Instrument cluster is intermittently powering on and off

[Sciguy]

Our 2003 Si has started to experience intermittent power to the instrument cluster. This started on an extremely hot day last summer after the car had been parked in the direct sun for several hours. It didn't show up again until we made a trip to Florida this early spring and once again were in very high temperatures. Now its happening even during cooler temperatures. What we see is all gauges dropping to zero for from an instant to several seconds and then coming back on long with the lights that normally come on when you first start the engine. The engine continues to run normally and the battery maintains charge even when driven at night so it appears that the problem is isolated to power for the cluster.

I've found the thread detailing how to pull the cluster and will attempt to do that so that I can inspect and manipulate connectors.

I'd be open to any ideas or suggestions folks might have beyond that step. I'm not excited about leaving this to the Honda dealer as they generally quote $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ just to look at this sort of thing let along throwing parts at it to fix things.

Thanks for any ideas,

Hugh

[5johny5]

The instrument cluster is actually quite easy to replace. There is also a self-diagnostic test that I found on civic forums.
http://www.civicforums.com/forums/171-general-honda-civic-forum-archive/195940-gauge-cluster-test.html
If the dials and lights dont all work evenly and smoothly, replace the cluster, a 10 minute job. ($150 on ebay)

[Sciguy]

The instrument cluster is actually quite easy to replace. There is also a self-diagnostic test that I found on civic forums.
http://www.civicforums.com/forums/171-general-honda-civic-forum-archive/195940-gauge-cluster-test.html
If the dials and lights dont all work evenly and smoothly, replace the cluster, a 10 minute job. ($150 on ebay)

Johny,

Thanks for the reply. As you mentioned the cluster came out easily once I exerted a bit more force on the top part of the bezel than expected. After inspecting and spraying the blue and green connectors with contact cleaner I put things back together and did a short test drive. So far so good but since it has been an intermittent problem it will take a good bit more time on the road to believe it's actually fixed.

When the problem occurs it's the whole cluster that seems to completely lose power with lights and gauges blinking and sweeping on and off at a frequency of anywhere from once every second to once every few seconds to not at all for hours on end. It was really scary the first time it happened but has become less so as I've not seen any adverse performance consequence. I wonder it the unit has an intermittent ground but am not sure where it gets its ground. The main engine to frame ground looks excellent. I'd hate to replace the cluster if it's just a ground problem.

Any more ideas out there?

Thanks,

Hugh

[5johny5]

Once you get the cluster out, it actually comes apart rather easily. There you can check out the circuit board and look for any bad or burnt out stuff.