s13 digital speedometer issue(not what you think it is, already tried the cap fix) - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

wrxkyle · 10-19-2009, 02:55 PM

so i just did the capacitor fix Technical Articles: How to: Repair 240sx digital speedometer with HUD.) and i still don't get the speedometer or the HUD to light up at all. i did this to two different clusters i have for the car, and no dice on either of them. what else could it be? all the rest of the gauges including the tach/fuel/warning lights/and i'm pretty sure even the odo works.

i'm going to check the yellow-green(VSS) wire for continuity all the way back to the ecu, but are there any plugs that might be unplugged that would cause this? dash lights dont turn on either, though when you turn on the ignition with the headlights on the ashtray light comes on.

i just bought the car, i now have the dash completly out looking for this problem, any help here? got the car 3 days ago lol, way to jump into modding eh?

wrxkyle · 10-19-2009, 07:26 PM

is there any way to eliminate other possibilities, i think the vss module with the gear on the end of it in the transmission was replaced recently, so that should work, is it possible i just have two completly dead clusters? from studying the wiring diagrams i can't figure out what might be bad.

anyone have an extra digital cluster that is working that i could test with(in the utah provo/salt lake area) or a 240 wired for digi cluster and hud that i could plug one of my modules into and check to see if it's just plain dead?

<Update>
so i have the dash out, no connectors for the hazards or any other switches, and after driving around fairly hard for about an hour i tuned my lights off and then back on and wtf, the speedo lights up and is working, but the dash lights are still off, tach isn't lit but still works, and after a bit the speedo goes blank again, turnign on and off the lights turns it back on, i'm stumped, could it be i got some bad replacement capacitors? or maybe i just did a really bad solder job?(i have experience soldering little things though

)
could it be something to do with a lighting module? is there even one in these cars?

any help would be greatly appreciated

wrxkyle · 10-20-2009, 05:38 PM

update, tcu burnout.

i saw somewhere that if your radio harness is cut it probably shorted the tcs, which mine is, and my tcu had the fried trace so i soldered a wire over that and it would probably be all fixed now but i resoldered the speedometer(thinking that was the problem) and now it doesn't light up, not sure if something on the speedo board is fried or if the tcu is dead now. i could REALLY use some help on finding a tcu and a working speedo cluster to see which it is. i can't find any 240 at junkyards here.

wrxkyle · 10-24-2009, 01:09 AM

bumpity, could use some help here, what else can burn out in the lighting illum line that would take out the speedo and intrument lighting but not the TACH and other gauges, is there anything?

sil80_88 · 10-24-2009, 01:40 AM

dead bulbs? haha could be something as simple as that

wrxkyle · 10-24-2009, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sil80_88

dead bulbs? haha could be something as simple as that

oops sorry, meant to say tach, the speedo doesn't light up.

wrxkyle · 10-24-2009, 09:42 PM

so, i guess it helps if the radio fuse is in, but all in all i figured that one speedometer was probably fine before i messed with it, and the other had the power out, the good one i ruined soldering, but luckily the power supply on the back is detachable and i swapped those and now the speedo lights up, didn't bother to check the dash lights as i was so happy the speedo and hud worked, hopefully this will be helpful to all of you, also i did have to solder the tcu. now just to put the whole dash back together.

bigdodd · 10-26-2009, 07:16 PM

had the same problem with my 240...replaced the cap, and still nothing. had the gauge assembly disassembled and plugged it into the harness, moved the circuit board that i soldered the cap to,(with the key on and lights on) and when i moved it the dash lights came on. apon closer inspection found bad solder connections where this board attaches to the main board. Still havent got the speedo to light up tho >.<

wrxkyle · 10-28-2009, 03:02 PM

yah you do have to be carefull about the mounting pins at the base of the board, i had to redo those. now the speedo works but the dash lights do nothing. i'm pretty sure they aren't all burned out, but the clock light does come on when the headlights are off, what could it be? speedo and hud now work perfectly, the hud dimms with the dimmer switch too so that should be good, and i'm pretty sure the tcu is good as well, but have no way to check(i already soldered the burnt out jumper.

