Digital Cluster on My 1989 GP SE

[Addicted To Boost]

The digital cluster in my 89 GP SE has a couple issues and I was hoping someone here would know how to fix them.

 

1. The digital speed readout is accurate and bright, works correctly and everything while my headlights are off, but when I turn my headlights on, the speed readout is REALLY dim- I can barely see it at all unless I look at it from an angle. When I have my lights on, all of the rest of my gauges are bright and easy to read, but my digital speed and digital gas gauge are VERY dim. How do I fix this?

 

2. I don't think this is a cluster problem, but whenever I turn the key in the car, the oil pressure gauge PEGS itself way past 80 PSI, it does this even when the engine is not running. I even took the plastic cover off the gauge cluster and reset teh needle to 0 PSI. I reassembled it all, turned the key and it pegged itself past 80 PSI once again. I was thinking this would maybe be a bad oil pressure sender... what do you guys think?

 

Any help or input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Nick

[mediabandit]

as far as the oil pressure gauge pegging itself. you are probably right about the oil sending unit. i had the same problem happen to my '91 Lumina Z34, so i went and picked up a new sending unit and the gauge worked fine ever since.

[boulevard]

I could get that cluster for you for about $70 shipped to you. Let me know if it's something you will need. Do you think one of those could work for a Z34? Just wondering.

[BXX]

The digital cluster in my 89 GP SE has a couple issues and I was hoping someone here would know how to fix them.

 

1. The digital speed readout is accurate and bright, works correctly and everything while my headlights are off, but when I turn my headlights on, the speed readout is REALLY dim- I can barely see it at all unless I look at it from an angle. When I have my lights on, all of the rest of my gauges are bright and easy to read, but my digital speed and digital gas gauge are VERY dim. How do I fix this?

 

2. I don't think this is a cluster problem, but whenever I turn the key in the car, the oil pressure gauge PEGS itself way past 80 PSI, it does this even when the engine is not running. I even took the plastic cover off the gauge cluster and reset teh needle to 0 PSI. I reassembled it all, turned the key and it pegged itself past 80 PSI once again. I was thinking this would maybe be a bad oil pressure sender... what do you guys think?

 

Any help or input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Nick

 

You do know you have a gauge dimmer, right??? Adjust it and make the brighter... If that no worky, you may have a problem in the dimmer circuit or the dimmer swtich itself..

[Addicted To Boost]

Thanks for the replies guys, and thanks for the offer, Boulevard, but the cluster works fine, its just dim on the digital speed and digital gas gauge.. other than being really dim it works perfectly fine, so I'd like to fix this one if at all possible. I don't know if it will work in a Z-34 or not... I've never worked on a Z or ever been inside one for that matter.

And yes guys, I have the dash dimmer in the full bright position I checked right away.

[Psych0matt]

I checked right away.

 

that reminds me of my ex's family's GP, over a year they had a flashlight in there, because the interior light wouldnt go off, so they pulled the bulb. I had her put a bulb in that I had, and showed her how to turn the wheel/knob so that the interior lights weren't on

[boulevard]

Yeah, that is a great idea. It probably must likely is the switch. Good thinking guys!

[Addicted To Boost]

You guys- the dimmer switch WORKS. I can slide it up and down and it will dim/brighten all of my gauges EXCEPT teh digital speed and gas..

[BXX]

Replace the cluster... Or what I have seen is common, take it out and apart and see if any solders are bad or if a bulb went out/is on it's way out... The bulbs also help make the speedo a bit brighter...

[ismellrealbad]

the bulbs must be fine if the display is fine with the lights off. if the dimming works with everything else with the lights on except the LCD part then id have to say the cluster is bad. someone here must know how to fix that.

[Psych0matt]

I'd take it out and check all the circuits on back. probably one bad thing somewhere causing all the problems

[White93z34]

i've seen that issue before with those clusters, the early GP digi dashes are extremely flaky, however i don't know how to solve that problem short of replacing it with a standard sport cluster.

[Scottster]

i've seen that issue before with those clusters, the early GP digi dashes are extremely flaky, however i don't know how to solve that problem short of replacing it with a standard sport cluster.

 

I fought with a similar issue regarding the digital cluster I grabbed and was using throughout the summer. My problem was the opposite of what you are dealing with, in that the digital readouts would go out during the day/lights off, but illuminate with dimness adjustability with the lights on. I knew the digital speedo/fuel gauge were not getting the signal to "go bright" during the day, based on the fact that my 1990 model year came with the analog gauges, thus not requiring that function. Others suggested it may be the cluster itself malfunctioning, which is beyond my control too.

 

I put up with having to turn the lights on whenever I wanted to check my speed during the day, but damn are those gauges cool at night!!! lol

 

Eventually after pulling my hair out trying to re-prong the wiring harness to no avail, I threw in the towel and just went back to the original 1990 analog cluster. The practicallity ended up outweighing the "1980's cool factor" of the digital gauges.

 

I would suggest doing the same, as they seem to be plug-and-play in terms of interchangability. All of the functions worked on the 1988/89 cluster when plugged into my car, so I would assume that the 1990-93 gauges (like the ones in your TGP) would all function properly too, when installed in your '89.

[Addicted To Boost]

If I can't fix it, I'll just drive everywhere with my lights off

[ismellrealbad]

tape a mini mag light in front of it?

[Addicted To Boost]

tape a mini mag light in front of it?

If I turn any lights on in the car- ie. the overhead light, then I can't see the speed at all. Its dim.

[TGP5sp90]

tape a mini mag light in front of it?

That was good

[jeremy]

tape a mini mag light in front of it?

 

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