2003-06 GM Truck Stepper Motor Replacement

A step by step guide for replacing the stepper motors inside the instrument cluster of GM trucks from the model years of 2003 to 2006.
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[@confidant_clueless]

Thank you for the great information! Really helped with getting the job done right on an ‘05 Topkick with a pegged fuel gauge.

[@ronwfox01]

Very useful. First, this video goes into how to get the panel out of the car and take it apart, which other videos didn't have. My tach and oil pressure gauges weren't working at all and the fuel and water temp gauges were intermittent. I ordered a kit from Amazon with stepper motors, the plastic pry bar you see in this video and some bulbs (not LEDs) that I didn't use. I have small pry bars but they are metal; the plastic pry bar is very useful to keep from marring the overlay when removing the needles. It's important to use a solder sucker like the one he uses. It ensures you don't damage the solder pads when you desolder the motors. There ARE better videos online for showing how the actual desoldering and soldering is done. I replaced ALL the motors, not just the ones that were giving trouble. None of my pads got damaged. The motor leads are bent over some on the back of the circuit board. I unbent them back to vertical (breaking the last bit of solder contact with the pad) and then used a small side cutter to cut them even with the back of the circuit board before pulling the motors out from the front. I didn't re-flow any solder joints. I re-installed the panel in my 2005 Silverado 1500 and everything worked!

[@RiverSmallmouthAdventures]

Thanks for the info and how too! My 2003 Silverado SS has had gauge problems for 2 years now. the only 3 gauges that are working properly are the tach, speed and trans temp. everything else has gone south and you never know where they will be pointing! Now to get my motors ordered and get to work! Thanks again for the how too!

[@jimsjacob]

Awesome, thank you for that production. Tac was up around 5K today just putting along. I’ll have to try this.

[@tudocervera3764]

nice video young man... well explained.. so now its my turn.. wish me luck!

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Good luck

[@dad8159]

Doing this job this afternoon. I had to do the speedometer and fuel steppers in '14. Now the Tach, temp, and oil pressure went bad. Brutal winter. Nice video bud!

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Thanks. It's crazy how these GM trucks had this issue. Never owned any other vehicle with this problem.

[@dad8159]

@@MuddyBeards4X4 for sure. I've had numerous minor electrical problems with my Tahoe. I got the steppers changed out but the temp still not working. I think there is a circuit board issue with the gauge. Fan kicks on just fine. Oh well.

[@Dan-mh9bq]

Hi, what was the symptoms for bad stepper motor for fuel gage? My fuel gages hangs between 3/4 and full, even though there is I believe only half tank filled. Could it be also fuel lever sender issue?

[@tomrunning357]

I can do this with the great information you showed. Thanks!

[@markmiller5004]

Thanks great video. Lots of problems with this guage cluster. Good thing they made it fairly easy to access 😂.

[@dnlmachine4287]

Nice work! Suggest check your speedo with a GPS at various speeds beforehand. In case its slightly off clock, you can djust it properly when doing this job. You can also use a fork to pull off the needles. Works great, you can get really close to the point of friction. Stay gold.

[@dontewoodall1025]

Good informative video. Step by step in depth. 3 thumbs up

[@shaffer4220]

Very nice video, good job. I will attempt mine at a later date. I have an electronics background along with Instrumentation/Electrical/Robotics background. The correct way is to apply zero volts DC for true zero and then “a max volt” for span or 100%. Once that is completed you can attach the needle, or in this case it appears the stepper motor really only aligns correctly by the circuit pads positioned on the pc board. I haven’t checked the correct range of voltages that are correctly used, but Im sure you got pretty darn close by manual “tape” alignment.

[@zachaugustine893]

Great video dude. Very helpful

[@maxtrap1947]

Thank-you very much!

[@mohamadkhan9899]

One of the best repair explanations I’ve ever seen. Thank you so much. Also when you heated the solder points to remove it did you heat them up with the solder iron itself?

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Yes I used the same iron to remove the solder as I did to solder the steppers

[@mohamadkhan9899]

@@MuddyBeards4X4 can you tell me where you got the solder sucker thing from?

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Check out Amazon or ebay. They have kits that come with the steppers, iron, and solder sucker

[@troyserticchio4685]

DO you have issues with your passenger airbag warning light always turning on and if what do you do to fix it without repairing the airbag sensor???

[@Gtbomb1]

Nice video bro. 👍

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Thanks 🤘

[@Gtbomb1]

@@MuddyBeards4X4 I just did mine. Much better now. No more kids yelling " dad your speeding" lol like my old chevy can do 120. 🤣🤔🤔

[@saltcar]

Nice job. Noticed your RPM didn't zero out when KOEO. It also looked a little high when idling.

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

It idles around 7-8 when warmed up I think the video the truck was still a little cold

[@josecastrosemental]

Awesome big help thank you so much...

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Thanks!

[@angelvasquez1495]

@@MuddyBeards4X4 where u bougt the cauges

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

I Believe off amazon

[@Lxmustang805]

What brand of stepper motors did you use ?

[@timtassey9233]

What size solder did you use for this?

[@benellwhite5149]

Thank you for the video. I ordered the same kit from Amazon. I'm not a mechanic. I'm just a dumb ass welder but I was more steady than you LOL

[@alcarol2480]

Where did you find the stepper motors? Auto supply? Dealers? Are they all the same motors?

[@redsuxh8r131]

Nice vid bro.. did you change all your gauges? My speedo went dead but they said eventually, all will go bad within time. You think I should replace all or just the broken one?

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

I did them all. If you have it all apart might as well. But the smaller guages dont go bad as often because they dont move as much as the tac and speedo

[@user-wx9ib6im8f]

How do I run a jumper wire to my fuel stepper motor?

