack on the dash pads. The pc
> > traces were fine, the problem was cold solder joints at the pins that
> > the interboard ribbon cables connect to.
> >
> > These are assembled by "wave soldering" - does the whole pc board at
> > one pass.
> >
> > Problem is that if there's enough heat to solder the big parts (high
> > thermal mass), it is too much for the ICs and other smaller parts and
> > they get toasted.
> >
> > I've seen this on other electronics equipment - *exactly* the same
> > thing, cold solder joints on the large pin connectors - PC power
> > supplies are good for that.
> >
> > Cure is remove the cluster, take the boards off one at a time, and
> > with a fine pencil iron, re-solder the bases of the interboard
> > connection pins one by one. Put it all back together (now is also THE
> > time to change all the burned out dash lights) and dollars to donuts
> > your problems will be cured. I found four bad ones and some more
> > suspect ones. You will be able to wiggle (as opposed to flex) the pins
> > slightly in the pc board if the solder joint is bad. Also, a cold
> > solder joint is "grainy" or "pebbly" instead of smooth and shiny. Use
> > a magnifying glass.
> >
> > Use some contact enhancer on re-assembly just as extra insurance.
> >
> > I did mine almost two years (now SEVEN years!!!) ago, and that part
> > (at least) has worked flawlessly since.
> >
> > Best Regards,
> >
> > Mike Arman V8Q, lights, blinks, starts, runs (be afraid . . . )
>
>
>
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