'96 Pontiac Grand Am SE I4 sedan
I started up my car like I normally do each day; however, all the gauges just bounced up to max and then dropped back down to zero - and stayed there. The Tach, Speedo, Gas, and Temp are all at their lowest settings (as if the car was turned off). The Odometer and Trip odometer still work fine, and the idiot lights are all on as well. The car seems to be running fine with the exception that I have no physical gauge of my speed etc.
I found one reference on some site off of Google that this may relate to the ignition switch; but, there was no reply as to if that fixed it. Have any of you guys experienced something like this? What fixed it? As Memorial Day Weekend is a great time to get bagged for speeding, I'd like to fix this ASAP.
Thanks, guys.
EDIT (BoomerD & MedicBob): I went through the fuses, and all are fine. That was my first thought, too. I pulled and reseated them, just to make sure they didn't rattle loose.
EDIT 2: Battery disconnected for a couple days; gauges still out.
EDIT 3: Yay! Finally resolved!
EDIT 4: For JEDI (too busy 'zwooshing his lightsaber' to read the thread):
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Moved to The Garage
Senior Anandtech Moderator
Common Courtesy
I started up my car like I normally do each day; however, all the gauges just bounced up to max and then dropped back down to zero - and stayed there. The Tach, Speedo, Gas, and Temp are all at their lowest settings (as if the car was turned off). The Odometer and Trip odometer still work fine, and the idiot lights are all on as well. The car seems to be running fine with the exception that I have no physical gauge of my speed etc.
I found one reference on some site off of Google that this may relate to the ignition switch; but, there was no reply as to if that fixed it. Have any of you guys experienced something like this? What fixed it? As Memorial Day Weekend is a great time to get bagged for speeding, I'd like to fix this ASAP.
Thanks, guys.
EDIT (BoomerD & MedicBob): I went through the fuses, and all are fine. That was my first thought, too. I pulled and reseated them, just to make sure they didn't rattle loose.
EDIT 2: Battery disconnected for a couple days; gauges still out.
EDIT 3: Yay! Finally resolved!
EDIT 4: For JEDI (too busy 'zwooshing his lightsaber' to read the thread):
Holy crap! Has it really been 4 months that these were dead? I finally got to fixing this. After a bunch of troubleshooting (which I soon found out was a waste of my time) the solution was to replace the gauge cluster (in retrospect, I should have just listened to tfinch2). Apparently in my car model years, 96-98, the BCM is actually located in the gauge cluster. If it gets slightly wonky, you have to replace the entire thing as it is not serviceable. Holland's in Billerica had it for $25. Problem solved!
Oh, as a fun side note, the anti-theft system is built in the gauge pack, too. So if you replace the gauge pack, you're car won't start - but only temporarily. If this system is any indication of other anti-thefts they are a fscking joke! To bypass it, start the car and the ignition will shut off with the 'Theft System' light blinking. Leave it in the run position for 10 minutes (or until the 'Theft System' light will come on solid) then switch it off. Wait 10 seconds and the car will start and function normally from then on.
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Moved to The Garage
Senior Anandtech Moderator
Common Courtesy