OK I am new to this board so be gentle.
My dash is showing the apparently common promlem of flickering and guages going dead. I searched through this web site (great site) for the flickering dash problem and found a few suggestions. So far removing the cluster and shining up the connections hasn't worked and I didn't see any cracks in the solder joints.
So what are my options?
Scouring the junkyards for a dash or is there someplce you can get them repaired?
Mine is a 94 SSEI so the dashes aren't that common. Can I use the compass circuit card from another non SSEI dash?

The red dashlight flickering is caused by the headlight switch. BillBoost37 can hook you up with a "newer" switch that might help.

As for the guages themselves flicking and going bad, and the DIC and compass, i'm stumped too. Your removal and cleaning *should* have helped the problem.

There IS a place that will repair your dash, but I recall the price being in the $200 range.

The gauges sounds like a bad ground :?

On a 93 SSE, all the cleaning and polishing of the connections did nothing to solve the problem with the guages. All of them would stop working except for the speedo and tach. Taking the dash apart, and resolder several connections, paying special attention to the larger parts and where the boards connected together solved the problem. Sometimes you can see a bad solder connection, sometimes not.

I work in Vintage electronic repair and reflowing solder joints is one of the most common repairs. Unless you are skilled at it you probably will not see what we refer to as an "annular ring". This is a circular crack in the solder joint.

If you are used to soldering I would attack all of the larger pads and the ones on the connection itself.

The suggestion that it may be the main cluster ground is a good one. I clean all grounds with a product called "DeoxIt" and then coat them with a thin layer of silicon grease (the stuff you use on spark plug wires).

The light dimmer in the headlight switch is a nichrome wire type rheostat. These can be cleaned and lubed. They are practically indestructable compared to the carbon film types.

I am also working on my instrument cluster. I will post details on cleaning the headlight switch up.

I have found one Bonny in a local boneyard so I consider myself lucky.

Thanks all for getting back to me!!
My next step I guess is to go through all of the grounds. Do you have a listing of where they are?
If that doen't do it I'll try and get someone to check the solder joints and always keeping an eye on the junkyards for a dash.

DrewB - keep us posted on your efforts.

I had the same problem. Eventually the dash lights didn't work at all. It turns out it was the headlight switch.

My brother replaced the switch and everything is fine.

LeifW

Crazy gauges may also be traced to a bad ground next to the e brake and or the main ground buss under the carpet.

I don't suppose you have wet carpets?

No carpets are dry - I'll check anyway. Any other places to check?

Nah..much after that you are looking at dash work or another dash.

It'* a possiblity ...many bonnes double as indoor ponds.