When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hi everyone, well my Celsior (LS400) is still up and running but there is another problem that I would like to see if I could get some advice on. The backlight on my instrument cluster has stopped working. All the gauges and warning lights work, including the needle lights but just no backlight.
My question is does anybody know of a DIY fix for that? I know I can send it up to Tanin but I want to do my best to avoid the hassle of foreign exchange and our local Customs if at all possible and Covid, of course, has only made it worse.
What month and year was your car produced? The Manufacturer label in the door jamb should say a month and year, like 08/92
Celsiors use different model year designations than USDM and EU models, so 1992 could refer to a 1993 US model.
I ask primarily because the 1993-1994 LS 400s have problems with cluster back lighting when capacitors fail in the instrument cluster. I think this may be the case with your car, but would like to know the production date to confirm this suspicion.
Hi there and thanks for replying. My Celsior is a late 92 early 93 JDM RHD
Alright, so assuming that your car was produced after 07/92, then it would match a 1993 model year LS 400.
Can you verify if your car has a digital or mechanical odometer? Digital would mean your car has a cluster like a 1993-1994 US MY LS, and mechanical would mean 1990-1992 US MY LS.
Also, could you post a photo showing what your cluster looks like when your car is running?
There are a few things to try before removing the cluster to check and replace the capacitors, like checking the lighting fuses. Here are a few threads:
Additionally, below is the identification label I am referring to. Note at the top of the label, it says "03/92", meaning this car was produced in March 1992 and is also a USDM 1992 model year car. Take a look at yours.
Last edited by CELSI0R; 02-23-21 at 11:46 AM.
Reason: Note: Capacitor replacement thread images are missing. Need to find alternative..
My friend this information will be incredibly helpful. Right as we speak I'm getting the windscreen replaced but I would have it back tomorrow. The cluster has a digital odometer as well as an outside temp gauge on the lower right. I will take some pics of it when I get it back and post them here as you asked.
In the interim I will send a pic of the two internal circuit boards that I have been using to keep the cluster going.
Thank you a whole lot for the info you provided I'm excited lol.
Very nice. I forgot that the Celsiors have the clusters reversed from the LS 400s, or vice-versa. Sounds like you definitely have the equivalent of a 1993-1994 LS then.
Definitely take a close inspection of the cluster before ordering the capacitors. Note that connecting the battery and turning on the car without the cluster plugged in could trigger the airbag light. However, it's not too hard to reset.
Those backlights are CCFLs (cold cathode fluorescent lamp) that need to be driven by a CCFL driver. It is a high voltage inverter of 1KV or more.
There are 2 separate reasons why those backlights are off. One is a failed CCFL and the other is a failed driver. All backlights off mostly means that the driver is not working. I often find electrolytic capacitors used for the inverter circuit are not OK losing the capacitance and the ESR is increased. The simple way to try to fix is to replace those unconditionally. If you have
, you can check capacitors without removing them from the board in most of cases and replace only bad ones. Sometimes drive transistors are failed and I need to replace them time to time though.
When it is not easy to fix an inverter, another method is to use an external driver like this used for LCD displays.
One another idea to fix is to replace CCFLs to LEDs and drive them without using an inverter. Only a current limiting resistor or regulator is needed in this case but you have to remove CCFLs and install LEDs there.
I have tried all of these and 100% of failed ones were fixed although there were only a few Celsiors. Others were different cars or LCD displays.
Yamae, you have come through once again for me and all the other board users that will read your post. Your value to Clublexus forum is incalculable.
Do you by chance have any circuit board pics, diagrams or instructions as to exactly where we can find those parts you mentioned? That would be a huge help!!
Thank you once again (how many times have I said that to you and sincerely!)
Yamae, you have come through once again for me and all the other board users that will read your post. Your value to Clublexus forum is incalculable.
Do you by chance have any circuit board pics, diagrams or instructions as to exactly where we can find those parts you mentioned? That would be a huge help!!
Thank you once again (how many times have I said that to you and sincerely!)
Anthony
Thanks for the complement. I just want share what I know and what I have experienced for those who still love Celsiors and LS400s. I find my posts sometimes still useful for those people here and I feel happy. Problem is that I still have difficulties to explain complicated affairs in English.
Regarding photos, unfortunately I only have some picking up from my 98 Celsior. As you probably know that the old Celsiorup.com site holds photos that show how to remove the combination meter unit for an early UCF10/11 and late UCF10/11. Among them there are some photos. You can see enlarged photos clicking those thumbnails but the inverter board is not seen well enough. http://celsiorup.com/data/312combi_meter.htm
Translated by Google page. https://translate.google.com/transla...search&pto=aue
To Yamae and all that contributed to this thread. Thank you for all your help and suggestions is the first thing I will start off with.
Secondly, after some more research I figured that technically the repair was a bit much for my skill level and managed to get in touch with Jim Walker from Fresno, California and he has a service where he will send you already repaired circuit boards for a very reasonable price and after you install them you can send you defective board(s) back to him for a credit. I thought this was a great idea and got in touch with him.
The end result was that I have just received the repaired boards from him and installed them and they work! My cluster is back! Thank you Jim for a great job and a great service. I'll recommend him highly to any Celsior/Lexus owner who is having trouble getting their instrument cluster repaired.
02-23-21, 10:30 AM
Instrument cluster
