scratched electrical inside analog intrument panel

[mckmnstr]

i recently pulled out most of my dash in my 240sx and in doing so i carelessly bounced my instrument panel across my steering column. now with out a relay signal sent to my alternator my battery will not stay charged. Does anyone know if i can repair the scratches with a soldering gun or if i need a whole new cluster. im poor as hell and in billings mt 240sx's are hard to come by.
Modified by mckmnstr at 8:56 PM 10/21/2009

[PyR0NiAk]

you can get new clusters on ebay for $20-$30

[mckmnstr]

problem is im broke wont have money or the time for that i need my car workin by mornin so i was hopping a jerry rigged solder would do the trick

[PyR0NiAk]

give it a shot... worse that can happen is it NOT work...

[mckmnstr]

alright off to Wal-mart to see if they have a magical device that creates heat. i will post with pictures of what the hell i thought i could do and even let you all know if it works so the next Joe blow who f-s up and drags critical parts across something not so critical they know how to possibly fix it.....

[nitsujvg]

looks kinda like MAYBE the 3rd trace from the left is messed up.. but i dunno, usually you have to scratch pretty deep to mess up a trace .. it would almost be noticeable. but if indeed you did mess up a trace, a solder-jumper would fix it..

[Wc240]

you can fix that. be CAREFUL!!!! similar to fixing a rear defroster

[mckmnstr]

here is the solder job im about to go install it and jump start the car let her run then if it stays running im going to take it around the block a few times to charge it back upscratched the laminations for clean copper solderd it and groved the plastic to ensure no cross connections now to test it

[mckmnstr]

btw ive never soldered before and this took some serious finess look at the size of my thumb to the spot solders

[Wc240]

get a defroster repair kit. has a kind of liquid electrical tape to protect your soldering.not to good, but alot better than the worst ive seen, especially for first time and im guessing a big, cheap gun. good job

[mckmnstr]

big cheap wally world gun, but it diddnt work the rpm gage doesn't go up either so im guessing i messed up my solder or bad solder being from wally..... or is there the possibility i put the harness back on wrong i noticed that the harness has a 3x3 plug and idk if that one can go in either way without a problem or if it will cause a problem. also still no illumination of the cluster. and i do have the dimmer switch plugged back in... im getting confuzed im going to look the cluster over for any more possible problems and possibly go over my solder again and try to get the copper a lil hotter

get a defroster repair kit. has a kind of liquid electrical tape to protect your soldering.not to good, but alot better than the worst ive seen, especially for first time and im guessing a big, cheap gun. good job

[PyR0NiAk]

big cheap wally world gun, but it diddnt work the rpm gage doesn't go up either so im guessing i messed up my solder or bad solder being from wally..... or is there the possibility i put the harness back on wrong i noticed that the harness has a 3x3 plug and idk if that one can go in either way without a problem or if it will cause a problem. also still no illumination of the cluster. and i do have the dimmer switch plugged back in... im getting confuzed im going to look the cluster over for any more possible problems and possibly go over my solder again and try to get the copper a lil hotter

I definitely used wal-mart solder to do my sr's wiring harness. It worked fine... Doubt your solder is the problem.. (unless it was the soldering iron operator)

[mckmnstr]

i think it was the operators fault. im atempting a new approach im going to screw small stainless metal screws into the copper strips and use that as my solder points for a second copper wire to jump to it. then of course tape it up. my plan here is that since the whole panel is parallel wired i should not run into an electrical problem as long as i dont jump a light or some other switch and by the looks of it i wont. ive been up now for 29 hours 16 of them were work and the rest were fixing the car.... but the last 2 hours of it all i just watched my grampa die from cancer. very long process best of wishes to him but off topic dont think im cold i just understand death is a natural part of life. now to fix this damn cluster so i can make it to work tomorrow

[NISSAN240SX12]

take some sand paper and sand down the plastic coating and solder it back together. just take your time with it.

[fubar66]

for all that time and work, and solder and soldering gun, I think the easist cheapest way would have been just to have gotten the new gauge

[mckmnstr]

i now have a new gauge.... i did however learn how to reset the odomoter to whatever id like. so thats good as for the panel its fubar my cluster is cluster fu**ed sad to say but so so tru. the one im getting now is stock 12 bucks on ebay yay. although i could waste what lil money i have and pick up a silvia jdm version with all of its bad a** ness but i dont have the money for that like i said...... but yea good times good times

[mckmnstr]

i went to nissan and discoverd a new cluster runs around 600 bucks... and just for the wiring overlay it would of been 60 and taken 2 weeks to get to me.... in that time i had an auction end on ebay and got one for $10.50 well.... 25.50 including shipping but still killer deal hope the guy dont f me over and sell me a junker piece

for all that time and work, and solder and soldering gun, I think the easist cheapest way would have been just to have gotten the new gauge