Instrument Cluster Malfunction

[Althulas]

As some of you know I have been working away off mainland for a while so my car has been left standing and winter has taken its toll or through lack of use has.

I had a lot of condensation in the car causing mold in the interior which took a while to clean effectively. I aslo been let down by the other half not turning over the car and running for a while once a week.

I got home last Friday to a pancaked battery so charged and car started first turn of the key running sweet but on the instrument cluster the mileage and service lights are dim, the red temp light is on the temp gauge and I got the intermittent squeak from I think the light buzzer. At first no Rev or Speedometer readings but after a drive with heater on full to I hope dry maybe condensation out.

Anyone had similar problem. Just hope the clusters not knackered.

 

[5harp3y]

Sounds like condensation

In the future grab yourself a car dehumidifier from Amazon.

Might actually be worth buying one anyway

 

[Althulas]

Unfortunately off road parking, if same work scenario though it either comes with me or hire a garage. Not happy with the drivers seat it like it's got scabs in some places.

 

[littlefeller]

shame, i had a spare cluster but i have left it out in the rain.
but what i have got is a shed load of bulbs, so if you need any

 

[bertiejaffa]

The cluster will sort itself out when the moisture has evaporated - this will happen by warmth through using the car at temperature / being in the sun for a while.

The mould issue will be caused by damp in the cabin - most likely this is due to damp and water in the foam under the carpets due to a leak that you either know about and have fixed and think all is now well or that you don't know about but is slowly seeping into the car - either way the issue is that the carpets will feel dry to touch but the underlying foam is huge and will hold litres of water. DO NOT ASSUME THEY DRY IN SITU DURING THE SUMMER UNLESS YOU LIVE IN SPAIN - THEY MUST BE REMOVED AND DRIED PROPERLY.

 

[Althulas]

Well I hope your wrong on the leak , I have had rain over and no visible leaks but back to the Iom tomorrow untill the end of the month. I will have to get the watering can out to try and find one.

I have a seat switch to change over on the passenger side so will do a check it will be a opportunity to wire my amp into the stereo as well.

 

[Ragtop]

I had a similar thing happen to me a few weeks back. Battery dead flat, when I charged it on the car and took it for a drive the fuel gauge, rev counter and temperature gauge wouldn't work. My garage told me to take the earth lead off the battery for a while then reconnect. It's been ok since.

 

[Althulas]

No luck with mine Ragtop, raining this morning and can't find any leakage. It will have to wait untill I go back home next

 

[jonco]

.............raining this morning and can't find any leakage..........

As already mentioned it may be 'old' leakage sitting in the foam under the carpet. Looking from the underside there are some rubber bungs in the floor under/just behind the seat - they usually have a bitumastic strip patch on the inside. To check for/partially drain any water you can remove the bung and push a small hole in the patch from underneath (easily resealed afterwards). You would still have to take the seat out afterwards to dry foam out fully. (been there - done it).

 

[Althulas]

Cheers Jonco but will do as bertiejaffa's suggested plus I can do some other jobs while I'm at.

 

[t-tony]

Another very worth while tip Mark. Get you Mrs. (if she will) to buy some plain white rice from the supermarket, it's dirt cheap. Tip it into some old tights, stockings etc. and tie them off. These things will remove more moisture from a car interior than anything else I know. You can recycle these almost indefinitely too.

Tony.

 

[Althulas]

When I was last home I re siliconed the A pillar bungs and had to leave it like that untill I get some time at home to strip out the interior and see how much fluid is below the carpets as they are reported dry.

Just a question on this intermittent buzzing sound I get. It's the same as the headlights warning chime but half arsed. Is the buzzer built into the light switch?

 

[littlefeller]

does the cluster work in self test mode?

 

[Althulas]

When I was home last I did try and only got a little flutter from the dials but was hard to tell due the the dash lights so dim. Speedo and rev counter only intermittently worked when I went for a short drive. Overheating light was on as well as brake pad warning light on. Plus the intermittent half farted chirp of what sounded like the headlight buzzer

 

[littlefeller]

maybe get an air drier in there, it does sound like condensation, my cluster glass fogged over once but didn't get any issues like your getting. they do actually come apart quite easily

 

[littlefeller]

just realised, its abit pointless doing the clock test if your whole cluster is playing up ooops in order to set the test you have to use the cluster controls.