[@dianaespinoza4188]

Mine will not unclip/detach at all. The grey clip unhooks, but that’s it, and I’m not sure if I want to squeeze or pull even harder on them….

[@jennifertanouye7784]

Not All of them have the pop up tabs as shown around 4:50ish. When I inserted the screwdriver into the slot, I ended up killing my info center

[@aidanvelthuis1267]

Nice

[@GMGaugeRepair]

Proper way to remove the lens without damaging the circuit board: kzbin.info/www/bejne/epXbhWljj5WBmq8

[@donatotaa3713]

How much do charges to re solder tank you

[@derektal1]

Nice video! Does it matter which replacement stepper motor goes where? The tach & speedo obviously have a broader sweep than the temp, oil, etc. Thanks!

[@chrisrobbins1061]

no

[@lainemann1421]

Only fits one ☝️ way

[@tannergallie9061]

Since i dont have the solder sucker could i just apply slight pressure while heating the contacts on the motors to get them off?

[@joshgray2024]

They only go in one way. I dont understand how so many ppl mess this up. So how long did yours last

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Still working just fine

[@samculper5242]

So I have an oil pressure gauge on same vehicle that is pegged out to 80 when I start the vehicle. Do you think I have a bad stepper motor as well? Nothing else is malfunctioning just the oil pressure gauge truck seems to running fine

[@carlfish6217]

Bad oil pressure sensor

[@cindygreen852]

how can i get those tools u use to pop out the needles and the 2 soider gun gun are what ever u call them ..thank you

[@mdollamotif1650]

Look on Amazon they sell kits

[@user-nh9yn5pn5d]

Are all the stepper motors the same or are there different ones for each of the clusters

[@otis6791]

All the same

[@weloveups831]

How did you know your motors where in the zero position when you installed your needles

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

They zero out when turned off. My tac and speedo however were not. When you replace them you can feel where it zeros out because it begins to slightly resist when turned counter clockwise. I had a tec2 hooked up afterward and my guages are spot on.

[@weloveups831]

@@MuddyBeards4X4 thanks

[@colby9594]

My tach was all shaky too

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Definitely the stepper motors. 1 year and no problems with the cheap ones I bought on Amazon

[@dannyray598]

Put cam in front of you so you don't block the view.

[@tijarmin]

Where did you get your replacement motor ?

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Cant recall the brand but I got a kit off amazon.

[@ericpigg2689]

Thank you for the video! I sent my cluster off to have it rebuilt about 2 months ago. Before the rebuild, my temp on my my 2003 Yukon would run right in the center of the gauge, 210 degrees. Now it shows about 185-190 degrees at full temp. Oil pressure also seems to be a little higher than before. It will actually show about 50 psi on acceleration when it used to be about 25 psi at idle and 40 under acceleration. This was a professional shop, and I hate to pull it and ship back across a few states for this, but do you think there is a chance they clocked the needles incorrectly on those gauges when they were working on it? Thanks!

[@bustedlm7752]

Plug in an obd 2 and compare the needles with the data. That's what I did

[@prolly2stoned420]

If it was my speedometer I wouldn’t even care but it’s my oil pressure gauge 😢 some times it works sometimes it don’t. Think I might have to do this but I have none of the tools smh

[@devonbradley3395]

Hey robbie. Nice eyes pal

[@alexhernandez2529]

What if the cluster completely dead even when fully on?

[@finny_boy]

probably a ground issue, not stepper motor issue

[@Chasecasa]

I replaced my speedometer stepper motor because my speedometer was not working. After I replaced with a new motor the speedometer still does not work. Must be a problem somewhere else does anyone have any suggestions it is a 2006 Silverado with the same cluster as this video

[@finny_boy]

did it lose all power or was it just off?

[@Bighosstheboss77]

My guess would be the VSS (vehicle speed sensor) located under the rig, on the transmission.

[@brodheadjim]

Well thats a BUMMER... You don't show unhooking the connector. ITS a pain in the ass!

[@dianaespinoza4188]

Tell me about it. Been here 20 min maybe more trying to unhook it and it will not detach . Little afraid to break it off at this point, wish I could see exactly what he did.

[@kozmicflush980]

Easy. Just look at the connector closely you'll see it has a hook tab. Need to push that down first then pull out. Most likely have to wiggle it until it comes lose that's Common with removing these cluster especially the first few times.

[@joshgray2024]

Get to the point. Lmao

[@guytremblay1647]

you know that a guy is not a professional but rather a guy that manages his way arround things when he uses a ratchet rather than a socket screwdriver to take out an instrument cluster

[@GMGaugeRepair]

Correct lens cover removal procedure: kzbin.info/www/bejne/epXbhWljj5WBmq8

[@carriersignal]

If the stepper motors are acting up as mine were, pointing all over the place, even towards the floor boards, you really have no zero point of reference for the dial. Setting them back up can be a bit tricky and time consuming considering. It is too bad this design has no zero reference peg or detent slot. There is really no "easy" way to calibrate them efficiently that I see. This was a really poor design in many ways.

[@ericbritt8227]

You covered the gages with your hand during reassembly...... Useless.

[@Alan-fv8ie]

after he said "basically" for the 47th time, i had to pause. the video would be more interesting if he didn't say "basically" at all. it is a meaningless redundancy.

[@gotya456]

You sir, are a tool. This guy put together a clear step by step detailed video to help others out, not to be interesting or for your entertainment. If you’re looking for entertainment I hear the Kardashians have got a great show on the E channel.

[@lainemann1421]

Only fits one ☝️ way

[@josepacheco5215]

He should record it when he was driving dont believe that