New Beetle speedo & tachometer - both fail at once

My daughter's 2001 New Beetle had a working speedometer and tachometer this morning on the way to school, and when she started home they were both dead. The speedo is at 0 and the tach at around 1000 RPM. The gas gauge may be working, not sure, but all LCD display functions are okay - odometer is fine, trip miles, shift indicator, etc.

What is there in common between those pointer-based gauges that could fail at the same time? I'm assuming each is based on an electromechanical sensor and provides a signal to the instrument panel, but I would think the speedo comes from a wheel and the tach from the engine.

Any suggestions on where to look, in the hopes that it's a loose wiring block or something else simple? A fuse, perhaps? Sure hope I don't have to replace the whole panel. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Greg

Reply to
Greg Darnell
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The 2 most common problems I've seen out of the NB clusters is the low fuel ligth that never turn off, and the gong/buzzer/chime that joins the union and only works at random.

What should be done is an "output test" on the instrument cluster to see if the needles will sweep on command. My guess is they won't. You've got power to the unit since the gas and LCD displays work. The speedo and tach use 2 different sources for thier signals.

My guess is the end result will be a new cluster is the fix. :( To which the odometer has to be flashed (correctly) and maybe the keys would have to be adapted for immobilizer... to which only the dealer can get that code (or the really cool people).

Reply to
Pencilneck

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