Gauge cluster lighting problem!!!

[slo5.0]

As if getting the gauge cluster out of the dash isn't enough fun in the first place, doing it the second time is even better.

I have replaced/checked all of the little lights in the back of the gauge cluster in my wife's 99sc2 but there is still one that doesn't work. Has anyone had problems with the odometer readout lighting up??? Everything else in the gauge cluster lights up except for the stupid odometer.

Is there even a bulb that lights the odometer?? I would really like to have a good plan of action or at least a likely "fix" before I tear the dash apart again.

Thanks

[slo5.0]

Come on guys............surely someone has dealt with this before.

[Damins]

On my 2002 SC2 its a LCD display. So if its not lighting up that sounds like a power issue but just a guess.

[wolfman]

The LCD odometer display has a back light bulb. You perhaps did not see it when you had the cluster out as it is a SMALLER SIZE and hides under a little cover visable when the cluster is removed. Take it back off and look again more carefully, you'll find it.

[clemsonsaturn]

I had to replace mine about 2 years ago. It's a royal pain! There is a small bulb like wolfman said. My dad and I were actually able to replace it without taking the cluster out. We did have to loosen the cluster, but we slid it foward and got my mom to reach her tiny hands down there and swap the bulb. I know it's annoying not having the odometer light up.

The Saturn retailer should have the bulb very cheap. My retailer actually just gave me several bulbs and said one of them would work.

Good luck!

[dansl2]

They REALLY must have changed the design of the cluster between '99 & 2000. I had to change my bulbs after blowing most of them out the first time I re-installed my cluster (long story, happy ending). It actually wasn't too much of a pain to either remove or replace the thing...just pop off the bezel, a couple of bolts holding the cluster in & disconnect the wiring connector. After the cluster was out I could see all the bulbs (including the odometer bulb) I also removed the cardboard back cover-but I really didn't need to. Did have to make sure to get the right bulbs, as the opera lights had inside & outside power connections, but the rest were inside (under) the board. A lot of bulbs I looked at only had connections for the "outside" or on top of the board leads. You have to see it to understand what I mean. What I did, was replace my opera (curtain or overhead) lights with red LED's, removed the blue diffuser & painted my needles a reflective white (have to remove the plastic cover for that). During the day my gauges look stock, but at night I have nice RED needles. Am thinking about replacing the rest of the bulbs with blue LED's-might look, well, cool.

[slo5.0]

I'm fairly sure that I replaced all of the lights in the cluster. There were quite a few of them. Some were easy to get to but others were recessed on the back of the cluster. I didn't see any "cover" when I had it out the first time but I'll take it out again just to see.

I had to take the upper dash pad off as well as drop the steering column in order to get the cluster out......is this typical????

[dansl2]

FWIW, the odometer bulb I replaced had a different color base than the others...all had blue bases & the odometer had grey, or tan-can't remember which.
I didn't have to remove the dash pad, I just had to kind of angle the bezel & lower the steering wheel. I may have to bent it a little to get it out. SC dashes are probably a little different-although they LOOK the same through the window.

[slo5.0]

thanks for the replies. I'll know better as soon as I can get it torn apart.

[tigerfan]

I just replaced the bulb on my 1999 SL2. When I first reinstalled the bulb socket I did not twist it far enough for the contacts to match. Make sure it is rotated far enough. Hope this helps.

[slo5.0]

Well, I finally got around to fixing my wife's gauge cluster today. It turns out that I did replace the right bulb but I replaced it with another bad one. You had to really look at the bulb to see that the filament was broken. I didn't have another black based bulb (#73?) so I just replaced it with one of the gray based bulbs (#74) and now it works great. I didn't realize how much I looked at the odometer until the bulb went out.

Thanks for the help.