5 replies to this topic

[TexasComputerMan]

A few months ago, I decided to have my gauge cluster upgraded with blue needles and ultra-white lights. So I sent a working cluster to Lextech.org. When it came back, it was beautiful, but there were problems.
When it came back to me, all was OK except the fuel guage did not work. I was told to I had to put a new fuel guage in myself. Since I had previously bought a scrapped cluster, I moved that fuel guage over to the Lextech one. Not being an engineer, I managed to disable the Tach and water gauges. I still had blue needles, but neither the Tach nor the water gauge registered properly. I sent the cluster back to Lextech and they got the tach working, but the water gauge still did not register.
OK, the problem with the water gauge stems from the earlier fix's that this cluster has undergone. I have the original repair orders from the original owner and a Lexus dealer in this area repaired this cluster three times in 12 years. The water gauge Must have the mounting screws inserted and tightened down properly. It seems that the screws not only hold the water gauge in place, they complete an electric circuit. The screws must tighten up through a set of plastic tubes and over the years these tubes have become distorted and three of the screws would not tighten down properly to make that connection.
Here is where my mechanic comes in. He inserted a VERY fine wire down into each tube and then put the screw in and it tightened down properly. The wire acts as a Heli-Coil. (Those of you that have worked in manufacturing and/or auto repair know what a heli-coil is) Any way, the cluster is working perfectly now.
I have included a picture showing the back of the cluster and a couple of the screws so that you can get an idea of the problem. Particurlarly look at the design of the screws and you will see the need to wrap them with the very fine wire.
I hope this is clear. Others may run into this problem also.
 FixedClusterMod.jpg   80K   384 downloads



I wanted to add a picture of the completed Cluster.
Here it is:
 blueon32_002.jpg   58.07K   480 downloads

[SKperformance]

Very nice update and it actually looks great compared to other colour changing .

[TexasComputerMan]

I need to update the recent problems with the cluster. First, you all need to know that if your cluster has been worked on by a Lexus dealer or any one else, it will be difficult for Lextech.org to fix it perfectly. He can change the color of the needles and put ultra white bulbs in, but the rest you have to handle.
Now, lately the water temp gauge has been shorting out. The needle goes straight up, as far as it can go. The first time that happened, I thought that I was overheating badly. I pulled over (ON Highway 20 east in Dallas area) and did not see any symptoms of overheating. (Blowing steam etc. under the hood) so I smacked the dashboard in frustration and POW, the gauge went back to normal. That told me that there was a problem with the screw(s) that we had worked on previously.
This morning I pulled the cluster out one more time. (I am getting hinky about pulling it out. These things are very sensitive.) Once out, I saw that the screw that we had trouble with before was loose again. My mechanic and I pulled the screw and re-wrapped it with fine wire again. We also put a little larger diameter wire down into the plastic tube where the screw tighten's up against. The we re-tightened (sp?) it. It tightened up OK. But this time, we soldered a VERY SMALL amount of solder onto the screw head to hold it into place on the board. If you do this last step, be VERY careful. You can ruin the circuit board if you get ham-handed with the soldering gun or solder. Even too much heat from the soldering iron can hurt the board.
BUt, I have driven all around the Metroplex today and the water temp, as well as all other gauges, are working perfectly.

[TexasComputerMan]

I need to update the recent problems with the cluster. First, you all need to know that if your cluster has been worked on by a Lexus dealer or any one else, it will be difficult for Lextech.org to fix it perfectly. He can change the color of the needles and put ultra white bulbs in, but the rest you have to handle.
Now, lately the water temp gauge has been shorting out. The needle goes straight up, as far as it can go. The first time that happened, I thought that I was overheating badly. I pulled over (ON Highway 20 east in Dallas area) and did not see any symptoms of overheating. (Blowing steam etc. under the hood) so I smacked the dashboard in frustration and POW, the gauge went back to normal. That told me that there was a problem with the screw(s) that we had worked on previously.
This morning I pulled the cluster out one more time. (I am getting hinky about pulling it out. These things are very sensitive.) Once out, I saw that the screw that we had trouble with before was loose again. My mechanic and I pulled the screw and re-wrapped it with fine wire again. We also put a little larger diameter wire down into the plastic tube where the screw tighten's up against. The we re-tightened (sp?) it. It tightened up OK. But this time, we soldered a VERY SMALL amount of solder onto the screw head to hold it into place on the board. If you do this last step, be VERY careful. You can ruin the circuit board if you get ham-handed with the soldering gun or solder. Even too much heat from the soldering iron can hurt the board.
BUt, I have driven all around the Metroplex today and the water temp, as well as all other gauges, are working perfectly.

I wanted to update this thread. It has been over a month since I did the above fix. It is working perfectly even in the colder mornings that we have had recently. This one works if you are careful.

[dcfish]

I need to update the recent problems with the cluster. First, you all need to know that if your cluster has been worked on by a Lexus dealer or any one else, it will be difficult for Lextech.org to fix it perfectly. He can change the color of the needles and put ultra white bulbs in, but the rest you have to handle.
Now, lately the water temp gauge has been shorting out. The needle goes straight up, as far as it can go. The first time that happened, I thought that I was overheating badly. I pulled over (ON Highway 20 east in Dallas area) and did not see any symptoms of overheating. (Blowing steam etc. under the hood) so I smacked the dashboard in frustration and POW, the gauge went back to normal. That told me that there was a problem with the screw(s) that we had worked on previously.
This morning I pulled the cluster out one more time. (I am getting hinky about pulling it out. These things are very sensitive.) Once out, I saw that the screw that we had trouble with before was loose again. My mechanic and I pulled the screw and re-wrapped it with fine wire again. We also put a little larger diameter wire down into the plastic tube where the screw tighten's up against. The we re-tightened (sp?) it. It tightened up OK. But this time, we soldered a VERY SMALL amount of solder onto the screw head to hold it into place on the board. If you do this last step, be VERY careful. You can ruin the circuit board if you get ham-handed with the soldering gun or solder. Even too much heat from the soldering iron can hurt the board.
BUt, I have driven all around the Metroplex today and the water temp, as well as all other gauges, are working perfectly.

I wanted to update this thread. It has been over a month since I did the above fix. It is working perfectly even in the colder mornings that we have had recently. This one works if you are careful.

Nice post, I went through a similar project with my 93 es300 with lextech, All is good and I certainly recommend www.lextech.org as a alternative to the dealer. Glad everything worked out for you.

[lenore]

Nice job, Being a electronics tech for 38 years and the first six in the Navy, I learned how to repair most anything when backed against the wall. The Navy taught me that you fix it no matter what, the mission goes on. I like the repair detail you gave, it is insighful to those that have the capability and think out of the box. I have pride in that ability that I have achieved over the years, but am always open to new ideas. Thanks tex computer man, thoroughly enjoyed your post.