Top 5 Reasons to Replace Your Instrument Gauge Cluster

by Spork Marketing

It’s hard to ignore when your instrument cluster gauges or dash lights stop working.

Your car’s instrument cluster is critical to understanding what’s happening with your vehicle. When one instrument gauge or light stops working, it could be an isolated problem. When all the gauges or lights stop working, it may indicate a cluster failure or other electrical issues. Read on to learn about our top 5 reasons you may need to replace your instrument cluster. 

1. Dim Or Flickering Instrument Cluster Lights

The dimmer switch is the first thing to check for when your instrument cluster lights are dim. Many newer cars have clusters that stay backlit all the time and will dim when you've turned on your headlights. Verify the dimmer switch works correctly and that the brightness changes when turning the headlight switch on or off. If the brightness doesn’t change, there could be a problem with the cluster or the dimmer switch. 

If your instrument cluster and other dash lights are flickering, you could have a battery or alternator problem. The battery may not be holding a charge, or the alternator may not be charging the battery. Have a charging system test performed to verify the working condition of the battery and alternator. 

2. Instrument Cluster Lights Partially Or Completely Dark

If a portion of your instrument cluster is dark while the rest remains lit, the bulbs are likely burnt out. Replacing cluster bulbs requires disassembling the cluster and some skill.

If your entire instrument cluster has gone dark, there may be a blown fuse or internal electrical fault. You may need to replace the old fuse or have a qualified technician diagnose the problem. 

3. Erratic or Malfunctioning Gauges

Sometimes, your car's gauges may move erratically or remain stuck at a particular reading. A bad component, such as the voltage regulator, can often cause this problem. Your gauges may be at the highest or lowest position. In this case, there could be a loss of power, ground, or a bad sensor signal.

Things that can cause malfunctioning gauges include:

  • Damaged Circuit Board
  • Faulty Voltage Regulator
  • Malfunctioning ECU
  • Malfunctioning Sensor
  • Loose Ground

Depending on your skill level, it may be best to take your car to a qualified technician for diagnosis. 

3. Odometer Display Issues

Today’s cars have digital odometer readouts. In some cases you may see your odometer display erratic digits or no mileage at all. This can be caused by a faulty LCD display unit or burned-out odometer backlight.

Your odometer could be displaying an error message instead of the vehicle’s mileage reading. In this case, you may have a loss of data link communication to the instrument cluster. A faulty memory chip or software issue can also cause an error message. 

4. Malfunctioning Warning Indicators

Instrument cluster warning lights perform a self-check when turning on the ignition key. If the check engine light or other warning indicators do not illuminate, there could be a few different problems. A single warning light failure could be a burned-out bulb. If none of the warning indicators work, an internal instrument cluster failure is likely.  

5. Time To Upgrade

You can solve many of the problems listed above with a replacement instrument gauge cluster or other parts. In most cases, it’s best to have a qualified technician diagnose your instrument cluster with a scan tool and electrical tests. 

And while you're at it - if you're repairing or replacing your cluster, it's the perfect time to upgrade! ISS offers LED and custom gauge options for many makes and models. And, as always, you can save money by buying or repairing directly through ISS Automotive instead of a dealership. 

Why Choose ISS?

If you need more help diagnosing your instrument cluster, check out our guide to diagnosing the 5 most common instrument cluster problems. We've even got articles to help you determine if you should DIY repair your instrument cluster or buy a new one.  

ISS Automotive has been one of the most reliable names in the automotive and truck industry since 1949. We provide quality replacement parts and repairs for popular cars and trucks. When you shop with us, you get:

  • Correct fitment. Your parts will be built to OEM standards and programmed to work with your exact vehicle down to the model year.
  • Easy installation. All you need are basic hand tools to remove your old gauges and install the new ones from ISS.
  • Customized upgrades. ISS offers LED lighting upgrades along with other customization options that vary by part.
  • Limited lifetime warranty. This includes all our new or remanufactured products, replacement/exchange units, and repair units. 
  • Free and fast shipping in the continental USA.

Have questions about your order or need help finding the right part? Please contact us!



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