Instrument Cluster Buyer's Guide

Every vehicle has an instrument cluster. Whether you want to learn more about instrument clusters or you’re trying to fix a broken one, you’re in the right place. This buyer’s guide covers everything you need to know about instrument clusters.

What Is An Instrument Cluster And Why Is It Important?

 

When you’re in the driver’s seat, you’ll see a set of gauges and warning lights in front of you. That’s the instrument cluster, sometimes called a gauge cluster, and it’s located in the dashboard, right behind the steering wheel. It’s an important tool for the driver because it helps the driver keep tabs on the status of the vehicle.

Some of the most common gauges and indicators you’d find on an instrument cluster include:

  • Speedometer
  • Tachometer
  • Fuel gauge
  • Oil pressure gauge
  • Odometer
  • Turn signal indicators

This post provides an in-depth description of instrument clusters. It also explains why they’re important.

How To Tell If An Instrument Cluster Is Failing

Instrument clusters should last the lifetime of the vehicle. Sometimes they’ll fail, though. The two most common reasons for instrument cluster failure are:

  1. Wear and tear
  2. Blown fuse

Sometimes only one gauge is bad. Other times, the whole unit is bad. When you’re driving with a broken instrument cluster, you’re not getting the information you need about the vehicle. That’s why you want to confirm the issue and get it fixed ASAP.

This diagnostic guide will walk you through the process of checking your instrument cluster. To sum it up, you need to check the:

  • Fuses
  • Wiring and connections
  • Instrument cluster’s power
  • Ground wire
  • Bulbs and monitors

When in doubt, replace the gauge cluster. It's very important to drive with a functioning instrument cluster.

How To Replace An Instrument Cluster

Gauge instrument cluster

Before bringing your vehicle to a shop, think about replacing the instrument cluster yourself. It’s something you may be able to do at home with the right set of tools. This post provides an overview of the process.

5 Tips For A Successful Instrument Cluster Swap

Is it your first time removing and installing an instrument cluster? The job is more likely to go smoothly if you follow the instrument cluster swap tips listed here. Each tip is explained in more detail in the post we just linked. Here's a quick list of the tips:

  1. Use plastic pry tools
  2. Declutter the dash and front seat area before starting the swap
  3. Don’t rush through the process
  4. Use the opportunity to customize your instrument cluster
  5. Keep meticulous records throughout the process

Odometer Replacement Laws

If you're worried about breaking any laws while replacing your odometer, don't be. Here's an overview of the odometer replacement laws in the US. It's legal to replace an instrument cluster at home as long as the mileage is correct. Here's a guide on ensuring that the mileage remains correct.

Why You Should Never Ever Ever Turn An Odometer Backwards

You may have been able to get away with rolling back an odometer 40+ years ago. These days, it's impossible to roll back your odometer without getting in trouble. It's against the law to do it with the intention of deceiving others. These days, it's easy for others to find out if you've committed odometer fraud. Read this post for more information about the risks associated with turning back your odometer.

The Pros And Cons Of Customizing Your Instrument Cluster

Did you know that you can customize your instrument cluster? It's a neat way to personalize your vehicle's interior. This post explores the pros and cons of customizing your instrument cluster. To sum it up:

  • A custom gauge cluster can liven up your vehicle’s interior
  • A quality custom gauge cluster can be a good return on investment
  • Custom gauge clusters can be hard to retrofit to a newer vehicle
  • Custom gauge clusters can be very expensive

You don’t have to worry much about the cons if you shop with ISS Automotive. It’s because:

  • ISS Automotive builds high quality instrument clusters. This means an ISS Automotive instrument cluster will be a good return on investment.
  • All ISS Automotive custom instrument clusters are made to fit certain vehicles. None of our instrument clusters are universal-fitting.
  • ISS Automotive instrument clusters are affordable.

Getting LED Lights For Your Instrument Cluster

A popular way to customize your instrument cluster is to add LED lights to it. You can read about this upgrade here. It's a small upgrade that delivers a lot of value.

Upgrading to LED lights can be a little tricky, though. You may have trouble finding the right LED bulbs for your instrument cluster and/or taking apart the cluster. If you're uncomfortable tackling this project yourself, we'll be happy to do it for you!

Anatomy Of An Instrument Cluster

The instrument cluster seems like a simple and straightforward part. It's actually quite complicated with many different components that work together. If you're curious about the anatomy of an instrument cluster, you can read all about it here. The main components of an instrument cluster are as follows:

  • Lens
  • Gauges
  • Gauge faces
  • Stepper motors
  • Lighting
  • LED screens or dot-matrix displays
  • Discrete indicators
  • Printed circuit board
  • Backing
  • Wiring harness
  • Fuses

Is There An ISS Automotive Instrument Cluster For My Vehicle?

