How to repair your gauge cluster for free (with a parts truck)

[@jorgesierra4714]

Cluster was in Spanish because it's gonna make some pulls in mexico soon

[@StationroadRatrods]

Oooooh I never caught that. It’s more prepared than I am!

[@jorgesierra4714]

She's ready, specially with the gear swap coming

[@StationroadRatrods]

@jorgesierra4714 gear swap hit a temporary guardrail, it ended up being 3.73 gears 🤪

[@jorgesierra4714]

She ready either way

[@Jordy-927]

@@StationroadRatrods dude. Just get some 27” tall tires for her on 18s. Like a 275/40/ZR18 Comp g-force for doin pulls. With 3.73s it’s almost identical to a 4l60 with 275/55/20 and 4.56 gears. That will snap yer head back.

[@Jordy-927]

Those stepper motors were often quite problematic. People made a living online replacing them in the mid 2000s. You would have to remove the cluster and ship it away to have guys install new motors. Dealerships would often just replace the whole cluster if it was under warranty. The other common failures are the cluster just losing all power and the gauges going to zero for a split second or the gauges bouncing instead of reading steady. You also really shouldn’t spin them by hand. They’re fairly delicate.

[@StationroadRatrods]

Yeah Cass’ Escalade does the instant off/on thing a lot, and also some single gauges randomly shut off for days at a time. I didn’t know I shouldn’t play with them, but now that you say it I should have known

[@Jordy-927]

@@StationroadRatrods I can’t remember the fix for the randomly shutting off cluster. I think it has to do with the driver circuit. But at least you know you can pop her cluster out and fix any gauge that isn’t working properly. The problem with spinning them is the when they’re disconnected they’re just fairly delicate, but generally not too bad. If two leads on the same side are contacting each other it’s is basically applying a brake to the motor and makes it hard to turn and you can sheer the armature by trying. What’s more problematic is if they’re connected you can actually generate enough power to fry the controller. Even a few degrees and wreck a connected controller.

[@StationroadRatrods]

@Jordy-927 oh wow! I’ll be more careful the next time I do it

[@Squarebody1987]

Another cool video and more progress on desperado 👍🏼👍🏼💯

[@JasenFromBoston]

i felt like just swapping the front facia's would have had the same result? but well done

[@StationroadRatrods]

This was the only cluster I have that had the transmission oil temp gauge, I’ll need that when I get the converter in. Definitely would have been easier if that wasn’t the case