Instrument cluster clock/climate control

[ToddLS400]

Why doesn't Lexus recall these cheap LCD displays? Every older Lexus I've seen has the bleeding LCD. Including mine of course. It sucks... This Mikado guy sounds like a good source. His service sounds great. But $295 is a lot to fix a simple LCD. LCD technology has been around since the 70's. It's cheap. I know it costs a lot more to buy the OEM LCD display from the Lexus mafia dealership. Is there a do it yourself thread on this? I'm not here to take anything away from Mikado at all. Keep up the good work and service...I just like to do things myself if it's all possible.

All we need to do is get the LCD part # for the rectangular display. I may be able to order it from the local Supertronix or somewhere on the net. I'll look around for LCD displays. Can somebody please give me any #'s off the back of the LCD after you remove it. Or simply measure it accurately and give me those dimensions if there is no #'s printed on it.

Now if he charged $150, I would be all over it.... hint, hint.... ;)

[kmathews]

as far as part # go, I was told this from a member who posted on the UK site:

"Well Jason, welcome to our world. These are great cars and rarely fail, but when they do, you had better be prepared with a fat wallet. When the dealer gets done with you, that wallet won't be thinner, it'll be GONE!

I can't help you with this problem, but I can with a potential future problem. You see, the 90-94 LS400s are notorious for the failure of the TEMP / TIME Climate Control LCD. They will begin to fail by showing a smudged black display. It will usually clear up on hot days, but the smudged black look will return when the display cools down. This will continue to worsen until it will always show the black smudged look no matter how hot it gets.

The Lexus dealer wants approximately a ton of money to repair this problem. They replace the whole climate control unit itself. This unit has lots of electronics in it including the climate control computer itself.

I am an electronics engineer so I decided to explore this problem and I found that the glass liquid crystal display itself is the part that fails, as opposed to an electronic component that drives the display. These displays are custom made for or by Lexus so you can't just go to the neighborhood Liquid Crystal Display store and by a replacement. Lexus won't sell them, they only sell the whole climate control unit.

I decided to have some of these manufactured to my specifications. I ordered these with the widest temperature range that I could possibly order. Since these are custom made, it will take a while to get them and they are expensive but not nearly as expensive as going to Lexus.

Anyway, I am expecting delivery of 5 engineering samples within the next few weeks. Once those are tested by me and I determine that they are acceptable, I will order at least 100 of them and offer them for sale to this forum at a very reasonable price.

I have found the there is a difference in the displays between then left hand drive cars as opposed to the right hand drive cars. The ones I'm having manufactured are for left hand drive. It will require an adapter to use these on right hand drive cars. A daughter-board that will allow the use of the same display to be used on right-hand drives. I will design and offer these as well.

Anyway, if you or anyone else out there is interested, please Email me and let me know.

Jim Walker jimlwalker@sbcglobal.net"

But I dont know if his way is going to be cheaper the 295?? Also this Mikado guy, can he repair them and keep the stock color and if so does this change the price? Or is the pirce the same even if you dont change the stock color?

[VBdenny]

I have a question about this unit. Bot only is mine starting to darken, but all the lights are out. I saw on http://www.cureline.net/lex/audio/howto_ra...dio_removal.htm how to remove.

Do you ship the whole A/C control unit, or just the LCD part?

Are the lights bulbs included with the 295 repair?

Do you need to call Mikado first?

Thanks

[suxel]

Hi Matt what a great club you have. I am new to this so I aploogize if I am doing this wrong. I was reading your posts on the site and thought I would drop a note. I have a "93 LS 400 and had problems with my cluster. I already had the board repaired once about a year ago, and was working fine. My needles were starting to go dark not the whole thing only 1/4 to 1/2 the length lit. I am reading this is a common problem. I sent it to the place that did my original board fix and they were able to repair the needles also. I guess the replace the bulbs. Just thought you and the other owners out there would find it interesting there is someone out there able to repair them without resorting to painting them. They are in Michigan and the phone number is (888) 909 9473. I found them on the web at www.dashusa.com.

Good luck and thanks for the site!!

Stan Marus

[ToddLS400]

Jim Walker is 4 weeks out from getting 100 new LCD climate controls for the '90 - '92 LS400. Get this, $150 unit. He had them custom fabricated in China. I'm all over it.

[VBdenny]

So am I. Hey Todd, is this a replacement for the whole A/C unit, or just the LCD display. If so, how big a deal is it to change that once you have the control unit out?

[ToddLS400]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...&category=33545

[wally059]

I to used the advice from this forum and shipped my LCD to Mikado for repair. I was very pleased with the result and the service. For some reason, they told me $245 on the phone, and that's what was charged. I had the unit back in the car within a few days. I would highly recomend Mikado fot the LCD repair, I could't find a used unit in the junkyard for that price.

Hi Jeff, do you by any chance have any pictures or if not can you take pictures of your new LCD repaired by Mikado? I sew one repaired by Jim Walker but the fonts are diferent, is okay if you do it just to be able to see the time and the temp. reading but when you see both of them together you can see the difference in font and in layout, the one replaced by Jim Walker has the layout a little to the top, so you can see is not centered and the font is smaller by a couple of sizes maybe, it would be of big help for all of us who have this problem with the LCD's if we could compare and go where is more satisfacroty for us, thanks for the attention I will post a picture of the one repaired by Jim.

