2002 Buick Century - Odometer & Shift Indicator out

[exnjute]

The odometer and shift indicator lights are out on my dash and I need to sell this car ASAP. All the other dash lights work fine. Please help. How do I go about starting to pull the dash apart on this car. I can't figure out how start disassembly??

I did read the post from 2006 re: similar problem. Hoping there is some new information on this.

[Herb1949]

I had the same problem. On mine 2 of the little resistors had bad solder joints and I had to replace them. There used to be a Utube video on how to do it and what resistors to get.
You have to tear the whole dash apart to get the instrument cluster out. It is easier if you drop the steering column by removing the bolts on the bracket. screws all the way to the right side of the dash. The haynes manual shows how.

[exnjute]

Thanks alot Herb. I found the YouTube video and watched it. Even showed me how to disassemble the dash. It is the exact problem I have. Looked relatively easy. I will tackle it Monday. I'll let you know when I have it done. Thanks again.

[Herb1949]

Originally Posted by exnjute

Thanks alot Herb. I found the YouTube video and watched it. Even showed me how to disassemble the dash. It is the exact problem I have. Looked relatively easy. I will tackle it Monday. I'll let you know when I have it done. Thanks again.

One word of caution.
The printed circuit that you need to solder to is VERY light. I overheated it and melted the "wire" in the board back away from the solder point. Had to solder a jumper wire in.

[exnjute]

Didn't get to it yesterday but did the repair today. All told probably took about 1 1/2 hours work.The disassembly and reassembly was pretty easy, the tough part was the soldering. I waited for my son to come over so we would have 3 hands. I used the 1/8th watt 150 olm resistors as the 1/2 watt ones seemed too big. I bent the leads into a little "z" shape to raise them up a little from the board. I cleaned up the contacts on the board applied a little flux to them before I soldered.

Boy was it sweet when I plugged that baby in, turned the key and WOW I had an odometer and shift indicator back after a year without......and the fix cost me next to nothing. It amazes me that the Buick dealer and 3 independent shops I visited didn't know how to do this fix. Or worse didn't even know the nature of the problem(bad resistors). They just wanted to slap in a new instrument cluster for $300-$400.

If you ever get to Salt lake City, message me up and I'll meet you for lunch and beers.....on me. Thanks again.

[Herb1949]

Originally Posted by exnjute

Didn't get to it yesterday but did the repair today. All told probably took about 1 1/2 hours work.The disassembly and reassembly was pretty easy, the tough part was the soldering. I waited for my son to come over so we would have 3 hands. I used the 1/8th watt 150 olm resistors as the 1/2 watt ones seemed too big. I bent the leads into a little "z" shape to raise them up a little from the board. I cleaned up the contacts on the board applied a little flux to them before I soldered.

Boy was it sweet when I plugged that baby in, turned the key and WOW I had an odometer and shift indicator back after a year without......and the fix cost me next to nothing. It amazes me that the Buick dealer and 3 independent shops I visited didn't know how to do this fix. Or worse didn't even know the nature of the problem(bad resistors). They just wanted to slap in a new instrument cluster for $300-$400.

If you ever get to Salt lake City, message me up and I'll meet you for lunch and beers.....on me. Thanks again.

Glad to have been of help.