While trying to find out why my BRAKE and ABS light was not coming on with the ignition in the ON position, I took the cluster out. I found frickin electrical tape on the BRAKE bulb. However, I couldn't access the ABS bulb without removing the needles for the gauges. Upon trying to remove the speeometer needle, the whole metal pin come out still attached to the needle. This ultimately screwed the speedometer up. I replaced the needle/pin into the same exact position as it was in before (after I took the electrical tape off of the ABS bulb!!), but speedometer doesn't work whatsoever. It worked perfectly fine before, but I know because the pin was removed, it messed something up big time.

Anyone know how to fix this? Or is my only option a new cluster? HOPE I do not have to get a whole new one.

 

xjrjag, unfortunately, you are most likely looking at a whole new cluster. That pin was pressed into a gear internal to the cluster. Since you are not going to do any more damage, I would try taking the cluster back apart and seeing if you can find the gear and pull the pin out of the speedo needle and installing it back into the gear and getting things properly aligned again. Then you can press the speedo needle back into place.

if you do reach the point that you have to put the speedo needle back on, let me know. There is a little procedure to make sure you get the needle in the correct spot so the speedo will indicate correctly and not be off by a few MPH across the whole band.

 

I fooled around with the cluster for 2 hours and before throwing it, I put it all back together and just ordered a new cluster. I will have to get it reprogrammed by the dealer once it arrives but whatever. Fixing other peoples shady tactics isnt all that fun.

 

Sorry for posting in an old thread but the same thing happened to me yesterday. Two of the four needles came out with the small metal bar attached. If I push it back all the way in, the needle won’t move. If I pull on it a little, it sort of clicks and the needle seems to work but it is extremely wobbly. More correctly I thought it works, because after I took the car for a short drive, once I revved past 3k the needle would not return to idle. It just stays at 3k even if I stop the car. The other one (fuel) is the same, it would not return to zero even if I stopped the car. I feel like something is not correctly in place, and I’ve seen Thermo talk about some procedure to align the needles, which I would appreciate very much to hear.

 

Arnold, what you are going to do is start with the car off. You are then going to depress the TRIP button on the end of the turn signal stalk. With the TRIP button still depressed, turn the ignition switch to the RUN (II) position (DO NOT START THE CAR!!!!!). Keep holding the TRIP button down. After about 3 seconds of turning the key, you should see the message center say "Engineering TEST". At this point, release the TRIP button. You are not in a test mode. If you press the TRIP Button one time, you should see all the lights possible light up on your instrument cluster. If you push the TRIP button again, you should see all the lights go out and then all the gauge sweep from full left (minimum) to full right (max) and back. At this point, you can put on any needles that you need in the minimum position. This should make all your indications correct. if they are not correct (operate erratically), then your instrument cluster is bad and needs to be replaced.

To get out of this mode, you can either: 1) turn the car off, 2) start the car, or 3) press and hold the TRIP button for 3 more seconds.