10-19-2009, 02:55 PM	#1
wrxkyle Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UT Posts: 7 Trader Rating: (0)	s13 digital speedometer issue(not what you think it is, already tried the cap fix) so i just did the capacitor fix Technical Articles: How to: Repair 240sx digital speedometer with HUD.) and i still don't get the speedometer or the HUD to light up at all. i did this to two different clusters i have for the car, and no dice on either of them. what else could it be? all the rest of the gauges including the tach/fuel/warning lights/and i'm pretty sure even the odo works. i'm going to check the yellow-green(VSS) wire for continuity all the way back to the ecu, but are there any plugs that might be unplugged that would cause this? dash lights dont turn on either, though when you turn on the ignition with the headlights on the ashtray light comes on. i just bought the car, i now have the dash completly out looking for this problem, any help here? got the car 3 days ago lol, way to jump into modding eh?

10-19-2009, 07:26 PM	#2
wrxkyle Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UT Posts: 7 Trader Rating: (0)	is there any way to eliminate other possibilities, i think the vss module with the gear on the end of it in the transmission was replaced recently, so that should work, is it possible i just have two completly dead clusters? from studying the wiring diagrams i can't figure out what might be bad. anyone have an extra digital cluster that is working that i could test with(in the utah provo/salt lake area) or a 240 wired for digi cluster and hud that i could plug one of my modules into and check to see if it's just plain dead? <Update> so i have the dash out, no connectors for the hazards or any other switches, and after driving around fairly hard for about an hour i tuned my lights off and then back on and wtf, the speedo lights up and is working, but the dash lights are still off, tach isn't lit but still works, and after a bit the speedo goes blank again, turnign on and off the lights turns it back on, i'm stumped, could it be i got some bad replacement capacitors? or maybe i just did a really bad solder job?(i have experience soldering little things though ) could it be something to do with a lighting module? is there even one in these cars? any help would be greatly appreciated Last edited by wrxkyle; 10-19-2009 at 10:43 PM.

10-24-2009, 01:09 AM	#4
wrxkyle Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UT Posts: 7 Trader Rating: (0)	bumpity, could use some help here, what else can burn out in the lighting illum line that would take out the speedo and intrument lighting but not the TACH and other gauges, is there anything? Last edited by wrxkyle; 10-24-2009 at 07:39 PM.

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10-20-2009, 05:38 PM	#3
wrxkyle Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UT Posts: 7 Trader Rating: (0)	update, tcu burnout. i saw somewhere that if your radio harness is cut it probably shorted the tcs, which mine is, and my tcu had the fried trace so i soldered a wire over that and it would probably be all fixed now but i resoldered the speedometer(thinking that was the problem) and now it doesn't light up, not sure if something on the speedo board is fried or if the tcu is dead now. i could REALLY use some help on finding a tcu and a working speedo cluster to see which it is. i can't find any 240 at junkyards here.

10-24-2009, 01:40 AM	#5
sil80_88 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Guam Posts: 16 Trader Rating: (3)	dead bulbs? haha could be something as simple as that

10-24-2009, 09:42 PM	#7
wrxkyle Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UT Posts: 7 Trader Rating: (0)	so, i guess it helps if the radio fuse is in, but all in all i figured that one speedometer was probably fine before i messed with it, and the other had the power out, the good one i ruined soldering, but luckily the power supply on the back is detachable and i swapped those and now the speedo lights up, didn't bother to check the dash lights as i was so happy the speedo and hud worked, hopefully this will be helpful to all of you, also i did have to solder the tcu. now just to put the whole dash back together.

10-26-2009, 07:16 PM	#8
bigdodd Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: tennessee Age: 37 Posts: 5 Trader Rating: (0)	had the same problem with my 240...replaced the cap, and still nothing. had the gauge assembly disassembled and plugged it into the harness, moved the circuit board that i soldered the cap to,(with the key on and lights on) and when i moved it the dash lights came on. apon closer inspection found bad solder connections where this board attaches to the main board. Still havent got the speedo to light up tho >.<

10-28-2009, 03:02 PM	#9
wrxkyle Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UT Posts: 7 Trader Rating: (0)	yah you do have to be carefull about the mounting pins at the base of the board, i had to redo those. now the speedo works but the dash lights do nothing. i'm pretty sure they aren't all burned out, but the clock light does come on when the headlights are off, what could it be? speedo and hud now work perfectly, the hud dimms with the dimmer switch too so that should be good, and i'm pretty sure the tcu is good as well, but have no way to check(i already soldered the burnt out jumper.

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