How To Reset Your Chevy Instrument Cluster

by Spork Marketing October 19, 2022

Your Chevy's instrument cluster provides all kinds of information about your car, including your current speed, how much gas you have left, as well as the health of your engine and other systems. That's why it's a serious problem when the gauges go haywire. Fortunately, there is a way to reset your instrument cluster. We'll show you a couple of ways to do that in this article, as well as what to do if you still have problems.

If you'd like more info on instrument clusters going crazy, check out some of the videos in this link, or see this article that explains why.

Why Do I Need To Reset My Chevy Instrument Cluster?

Chevy instrument cluster

Modern instrument clusters are completely electronic, getting information from the onboard computer and various sensors in your vehicle. Sometimes a sensor or other electronic component malfunctions due to a bad connection, battery issue, or blown fuse. If this happens, the first thing to try is resetting your instrument cluster so it recalibrates itself. This process is similar to rebooting a computer.

Steps For Resetting Your Chevy Instrument Cluster

NOTE: The following process is not guaranteed to be effective. If it doesn't work for you, our customer service team does not have any further information.

If you try this process and it fails, please check out our cluster repair services. We can repair most GM instrument clusters going back 30+ years.

There are two methods for resetting your Chevy's instrument cluster.

This method generally works for most cars and trucks:

Start by turning your headlights on and off repeatedly. If you're worried this process will shorten the life of your headlights, you can remove the 15 amp fuse. But first, check your owner's manual to confirm which fuse or fuses are for the lights.
Next, insert the ignition key but do not turn it.
While the key is in the ignition, hold down the instrument panel reset button located next to the odometer or fuel gauge.
Continue holding the reset button and turn the headlights on. Keep holding the reset button and turn the key to the second position but do not start the car. These steps need to be done in order, so you will need to start over if you release the reset button.
Continue holding down the reset button and turn the headlights off, then on and off again. This step must be done within five seconds of turning the key to the second position.
Release the reset button and then push it three times. This will initiate a gauge cluster reset which includes a diagnostic test. Pushing the reset button three times will cycle the instrument cluster through this reset process three times.
Once the reset process finishes, turn the vehicle completely off and remove the key.

If the process above doesn't work, try these steps:

Insert the ignition key and turn it to the second position. Do not start the vehicle.
Firmly press the reset button five times.
Next, wait for the odometer to display information.
Finally, press and hold the reset button for thirty seconds.

The second method does not work as often as the first but is worth trying.

Another thing to try is disconnecting the battery for more than 30 minutes. This may work on older cars that don't have a battery backup for the onboard computer or where the battery backup is not working.

What To Do If You Can't Reset Your Chevy Instrument Cluster

ISS gm clusters

If you've tried the above options with no luck, you have two options for your Chevy's instrument cluster: replace it or have it repaired.

ISS Automotive offers replacement instrument clusters as well as a repair service with a 48-hour turnaround. Both services include a limited lifetime warranty and fast, free shipping on orders over $99 in the lower 48 states. We will also reprogram the new or rebuilt instrument cluster with the correct VIN and mileage info from your Chevy vehicle.