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........

I just went through this on my 1999 GS400. Lost all of the gauges and radio illumination. Just about to bite the bullet and take it into Lexus (where they so lovely quoted about $2500 for a replacement cluster) when I got to tinkering. I removed the trim bezel, then the four screws that hold the cluster in. Removed the cluster and banged on the side of it. Reinstalled and guess what is now functioning? Yep, gauges. Good luck.

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!!!!

Good advice on the aftermarket muffler shop or just duck under the bar with a rubber mallet and isolate the rattle. Then drive a couple of self tapping sheet metal screws through the heat shield until they touch the cat/exhaust and problem is solved. -0- cost!!!!!!

Update (March 2008) - Removed the radio head unit and sat it down on a table and started to dissect it. Removed the face plate and got down to the LED display for the radio. Then took the LED display unit out and took it i to a electronics repair place where the soldered two new bulbs into the back of the display and charged a ridiculously low price of $17.00 for the repair. Took the repaired display back home and reassembled the radio where it has been working fine for the last several months. Suck on that Lexus.

Hi there. Have a 99 GS400 and half of my radio display has lost it's backlighting. Lexus wants a ridiculous amount of money to replace the head unit, but other than the display works perfectly. Any idea on a repair and how to actually remove the head unit?