Digital Gauge Lights Aren't Working

I'm working on a friend of a friend car. It's a 1993 cutlass supreme with 3.1l mpfi. When the ignition is turned, sometimes the gauges come on, sometimes they don't. When they do, and I crank it, the gauges will work for a second then they'll quit. Anyone had the same problem?

Anything happen if you pound the pad above the cluster?

I pounded on everything that I could find. I'll tell him to try it though. I've already returned the car. I took care of his biggest problem. The upper radiator hose was rubbing on the air intake. It wore a hole in the hose. lol

I remember these being bad about clusters going out.