1994 digital dash lights will not come on

[okie22]

Have 1994 s-10 Blazer with digital dash and lights just went off and will not work any more any help would be great Thanks

[Mikado14]

Did the entire dash go out or do you have the speedo lit yet?

If the speedo is lit, you will need a new dash.

If the entire dash is dark did you check your fuses? I can't seem to remember which one it is on but check them all. Next, If you turn on your lights, does the lights on the radio and/or the heater controls dim or go bright as you vary the dimmer? If not, Check your panel dimmer above your light switch.

You cannot buy a new dash through GM ( they were over $800) however, you can remove your dash and they will send it for $175 for repair, at least that is the cost here in Pennsylvania. If you go to a bone yard, it will cost about the same but you will need to go to a dealer to have the odometer reset.

[BlazerLT]

Go to ebay and you can get a replacement swap pretty cheap.

The computer bords will short out and cannot be fixed at home.

[Mikado14]

My experience, six months ago...... My speedo would come on whenever it felt. The odometer stayed lit as well as all the guages. I went to the bone yard and bought one. Installed it and everything worked fine, except for the odometer. It will flash "error", 600,000+ ,miles or any mileage it wants to. Periodically, it will show the mileage that it had on the previous vehicle. Upon finding out from the GM dealer, after I was told that the computer recorded the mileage, the mileage is recorded in the dash and must be reprogrammed.

As to repairing the boards, my experience has been that the traces on the circuit board crack. I took the old dash apart and found the pin at the dischage display for the speedo broke at the glass. Impossible to solder. Thus the intermittent function.

So far I have repaired two of these dashes by finding the crack and bridging it. Mine the was the third and it couldn't be bridged.

[Gabriele]

E-mail [email protected] You can send him the dash and he will fix it for $90.00. Guaranteed to never go out again. He did mine. Chevy quoted me at $300.00 for a rebuilt dash.

[BlazerLT]

Nice piece of advice there. Should haelp a lot of people .

[Mikado14]

Was that $300 for an exchange or to rebuild yours?

Hell, rip her out and send to caferacer1. Even if you have to wait you can't go wrong for $90 bucks.

[Gabriele]

Originally Posted by Mikado14

Was that $300 for an exchange or to rebuild yours?

Hell, rip her out and send to caferacer1. Even if you have to wait you can't go wrong for $90 bucks.

It was $300.00 for the rebuild and install. A friend of mine had a 91 and went through three of them at $300.00 a crack. He had close to 300 thousand miles on it though. I forgot to mention, this guy also sells just the repair kit for $25.00. If you know how to install circitry on computer boards you could probably do it yourself. If you take the dash out yourself, the hardest part is putting the heater control cover back on. There is a metal arm that has to connect to the inside of the cover. There are two screws on the left inside of the cover that have to be screwed in place first, otherwise that arm won't reach. Very, very tight situation! Took a good 30 minutes to hook it! Otherwise the rest is a snap! Any questions on how to do it just ask! (If anybody knows an easier way to hook that metal arm, let me know please!!)

[Mikado14]

Hmmm, all I have ever done was to take the bottom two screws out, pull the face plate down and out and the controls come out. Disconnect the plug to the fan switch and the plug to the heater control and the plug for the lights. Remove the red clip (a bitch) that holds the temp cable, the clip that holds the cable end to the arm and last but not least, the vacuum plug. That's it, take 5 maybe 10 minutes.

I don't recall a metal arm, everything was plastic.

Now, when you say repair kit, what does it include? I would need the driver chip and display for the speedo (gas discharge).

[Trail Blazin96]

If I was you I would just buy a rebulit dash cluster, or have yours rebulit!

[Mikado14]

Well, you are not me and you have no idea of my background and abilities.

[BlazerLT]

Originally Posted by Mikado14

Well, you are not me and you have no idea of my background and abilities.

Don't snap at him bro, he is completely right.

You will be better off to buy the rebuilt one. I have tried to help people do this and they never can get it working properly.

Get a rebuilt one and enjoy driving your truck instead of frustrating yourself with the dash.

[Mikado14]

No, he is completely wrong as are you.

I have the experience in electronics and that is part of my enjoyment. You enjoy working on your truck as do I. I also enjoy repairing electronic equipment.

There was a thread on this once before and you stated that the dashes short out. In that same thread I mentioned that I had repaired two of them and found broken circuit traces. I have repaired other makes as well and have never had a short, not that that isn't possible, but the majority are open circuits.

So, if finding the components to repair the dash and it would give me satisfaction, why would you deny me that? Why don't all the individuals who post just go to a dealer or a reputable repair facility instead of attempting the repair themselves when from the questions you can tell that they are pushing the limits? Because they probably enjoy it and come away with a feeling of self satisfaction that go with any accomplishment.

Just because you or others here do not have the necessary skills or the equipment does not mean that others do not. Please don't judge my abilities for you don't know me or what my abilities are.

[Trail Blazin96]

Originally Posted by Mikado14

Well, you are not me and you have no idea of my background and abilities.

I dont think it was your orginal thread, and I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to the orignal thread owner. so if you want to get frogie then jump. No one is questioning your ablity to do anything I normaly read the first thread and go and state what i think should be done or should work!

[Mikado14]

Pardon me, I stand corrected.