Need Help, intermittent Instrument Cluster Failure....

I have a 2000 Mirage DE that has started to have a strange electrical problem. Over the last couple of weeks, the Istrument cluster will work sometimes and mostly not at all. It doesn't seem to be dependent on temperature or any other switches. When I first start the car in the morning, the cluster doesn't function., no Tach, Speed-o, Fuel, oil guage, nothing. Sometimes, after it has run for awhile, many miles, it suddenly comes back on. Other times, it may not work all day. Sometimes, it'll be working when I get somewhere, than after I get back into the car, it doesn't work again for many miles, if, at all.

I hope someone out there can lead me in the right direction to fix this problem without having to take it to the dealer.

Thanks Ahead,

John T McD.

Reply to
John T. McDougald
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Sounds like a bad earth lead. I take if you've slapped the top of the dash board a few times to see if there is any movement on the dials. Have you changed the battery recently or taken it out, made any mods that may have required the taking off and putting back of an earth strap. If you don't have a good contact it can cause this. If the strap itself is corroded ( green) it will need cleaning but can cause the same problem.

Not familure with what a Mirage is ( before any one says it i know its an oasis in the middle of the desert). If its a digital dash then its maybe a loose connector block on the back of the dash.

Reply to
g.caffrey5

Actually it's not. If your in Las Vegas, and you see a large hotel with water falls and volcanoes, that's a Mirage. If your in France, and a fighter jet flies by, that's a Mirage. If you imagine an oasis in the desert, that's a mirage! But an oasis, well that's just a watering hole in the desert, and it can be anywhere in the desert, it doesn't have to be in the exact middle.

Sorry for the humor, it was just to easy to not take advantage of it.

Reply to
Nirodac

No, I haven't done anything with the car electrically, that's part of whats confusing to me. The only thing that's been done to the car other than routine maintenance since it was bought was I replaced the front brake pads a couple of months ago. The batter is original and shows no sign of corrosion or weakness. I have topped off the water once last year in the battery and I can't seem to find any other electrical malfunction with the car other than he instrument cluster. All lights and switches are still working fine. The cluster has the analog guages with the digtal LCD Odometer reading. I think, not 100% sure, that the idiot lights still work when I first crank the engine. I'll have to check it later today.

Thanks for the reply.

John T McD.

Reply to
John T. McDougald

Actually it's not. If your in Las Vegas, and you see a large hotel with water falls and volcanoes, that's a Mirage. If your in France, and a fighter jet flies by, that's a Mirage. If you imagine an oasis in the desert, that's a mirage! But an oasis, well that's just a watering hole in the desert, and it can be anywhere in the desert, it doesn't have to be in the exact middle.

Sorry for the humor, it was just to easy to not take advantage of it. I know i suffer from it myself.

Gary

Reply to
g.caffrey5

Well, its a poor connection somewhere, and its affecting the whole gauge pod. The pod comes out by removing the bezel (look for a couple of screws under top edge). There's a couple more screws or clips that hold the pod in the dash. Take the pod out, clean the connectors with WD40, and stick it back in a couple of times. This may fix the problem. If not, you have to start looking deeper under the dash for grounds. Also check if there's a fuse that controls other dash functions: could be a bad connection there too.

Stewart DIBBS

Reply to
Stewart DIBBS

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