Another gauge problem post

[951inatlanta]

Hey everyone, not new to the forum but a new member.

I've been researching my gauge problems quite a bit, read all your stickys and tech articles. None of them were dead on with what I am experiencing and also thought, maybe, it might be good to have another thread that was more current that 2010.

I cannot pinpoint when it happened to my car as I don't drive it very often, at all. That is likely the first mistake. I had to jump it a few times and then replaced the battery and have since kept it on a trickle charger.

I am now in the throes of my tachometer not working at all, and my speedo seems to have lost the odometer and trip meter.

I think it happened simultaneously, but I am not sure. I pulled the cluster out of the car (not as hard as I had anticipated actually) and it is sitting on my desk. I cleaned what I gathered were the grounds on the tach, reinstalled, and nothing. I looked at the gears through the window that I can see them and they look to still have their teeth. Is it possible I fried the small winding motor when jumping? Is there a way to check on a bench?

I am not by any means strong with electronics. I can pull things apart and put them back together, but I usually need help being walked through the diagnosis.

If there is any help anyone can provide, and any info I can provide, fire away.

Thanks,

Chris

[mytrplseven]

Two things that I can recommend you check: The grounds on the car should be cleaned and possibly a faulty ignition switch. There's information about the location of those grounds on Clarks Garage.

[951inatlanta]

Originally Posted by mytrplseven

Two things that I can recommend you check: The grounds on the car should be cleaned and possibly a faulty ignition switch. There's information about the location of those grounds on Clarks Garage.

The ignition switch seems great. Always works and car fires right up. Is there something internally that doesn't show itself that could be causing it? Interesting thought, I will have to read more about that.

As for the grounds, are you referring to the grounds on the back of the cluster or the grounds behind the dash/firewall?

Thanks for the response, I appreciate it.

[mytrplseven]

There are grounds all around the car. Clarks Garage shows schematically where they are. Here's the pictures:

[kdjones2000]

First off, welcome officially to the forum.

Secondly, please put the model / year of your car in your signature. That way people can help you when you ask questions like these.

Regarding your odometer issues: Are you saying that you took the ODO apart and the orange gear in there was still intact? If not, then that is likely the problem. Buy a new one and install it in your cluster, available from many sources.

For the tachometer: Depending on the year of your car, there is a "flat 5" type of connector up above the DME, down in your passenger's footwell, that has the wire that sends the signal to the tachometer. I believe that it's green, but find your wiring diagram and verify it. Your connector may have come apart (unlikely), or something else happened with that wire. If it all seems good, then it's likely your tach died. You should be able to get another one from the classified forum here pretty cheaply.

Good luck...

[911tracker85]

I have been fighting gauge cluster issues on both of my 944s so much I think I can pull it in my sleep.

good luck.

[Raulg]

What is the location of the last photo and the third-to-last photo?
I am trying to fix some possibly ground-related issues.
Thank you
RG

[mytrplseven]

Third to last: Drivers side, between steering shaft and cruise control computer under the dash. Last one: As I recall, it's under the headlight drive motor.