LS 400 Instrument Cluster Won't Light Up
05-21-11, 05:35 PM
#1
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LS 400 Instrument Cluster Won't Light Up
My 1994 Lexus is in great running shape but the instrument planel will not light up until the car warms up. In the winter this sometimes takes an hour or two!
Does anyone know of a good place to get this resolved other than a dealer? Saw a place on EBay that will do this if you send it in but who will take the cluster out and then reinstall it.
Saw the tutorial on lexis.com but that looks scary for a lay person. Thanks!
Does anyone know of a good place to get this resolved other than a dealer? Saw a place on EBay that will do this if you send it in but who will take the cluster out and then reinstall it.
Saw the tutorial on lexis.com but that looks scary for a lay person. Thanks!
05-21-11, 07:30 PM
#2
This is something that will literally take you 10 minutes to accomplish once you've removed the cluster from the dash. If the repair is the typical replacing of the three caps that failed, which sounds like the symptoms you described, then the actual process is removing the old ones, and soldering on the new ones.
I just did this repair on my own cluster a couple of weeks ago, and as I recall, I spent a little over seven dollers with shipping for the new caps. I was fortunate in that my needles weren't experiencing that flickering or broken element problem that I've seen from my research. The other symptom mine had was the fuel gauge was not functioning at all. After the repair, all was well with the world.
Removing the cluster is, imho, the more difficult of the tasks ahead of you. Your biggest challange will be to learn just how to maneuver the cluster to release the connecters attached to the back of it. The tutorial is nice, but isn't able to relay just quite how to reach them. Also, be mindful that since they are old, the connectors have a tendency to break when you try to remove them.
While you could have someone else do this for you, they will have the same issue of the connectors potentially breaking, and you'll be paying someone to do so.
Or, conversely, you could do it yourself, and since you've not done it before, give yourself more time... say two hours, to remove, dismantle, repair, resassemble, and reinstall the cluster. All for the price of a few caps and shipping.
I just did this repair on my own cluster a couple of weeks ago, and as I recall, I spent a little over seven dollers with shipping for the new caps. I was fortunate in that my needles weren't experiencing that flickering or broken element problem that I've seen from my research. The other symptom mine had was the fuel gauge was not functioning at all. After the repair, all was well with the world.
Removing the cluster is, imho, the more difficult of the tasks ahead of you. Your biggest challange will be to learn just how to maneuver the cluster to release the connecters attached to the back of it. The tutorial is nice, but isn't able to relay just quite how to reach them. Also, be mindful that since they are old, the connectors have a tendency to break when you try to remove them.
While you could have someone else do this for you, they will have the same issue of the connectors potentially breaking, and you'll be paying someone to do so.
Or, conversely, you could do it yourself, and since you've not done it before, give yourself more time... say two hours, to remove, dismantle, repair, resassemble, and reinstall the cluster. All for the price of a few caps and shipping.
05-21-11, 08:43 PM
#3
My 1994 Lexus is in great running shape but the instrument planel will not light up until the car warms up. In the winter this sometimes takes an hour or two!
Does anyone know of a good place to get this resolved other than a dealer? Saw a place on EBay that will do this if you send it in but who will take the cluster out and then reinstall it.
Saw the tutorial on lexis.com but that looks scary for a lay person. Thanks!
Does anyone know of a good place to get this resolved other than a dealer? Saw a place on EBay that will do this if you send it in but who will take the cluster out and then reinstall it.
Saw the tutorial on lexis.com but that looks scary for a lay person. Thanks!
The connectors can be alittle tough to disconnect but just be gentle and you can do it. If you have the skill to DIY than go for it. I don't.
Just remember to fix the ABS light when you are all done.
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Allusuc (01-12-21)
05-22-11, 07:24 AM
#5
Pole Position
Alot of people send them to the Ebay person, which I think is way over priced seeing how the parts are only a few bucks. But, people need to make a living. If you're not comfortable with taking out the cluster, I really think you wouldn't be able to repair it yourself. There are so many members on here from Ca., ask on your local chapter page (located on the home page) and see who's around you and see if someone will take it out for you, for maybe $20 or so. For someone who knows how to take it out, should only be about 10-15 minutes.
09-26-17, 06:01 PM
#6
1994 Lexus LS400 Instrument Cluster
This is something that will literally take you 10 minutes to accomplish once you've removed the cluster from the dash. If the repair is the typical replacing of the three caps that failed, which sounds like the symptoms you described, then the actual process is removing the old ones, and soldering on the new ones.
I just did this repair on my own cluster a couple of weeks ago, and as I recall, I spent a little over seven dollers with shipping for the new caps. I was fortunate in that my needles weren't experiencing that flickering or broken element problem that I've seen from my research. The other symptom mine had was the fuel gauge was not functioning at all. After the repair, all was well with the world.
Removing the cluster is, imho, the more difficult of the tasks ahead of you. Your biggest challange will be to learn just how to maneuver the cluster to release the connecters attached to the back of it. The tutorial is nice, but isn't able to relay just quite how to reach them. Also, be mindful that since they are old, the connectors have a tendency to break when you try to remove them.
While you could have someone else do this for you, they will have the same issue of the connectors potentially breaking, and you'll be paying someone to do so.
Or, conversely, you could do it yourself, and since you've not done it before, give yourself more time... say two hours, to remove, dismantle, repair, resassemble, and reinstall the cluster. All for the price of a few caps and shipping.
I just did this repair on my own cluster a couple of weeks ago, and as I recall, I spent a little over seven dollers with shipping for the new caps. I was fortunate in that my needles weren't experiencing that flickering or broken element problem that I've seen from my research. The other symptom mine had was the fuel gauge was not functioning at all. After the repair, all was well with the world.
Removing the cluster is, imho, the more difficult of the tasks ahead of you. Your biggest challange will be to learn just how to maneuver the cluster to release the connecters attached to the back of it. The tutorial is nice, but isn't able to relay just quite how to reach them. Also, be mindful that since they are old, the connectors have a tendency to break when you try to remove them.
While you could have someone else do this for you, they will have the same issue of the connectors potentially breaking, and you'll be paying someone to do so.
Or, conversely, you could do it yourself, and since you've not done it before, give yourself more time... say two hours, to remove, dismantle, repair, resassemble, and reinstall the cluster. All for the price of a few caps and shipping.
Thank you in advance!
09-26-17, 06:03 PM
#7
I am experiencing the same problem. Insrument cluster flickers and then goes dark, but I fainly could notice/see the spedometer and RPM meter works and the gas aguge never moves and odometer stops working as well. Then, suddemly the entire cluster flickers and it all comes back and works fine for a while - say about a an hour or so and then again flickers and goes dark - repetition continues. I highly appreciate if you could explain more about the three (3) caps you have mentioned and where they should be installed - i.e. solder? Also, what you call those caps where you purchased them and the product name.
Thank you in advance!
Thank you in advance!
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09-27-17, 04:30 PM
#8
Moderator
I am experiencing the same problem. Insrument cluster flickers and then goes dark, but I fainly could notice/see the spedometer and RPM meter works and the gas aguge never moves and odometer stops working as well. Then, suddemly the entire cluster flickers and it all comes back and works fine for a while - say about a an hour or so and then again flickers and goes dark - repetition continues. I highly appreciate if you could explain more about the three (3) caps you have mentioned and where they should be installed - i.e. solder? Also, what you call those caps where you purchased them and the product name.
Thank you in advance!
Thank you in advance!
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