:)

Walter.-

[wally059]

here is the picture..

Walter.

[mejojo]

For the record, Jim did not do mine. I bought the LCD from Jim and installed it myself.

Joe

[wally059]

Joe is right guys, sorry Joe if I mis understood, but the idea is still out there though, who has pictures or can take some of a unit done by Mikado??

Thanks Joe for correcting me.

Walter.-

[benitoz]

Matt,

Im wondering if I have the same problem. I have a 1994 Ls400. Recently when I start the car, the instrument panel remains pitch black with the exception of the gear you are in. So as I start driving I notice the lights and needles start to flicker, and flicker, and finally get brighter. This usually happens to me at night or early in the morning. But I live in CA and the temperature should not be that much of a problem. I took it to the dealer and they say it might be the fuse, but that was fine. Then they said diagnostic, and that is too expensive for me. So what do you think is wrong, please help.

Thanks,

Ben

[90LS400Lexus]

Luckily, the instrument cluster in my 90 LS400 is still working perfectly, (which is unusual, especially for a 90 model) but I have heard it is a very common problem on these cars. I think it only takes a little while to remove the cluster and replace the lights. There was auction on E-Bay (it was actually an ad) that said you could send them your cluster and they would replace all of the lighting in it for $175. I think this may have also included new needles. Just search on E-bay. Type in "Lexus, instrument cluster". Good luck.

[Lextreme]

Here is some information on Jim's LCD unit. Installed yesterday. http://www.lextreme.com/lcdtech.htm

[bobsvilla]

The unit repaired by Mikodo was exactly the same colour, font as the original Lexus.

They replaced burned out bulbs, cleaned etc. (2 year warranty) .......bob

Mikado Technology

1435 Huntington Ave #C

S. San Francisco, Ca

94080

[bobsvilla]

might as well add their Tel# as well 1-888-964-5236. Try negotiating price, they did mine for under $200 plus shipping. ....bob

[mejojo]

Do you know if the LCD they use is the original part, or if they use a better-than-original part?

Joe

[jim72]

might as well add their Tel# as well 1-888-964-5236. Try negotiating price, they did mine for under $200 plus shipping. ....bob

Bob , I made the call , they quoted 295.00 wouldnt budge, dealer discount?J

[pgupta]

Flickering Dash Lights:

(In decreasing order of magnitude cost!)

Option 1 - go to the dealer and replace the entire combination meter assy.

Option 2 - Have Jim Walker repair your combination meter boards.

Option 3 - Pull out the boards and replace components yourself. Visit

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/soarertt/blinkidash.htm. TR109(BC639 or equiv) on motherboard and C212(10uF/16V) on daughter board are suspect.

[bobsvilla]

$295 is still a good price compared to a new one. Mine has been running for over 1 year now

and the quality is just like the original. ..... bob

[amorris]

Hi Jim,

My 93 LS 400 has Instrument cluster blackout when cold but comes on after 20 minutes or so. Also has outermost section of the tach needle blacked. Dealer says its a " lighting computer" that can be replaced cost $2000 parts only plus labour!

Please help - how do I get a copy of Jim Walker/motjebben replacement procedure?

Alan Morris amorris@kingsgate.ca

[UCF3]

Hi Jim,

My 93 LS 400 has Instrument cluster blackout when cold but comes on after 20 minutes or so. Also has outermost section of the tach needle blacked. Dealer says its a " lighting computer" that can be replaced cost $2000 parts only plus labour!

Please help - how do I get a copy of Jim Walker/motjebben replacement procedure?

Alan Morris amorris@kingsgate.ca

Hey Alan:

Aren't you able to read the two links and .PDFs posted in Matt's Post?

Instructions for circuit board removal, ready for cold cathode replacement of burnt out needles( NOT LINKS)

And

Instruction to fix Lexus Instrument Panel Needles (NOT LINKS)

Check his first post.

[tbow1975]

I to used the advice from this forum and shipped my LCD to Mikado for repair. I was very pleased with the result and the service. For some reason, they told me $245 on the phone, and that's what was charged. I had the unit back in the car within a few days. I would highly recomend Mikado fot the LCD repair, I could't find a used unit in the junkyard for that price.

Hi Jeff, do you by any chance have any pictures or if not can you take pictures of your new LCD repaired by Mikado? I sew one repaired by Jim Walker but the fonts are diferent, is okay if you do it just to be able to see the time and the temp. reading but when you see both of them together you can see the difference in font and in layout, the one replaced by Jim Walker has the layout a little to the top, so you can see is not centered and the font is smaller by a couple of sizes maybe, it would be of big help for all of us who have this problem with the LCD's if we could compare and go where is more satisfacroty for us, thanks for the attention I will post a picture of the one repaired by Jim.

:)

Walter.-

Contact Jim at the info below. He manufactures the LCD displays for a very reasonable fee and may be able to offer warranty depending on which option you choose.

Jim Walker

jimlwalker@sbcglobal.net

559-457-3092

:D

[UCF3]

So guys, how much is Jim Walker charging for the rebuild? I've seen some of Jims' work, and it's pretty good.

I used Mikado before and they charged me $295 with express Shipping(sorry bob), but if there's a cheaper place than them, I'd switch.

[Lextreme]

I think Mikado knows there are a new kid on the block and the price is not as firm as before. Jim and I can do it for much less.