[NA] truck oddity today

[timwinters]

Okay you mechanic types.

2002 silverado LS, 4wd, 4.8 litre, 170,000 miles.

Put a new battery in yesterday, 8dF this morning.

I hop in the truck to run to town and I notice as I'm driving down our lane that both the speedo and fuel gage are pegged...I'm doing 100 mph and I'm way past a full tank.

I tap on the instrument cluster and the gas gage drops to the accurate reading but the speedo remains pegged.

About a mile down the road the speedometer starts working properly.

This is the first time this has happened.

WTF?

 

[RichNY]

Chevy truck gauge clusters are well known for failures. There are "stepper" motors in the cluster that move the needles. If your problem resolved itself, consider yourself lucky. Also, if you cranked the engine with the almost dead battery, that could have messed with the needles.

 

[Alexb2000]

Very common problem and an easy fix. The instrument clusters in Chevy's had bad stepper motors. There was a recall on certain models. It is an easy fix if you are not eligible for the recall. When I fix these I just buy a full set of stepper motors on eBay and replace them all. The job takes about 2-3 hours total. Search YouTube for chevy stepper motor replacement. These are effected by the cold and often go bad in winter. The other possibility is that the stepper motor solder joints are cold another common problem and real easy fix. If I go through the trouble to tear it down I usually just put the new motors in and resolder, solves all the problems in one shot.

Hope this helps.

 

[pbramlett]

My cluster was ****ed too.

 

[timwinters]

Thank you both. I'll check out that YouTube vid if/when it acts up again. Sounds like a fairly straightforward fix.

 

[AggieMike88]

Concur the instrument gauge design didn't withstand the test of time. This and the 2003 model continue to be a frequently requested part.

Call me Monday, I think I can help with the part (both used and rebuilt solutions)

 

[denverpilot]

Concur the instrument gauge design didn't withstand the test of time. This and the 2003 model continue to be a frequently requested part.

Call me Monday, I think I can help with the part (both used and rebuilt solutions)

You have the gear to set the odometer correctly?


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[denverpilot]

I ask because the '04 Yukon's cluster also have a couple of ****ed gauges. Was planning to just spend some quality time with a soldering iron or just tell whoever buys it that it's broken and hand them the eBay link to the guy who sells parts or will rebuild yours for $100 including changing out all the burnt out bulbs for LEDs in whatever color you'd like.


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[flyingron]

My Avalanche cluster has gone loopy. Periodically the Oil Pressure just drops to nothing and alternatively the speedo also goes wonky. Then after an hour it goes back to normal.

 

[timwinters]

Call me Monday

Will do Mike. I still need the center console lid that we talked about at Gaston's too if you have one...never got around to calling you on that one.

It's been a great truck but at 170,000 mi. + is now getting to the nickel/dime stage. I just rebuilt the entire rear braking system because the flexible lines were failing internally AND the calipers were sticking. Rotors, pads, calipers, lines, etc.

Another weak spot on this vintage of truck is the multifunction switch...blinker, cruise, dimmer, wipers, etc. My cruise works sometimes and I have to turn the left blinker on the get the windshield washer to work!

She's a great farm truck though.

 

[AggieMike88]

You have the gear to set the odometer correctly?

No. On the used clusters, I leave that to the purchaser. On the remans, we send in the odometer and the VIN and they program the device. Reman comes with a lifetime warranty. The used one, once year.

 

[Norman]

Okay you mechanic types.

2002 silverado LS, 4wd, 4.8 litre, 170,000 miles.

Put a new battery in yesterday, 8dF this morning.

I hop in the truck to run to town and I notice as I'm driving down our lane that both the speedo and fuel gage are pegged...I'm doing 100 mph and I'm way past a full tank.

I tap on the instrument cluster and the gas gage drops to the accurate reading but the speedo remains pegged.

About a mile down the road the speedometer starts working properly.

This is the first time this has happened.

WTF?

Had similar happen on my S-10 but the cluster went out and so did the ignition. Everything else worked fine. Trouble was traced to a corroded wire on one of the connectors at the computer.

 

[dell30rb]

My brother had a 2001 Silverado 1500

Occasionally, the fuel gauge would read empty when it had plenty of fuel. Put the truck in reverse, and it worked normally. Never did figure that one out


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[Alexb2000]

My Avalanche cluster has gone loopy. Periodically the Oil Pressure just drops to nothing and alternatively the speedo also goes wonky. Then after an hour it goes back to normal.

Try just going over the solder joints on the stepper motors and re-wetting them. I have fixed MANY problems with these clusters with no expense other than time. Other than a socket set you only need a butter knife and a fork to do the job.

One other comment, many of the "rebuilders" doing these clusters are turning out crap work. I have redone many that looked like they were soldered by a 3 year old. I would never use one.

 

[AggieMike88]

One other comment, many of the "rebuilders" doing these clusters are turning out crap work. I have redone many that looked like they were soldered by a 3 year old. I would never use one.

Not so with my supplier, fortunately. I have yet to have one returned for any reason. Quality has been vey good.

But there are low price rebuilders who are doing a poor slap and dash job.

 

[Alexb2000]

Not so with my supplier, fortunately. I have yet to have one returned for any reason. Quality has been vey good.

But there are low price rebuilders who are doing a poor slap and dash job.

I'm sure there are good ones and someone in your business has the volume to determine whether or not they are good. For most of the rest of us there are about 1000 websites for "rebuilders", many Craigslist ads, etc. because people figured out that this is just a super easy way to make a buck.

 

[denverpilot]

It's been a great truck but at 170,000 mi. + is now getting to the nickel/dime stage.

Nickels and dimes are still way cheaper than the obscene real dollars they want for a new one.

(GM should be long dead by the normal rules of the game. Their "new" trucks aren't innovating anymore either. Dead company walking.)

You'll make out like a bandit keeping the old one and fixing it.

 

[pbramlett]

My Avalanche cluster has gone loopy. Periodically the Oil Pressure just drops to nothing and alternatively the speedo also goes wonky. Then after an hour it goes back to normal.

That is how it started in my 2004 avalanche

 

[timwinters]

Nickels and dimes are still way cheaper than the obscene real dollars they want for a new one.

(GM should be long dead by the normal rules of the game. Their "new" trucks aren't innovating anymore either. Dead company walking.)

You'll make out like a bandit keeping the old one and fixing it.

Well, actually I have "a good truck" too, a 2011 silverado. The 2002 was retired from the company when it hit 150,000. I really didn't trust it any more driving back and forth to Wisconsin or a South Dakota or Cleveland. Not that it gave me a reason not to.

Everything is paid for though, so it's all good.

 

[Old Geek]

Recheck the battery connections before you do anything else. Sounds like a load dump because one of the battery cables came loose.

 

[denverpilot]

Recheck the battery connections before you do anything else. Sounds like a load dump because one of the battery cables came loose.

The Yukon is notorious for that too. Silly GM and their side terminal batteries. I guess gravity assist was too good for them. LOL.

Good call on mentioning to check that. I keep that stupid little ratchet wrench for side posts in the Yukon specifically because those always work loose at inopportune times, and had to use it in anger twice on dad's Suburban too.

Dirt road bouncing over washboards doesn't help this problem any.