I got tired of not knowing my speed, fuel level or odometer readings and my electronic dashboard was flickering on and off and sometimes not coming on at all. I fixed that today. I found a handy link: http://www.geocities.com/southbeach/sands/2476/automobile/digital_instrument_cluster.htm

Here's my personal notes:

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t163/holypiston/oldsdashrepair1.jpg



Use #2 and #3 to dismantle dash panel once removed from the vehicle. #3 is special “Torx” drivers (Kragen). This will enable removal of metal protective back, front cover, LED Fuel Level, MPH & Odometer internals & circuit board itself.


The main things I checked on the board:


*I. The biggest resistor on the right side of the Digital Instrument Cluster. The resistor is color brown and has a color band of yellow, violet, brown, gold. The actual value of the resistor is rated 5.1 ohms based on my Digital Multi-meter reading. Resolder or replace if loose or not reading the rated ohmage. As a side not wiggle all other transistors and check for weak solder or loose broken tangs, resolder or replace.


*II. The smaller Sub-module circuit board soldered onto the top of main board (small rectangular TDK made board, drives the LEDs, I believe) with 3 small (round & blue) 35VDC 100 microfarad capacitors soldered onto it (Radio Shack Part #272-1028). I replaced ALL three. Also check for the Large Blue Capacitor on the MAIN circuit board, I believe it's rated at 330 microfarads...forget the voltage....resolder or replace (Radio Shack didn't carry this, but I didn't need it....i hear a sign of damage can be if the capacitor bleeds out, mine was fine).


*III. IC (Integrated Chip) that IRESOLDERED ALL THE JOINTS
M AMI 8825MBB 3952-A C15986 PHILIPPINES. I'm sure this was the main problem. I have a Fluke 16 multi-meter that reads microfarads and all checked out okay. The soldering is the suspect, so I resoldered ALL and replaced as many as I could, except for the large capacitor on the main board.
Before you do any solder work. Use # 7round sharp tip micro file (radio shack) and scratch all the protective coating (with the very tip of pointy abrasive file around the original solder joint off each solder point (this will also be used to “scratch away” any excess that might stray). Once you've scratched off the protective coating, use #4 to melt the existing solder and #6 to suck the solder up once it liquefies. If you don't get it all the first time, you might want to resolder it and suck it back up, then repair it using the trick in the next sentence. Here's the TRICK: make sure you get a wet sponge, put on a coffee saucer. Plug in your solder iron. When the iron is hot, lace the tip with a little solder #5. Then flick off the excess solder and roll it in the wet sponge. This will clean an prep the tip...do this each time you start a fresh solder. IMPORTANT: Take the iron and touch the “tip” of the contact you want to solder, now take the solder in your other hand and touch it to the side of the tip of the contact itself NOT the solder iron and it will roll down and melt into a nice solder weld...if done right it won't take more than 15 to 20 seconds each tip....you'll get it, just work with it...this is the right way to do it. I tried to put all the solder on the iron, but it was too much and created a “bridge” between joints...NOT what you want!!!



* here's the link, I got most of this from http://www.geocities.com/southbeach/sands/2476/automobile/digital_instrument_cluster.htm