At ISS Automotive, we repair and refurbish instrument clusters for GM vehicles. We also work on non-GM instrument clusters. Our inventory changes from time to time, but we have many instrument clusters that always remain in our inventory. Do you want to get an ISS Automotive instrument cluster for your vehicle? Find the right instrument cluster for your make, model, and year in this fitment chart:

MAKE MODEL YEAR
Buick Century

89
93
94
95
95-96
97-98
99
03-04

Buick Enclave

08-12

Buick LeSabre

93-94
95
96
97-98
02
03-05 with tach
03-05 no tach

Buick Lucerne

06-07
09

Buick Rainier

04
05
06-07

Buick Regal

88
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
03-04

Buick Rendezvous

02
05-07

Buick Skylark

87
90
91
92
93
94
95
97-98

Cadillac CT-6

17-18

Cadillac Eldorado

95

Cadillac Escalade

97-99
01-02
03-04
05-06

Cadillac Seville

93

Chevrolet 1500

06

Chevrolet Astro

97

Chevrolet Astrovan

92
93
95

Chevrolet Avao

03-06
07-14

Chevrolet Aveo

08

Chevrolet Beretta

88
89
91
92
93
94
95-96

Chevrolet Blazer

94-97
98-99
00-04

Chevrolet Blazer S10/Jimmy S15/Sonoma

00-05

Chevrolet C/K Truck

88-91
96

Chevrolet Camaro

94-95
96

Chevrolet Cavalier

91
92
93
95
96
97
98
98 Manual
99
00-05

Chevrolet Celebrity

89-90

Chevrolet Chevy & GMC HD Trucks

98-99

Chevrolet Corsica

88-89
91
93
94-95
96

Chevrolet Equinox

04-05

Chevrolet Express

96
97
99-00
04
06
07
10
12
13-16

Chevrolet Impala

91-92
04
00-05 6 gauge
00-05 4 gauge
00-05 3 gauge
06-12
08-09

Chevrolet K1500

95

Chevrolet Kodiak

95-02
97-99
03-09
06-07

Chevrolet Lumina

89
91
92
93
90-94
94 APV
95-96
96 APV
97-99
98-99
00-01

Chevrolet Malibu

00-05
13

Chevrolet Monte Carlo

94-95
97
98-99
04
00-05 3 gauge
00-05 4 gauge
06-07

Chevrolet Monte Carlo & SS

07

Chevrolet P30

93
98-99

Chevrolet S10

98
99

Chevrolet Silverado

99-02
03-06
07-14

Chevrolet SSR

03-04

Chevrolet Suburban

01-02
03-06
07-14

Chevrolet Tahoe

97-99
01-02
03-06
07-14

Chevrolet Trailblazer

01-02
02-07

Chevrolet Traverse

09-10
11-12
18

Chevrolet Venture

97
98
99
00-05

GMC C5500

05

GMC C7500 + C8500

08-09

GMC Envoy

98-99
02-07

GMC Envoy XL

05
06

GMC HD Trucks

98-99

GMC Express Savana 1500 2500 & 3500

96
97
04
06
07
08-09
12

GMC Jimmy & Sonoma

94-97
98-99
98
00-01
00-05

GMC Kodiak

07-09

GMC Sierra 1500 2500

97-99
99-02
00
03-06
07-14

GMC Silverado

97-99

GMC Sonoma

00-04

GMC Suburban

97-99

GMC TopKick

92
93-94
97-99
95-02
03
06-07

GMC Yukon

97-99
01-02
03-06
07-14

Isuzu Ascender

04
05
06-07
08

Hummer H2

03
04-07

Pontiac A-6000

85-86
90

Pontiac Aztek

01-02

Pontiac Bonneville

88
95-96
97-99
00-05 w/ dic
00-05 w/o dic

Pontiac Firebird

93
94
95
97
98

Pontiac GT

99
00-05

Pontiac Grand Am

87
88
90
91
92
93
94
95
98-03
99
00-05

Pontiac Grand Prix

90
91
92
94
95
96
97-03
98-03
03
04-06
07
08

Pontiac Montana

01-05

Pontiac Sunbird

89
90
92
93

Pontiac Sunfire

95
97
98
99
00-05

Pontiac Trans Am

94

Pontiac Trans Sport

92
93
95
96
97
98

Saab 9-7x

05-07
06-07
08

Saab 97x

05-07

Oldsmobile 98

93
95

Oldsmobile Achieva

92
93
94
95

Oldsmobile Alero

00
03

Oldsmobile Aurora

95
98-99

Oldsmobile Bravada

91-94
98-99
00-01
02
03-04

Oldsmobile Ciera

90
91
92
93
94

Oldsmobile Cutlass

95
96
98

Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais

88
90
91

Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

90
91
92
93
93-94
95
96

Oldsmobile Intrigue

98-99
00

Oldsmobile Regency

94

Oldsmobile Royale

94

Oldsmobile Silhouette

93
94
95
96
98
99
00
01-05

Are you looking for a replacement instrument cluster? We have an extensive inventory of replacement instrument clusters to choose from.

If you have any questions that weren’t answered in this buyer’s guide, please contact us. We’ll be happy to answer them!