1999 Gs400 Instrument Cluster

[heydoug1987]

Ok, this sucks.

1999 GS400 with relatively few problems, but today my instrument cluster stops working. No guage functions at all. No warning lights on the lower panel (door, brake, etc) and the needles are buried at -0-. Usually I'd think the cluster is bad, but when I turn my lights on, the radio, hvac and transmission lights also are not working. Cruise functions okay. Fuel guage also dead. Fuses for guages check okay.

Thinking maybe night sensor (does cluster derive power from the sensor?)

HELP!!!!

[heydoug1987]

Okay. This doesn't suck so much.

Was just about to take it into Lexus, suck it up and pay the $2500 for a new cluster when I got to tinkering. I removed the gauge cluster and tapped on the side of it with a rubber mallet. I reinstalled it and, holy crap, it works! I realize that electronics are sometimes prone to the same type of failure that light bulbs go through, so applied some of that logic.

Now, what to spend the money earmarked for the cluster on....Hmmmm........

[blessing]

Okay. This doesn't suck so much.

Was just about to take it into Lexus, suck it up and pay the $2500 for a new cluster when I got to tinkering. I removed the gauge cluster and tapped on the side of it with a rubber mallet. I reinstalled it and, holy crap, it works! I realize that electronics are sometimes prone to the same type of failure that light bulbs go through, so applied some of that logic.

Now, what to spend the money earmarked for the cluster on....Hmmmm........

Hey man who ever you are...... I owe you lunch.... if you're in CA, I will treat you lunch.... I fix my car problem... the same problem as your car.... Thanks again for sharing...

[sakataj]

Okay. This doesn't suck so much.

Was just about to take it into Lexus, suck it up and pay the $2500 for a new cluster when I got to tinkering. I removed the gauge cluster and tapped on the side of it with a rubber mallet. I reinstalled it and, holy crap, it works! I realize that electronics are sometimes prone to the same type of failure that light bulbs go through, so applied some of that logic.

Now, what to spend the money earmarked for the cluster on....Hmmmm........

Hey man who ever you are...... I owe you lunch.... if you're in CA, I will treat you lunch.... I fix my car problem... the same problem as your car.... Thanks again for sharing...

i know sometimes things dont have to make sense to work.......but is it just me or does this sound like the DUMBEST fix ever? even if it works.......i dunno that i wanna wack on a fragile $2000.00 gauge cluster with electronics all in it! just my $0.02

brian

[mdws1997]

Ok, this sucks.
1999 GS400 with relatively few problems, but today my instrument cluster stops working. No guage functions at all. No warning lights on the lower panel (door, brake, etc) and the needles are buried at -0-. Usually I'd think the cluster is bad, but when I turn my lights on, the radio, hvac and transmission lights also are not working. Cruise functions okay. Fuel guage also dead. Fuses for guages check okay.
Thinking maybe night sensor (does cluster derive power from the sensor?)
HELP!!!!

My son had the exact same problem on his 2000 GS300. After having a mechanic "look at it", he was driving home the car went dead and would not start. He check the battery and found the cable connections slightly corroded. Also, the pos cable was not tight on the battery. After he cleaned and reconnected the cables all gauges are working. This happened 2 weeks ago and so far all is good.

[mlgs300]

Probably removing and reinstalling is what did it. Sometimes connections just get old and you have to unplug and plug to get them tight. A good example, some of my lights would not work like courtesy stuff. Well these were doors I never open cuz it's just me opening the driver door. I worked them a hundred times and they came back to life.

[GS4 Zeppelin]

I recently had a different problem. Though not nearly as big. Im driving down the road, and I look down at the cluster to see that it looked pretty dim. It was at half brightness, and it will turn down to off, but will never get brighter than half brightness. Radio and climate still go to full brightness.

Does this sound like an unplug and plug back in, or maybe a bulb is blown ?

2000 GS400