Cluster doesn't work

[TwoFortyCoupe]

Hey guys,
So I was driving down the road doing like 45 Then look down again and nothing works, no needles moving no lights nothing. I replaced the 10 amp defuse which was blown and I started it up no lights still. It blew that new 10 amp. Please help. Thanks,
TwoFortyCoupe

[compactfean]

Unplug your dimmer switch and then replace the fuse again and see if it pops.

[biggie]

If something shorted and you get your gauges back and still no lights, then the TCU may have blown.

[TwoFortyCoupe]

I thought it could be the TCU but my gauges went to.

[biggie]

Could be TCU as well as other things.

[compactfean]

Tcu as in transmission control unit?

[biggie]

Tcu as in transmission control unit?

Timing control unit, white box in the driver's side kick panel. When it blows the lights don't work in the cluster. Usually happens when installing a radio and crossing some wires though.

[compactfean]

Damn! This happened to me a long time ago and I ended up bypassing what ever was the issue and running a separate ground and power to the gauge lighting. Good too know!

[TwoFortyCoupe]

Ok update on what happened. I just wired the boost gauge and the AEM wideband from the cruise control to try and get less stress of the cluster, and that worked the lights went on and everthing was working .....for about a minute and then blew the fuse. I put a 15 amp in the 10 amp socket because maybe strong amp could work. It didn't. So yet another day with no cluster working but my external gauges (wideband etc) all work. Good news though MY HUD WORKS. I bought the car and the guy said its fried but it was just disconnected plugged it in and it worked. Well when cluster works it works. Should I just do what you did compactfean and just run separate ground wires? Or will my tach and stuff still not work?

[compactfean]

Here is all the info you will need. is it just the lights or the gauges?
how-to-fix-s13-wiring-for-gauge-cluster ... 26276.html

[Armstec_S13]

I'm having somewhat of an issue with my gauges, it only does this in cold weather, i have an 89 coupe 5spd, it has the HUD, anyways, when I go to start it on very cold days, my gauge cluster lights and HUD won't light up, the tach, temp, gas gauge still work but the HUD will not turn on and the gauge lights won't either, then after the car warms up the the Dash lights and HUD come on and work as they should, anyone have this type of issue?

[biggie]

About everyone with HUD has had that issue. The board for the HUD goes out. Can replace or try to fix yourself. If you search for HUD fix you should find a few threads.

[TwoFortyCoupe]

Ok so when I swapped out the whole dash board, the original digital cluster started working except the HUD doesn't work and the speedo doesn't work either.

[biggie]

Speedo and HUD are one and the same. If the Speedo doesn't work the HUD can't work. Mostly likely the board has went bad and needs to be replaced (or fixed, search for HUD fix).

[TwoFortyCoupe]

Thanks biggie never thought of that and could the speedo like about to die cause a shorting in the fuse?

[biggie]

Possible, but I doubt it, probably something wiring related that's shorting the fuse, or maybe the fuse is too small and there should be a higher fuse in that spot.

[TwoFortyCoupe]

Ok hit a bump and the whole cluster went again . Im stumped, I took apart the whole dash and thought I fixed it but apparently not.

[compactfean]

Id say its hard wire time.

[TwoFortyCoupe]

How would I hard wire it? compactfean can you pm me