Need to Vent- Bummer Led Experience
07-28-2014, 11:13 AM
#1
Need to Vent- Bummer Led Experience
Need to Vent over my Drop in leds in cluster experience....
I purchase the following link based on few cross reference checks to this size....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/331183678360...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
They didnt fit so well after-all..I bent the contacts a bit to make them snug in the sockets. On initial turn-on and test..only 1 side lit up (i assumed 3 needed to be flipped) Within seconds i smelled burning wires
and saw a small plume of smoke at the rear of cluster. Immediately turned power off...but the damage is done 
Tried the cluster back with the original incandescent bulbs to the same result...the bottom left bulb (illuminated 80+mph and miles display is no longer lit) I fried something inside on the cluster board. I am so pissed
Now my dimly lit cluster is ever dimmer.
It was such a bummer....Bad experience in an attempt to save a few bucks...Im not sure what to blame here.
After this just proceeded to do a keyring/clock mod/and reverse light leds to achieve something for the day. All working perfectly. And iv changed my cluster bulbs in the past 6 years ago on my then owned maxima as well....
Is anyone savvy enough to fix my cluster board?? This is going to bother me royally! Tough to find a cluster with relatively low miles as my car.
I purchase the following link based on few cross reference checks to this size....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/331183678360...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
They didnt fit so well after-all..I bent the contacts a bit to make them snug in the sockets. On initial turn-on and test..only 1 side lit up (i assumed 3 needed to be flipped) Within seconds i smelled burning wires
and saw a small plume of smoke at the rear of cluster. Immediately turned power off...but the damage is done Tried the cluster back with the original incandescent bulbs to the same result...the bottom left bulb (illuminated 80+mph and miles display is no longer lit) I fried something inside on the cluster board. I am so pissed
Now my dimly lit cluster is ever dimmer.It was such a bummer....Bad experience in an attempt to save a few bucks...Im not sure what to blame here.
After this just proceeded to do a keyring/clock mod/and reverse light leds to achieve something for the day. All working perfectly. And iv changed my cluster bulbs in the past 6 years ago on my then owned maxima as well....
Is anyone savvy enough to fix my cluster board?? This is going to bother me royally! Tough to find a cluster with relatively low miles as my car.
07-28-2014, 12:43 PM
#2
100% chingon
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,003
Need to Vent over my Drop in leds in cluster experience....
I purchase the following link based on few cross reference checks to this size....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/331183678360...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
They didnt fit so well after-all..I bent the contacts a bit to make them snug in the sockets. On initial turn-on and test..only 1 side lit up (i assumed 3 needed to be flipped) Within seconds i smelled burning wires and saw a small plume of smoke at the rear of cluster. Immediately turned power off...but the damage is done
Tried the cluster back with the original incandescent bulbs to the same result...the bottom left bulb (illuminated 80+mph and miles display is no longer lit) I fried something inside on the cluster board. I am so pissed Now my dimly lit cluster is ever dimmer.
.
I purchase the following link based on few cross reference checks to this size....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/331183678360...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
They didnt fit so well after-all..I bent the contacts a bit to make them snug in the sockets. On initial turn-on and test..only 1 side lit up (i assumed 3 needed to be flipped) Within seconds i smelled burning wires
and saw a small plume of smoke at the rear of cluster. Immediately turned power off...but the damage is done Tried the cluster back with the original incandescent bulbs to the same result...the bottom left bulb (illuminated 80+mph and miles display is no longer lit) I fried something inside on the cluster board. I am so pissed
Now my dimly lit cluster is ever dimmer..
Unfortunately I suspect that what has happened is that you installed 3 of them incorrectly - which is why they failed to light up. Probably they looked like a short-circuit which is why you got the smoke.
You'll need to take the cluster out and check it over. If it is anything like the design of my 96 Maxima (the only one I've taken a cluster out of) it is a printed circuit board and you can see the tracks clearly enough.
Check carefully all the track on the PCB to see if you have a section burned out. It is possible to repair the PCB but it needs to be done by someone who's experienced.
07-28-2014, 12:58 PM
#3
The price to repair your speedo cluster board will depend on how badly it is damaged.
Check places like Maxima.org classifieds or car-part.com for a used cluster. The mileage is stored in an integrated circuit that can be unsoldered and swapped. You just have to make sure that you have the same design printed circuit board (there are at least 3 designs).
Check places like Maxima.org classifieds or car-part.com for a used cluster. The mileage is stored in an integrated circuit that can be unsoldered and swapped. You just have to make sure that you have the same design printed circuit board (there are at least 3 designs).
07-28-2014, 01:09 PM
#4
I will tackle opening it up and looking at the circuit board sometime later. I imagined that....but my solder skills are minimal.
Can anyone point me to a pic? of what the integrated board looks like with the mileage stored. I have 83k miles on car. (so im looking online for any cluster within 10k range (assuming ill live with it and swap when miles match up)
Can anyone point me to a pic? of what the integrated board looks like with the mileage stored. I have 83k miles on car. (so im looking online for any cluster within 10k range (assuming ill live with it and swap when miles match up)
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