# Instrument cluster blank screen



## chevrasaki (May 1, 2015)

I have not experienced this issue before, that is strange.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

All electronic instrument panels were a nightmare in the mid 80's to the mid 90's, one loose connection, dirty switch contacts, cold solder joint, driver would be blind. Even the Lexus was a major problem, used a back lighted LCD screen that would turn black permanently in subzero weather. Took them long enough to go back to analog.

Driver's information display can have this problem that brings about questions, what are they using for back lighting. All I can find out about it in the shop manual is this.










Is a 380 buck part and takes a half an hour to replace it. More than likely since all the information was lost and it came back was, has to be a loose connection someplace. But the same was true of all electronic dashes, no circuits either, had to remove and study them, very typical was to find a cold solder joint someplace.

On a GM S-10 using a high voltage florescent display the idiot that designed the inverter went by the transistor manual for full power output of the driver transistors at 25*C, what an idiot, transistors didn't even have a heat sink. Installed larger transistors mount to the steel for a heat sink that solved this problem forever. But GM was making a small fortune selling new instrument panels that also wouldn't last very long.

With the DIC, only way to learn this is to take it apart, but if it does go out, trying slapping the dash hard.

Ha, my youngest son had a 90 T-Bird with a dash like this.










Would be a nightmare to remove this dash, but one could slap on the top of the IP, it would work for the next couple of months. And kept on doing this for the next 130K miles until he finally got rid of it.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

gtrocker18 said:


> So this morning on 5-17-16 my instrument cluster LCD screen was blank. Never had this issue before. So I turned the car off and back in and nothing happened, still a black screen. Everything else on the dash worked as normal and the infotainment system was fine too. (I did the the negative battery replacement). However I went back to my car a couple hours later and the screen was back on. However, the trip setting was erased and set as my total mileage. Mine is a 13 Lt. Anyone have a similar issue? Here are the pictures.


Hi there gtrocker18, 

I apologize to hear about your LCD screen blanking out and I understand how this can be frustrating. Have you made your dealership aware of this yet? I'd be happy to reach out to them for you to research this situation further if you're interested. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Have a good day!

Chelsea D.
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Sounds like it could be a loose fuse. The fuse box is next to the driver's door. When you open the cover turn it over and the fuse layout is printed on the cover.


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## belome (Sep 30, 2016)

I realize this is an old post, but I just had the same thing happen. [Oddly, it was just after an oil change, I noticed someone else had problems right after an oil change.]

Basically, started the car up, realized the Digital Cluster wasn't working. Looked over and my radio display was working just fine but the outside temp was displayed in C instead of F.

Rebooted the car and still no digital cluster.

Next day, started the car and it was working just fine.

[and yes, I've had the negative cable TSB done.]


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

belome said:


> Rebooted the car and still no digital cluster.


How did you reboot? I think a proper reboot includes opening the driver's door.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The next time someone sees this try changing the cluster display. My 2012 ECO MT had a "blank" display option on the cluster. I wonder if that's the default display when the system gets confused.


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## belome (Sep 30, 2016)

I just shut the car on and off a couple of times, I did not open the door.

I tried every button that makes it move. The up and down and the mode button. [or whatever its called]

Nothing worked.

I still think its funny it made my temp display go to C, I'm not even sure how to change it from C to F.


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## Jdub918 (Oct 30, 2019)

This exact thing happened to me this morning. Everything else works fine and the temp changed to C. Any idea what caused it or of a fix?


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## Zakster (May 21, 2020)

same issue for my 2014 Cruze .. i tried to take out the dashboard .. its like 6 bolts away from doing that .. i managed to remove it to find out the dashboard was tied together using plastic clips .. no screws in there .. i had to work my way slowly and i succeeded. reached a point where the screen was protected by a plastic cover and i need to remove the needles to see the front electrical board .. i was afraid to remove the needles (speedometer, fuel, temp and engine rev.).

checked all fuses they are good. looks like its the screen illumination, because if i cast a flashlight on it, it still gives readings.


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## RoninDusette (Aug 21, 2018)

I had something similar happen. Check the bolts in the under-hood fuse box. It's a two piece thing, with the wiring harness clipping to the bottom of the top half. Mine came loose and caused all sorts of crap to happen. It was almost impossible to troubleshoot. I just happened to be sighing (literally) and leaned on the fusebox two days later while troubleshooting, and I heard the bell for the key ding. Then it hit me. I wiggled the box around, figured it could be loose, so I unbolted it and took it off, and yeah. harness was not seated at all on one connection, and half on the others. Instepcted for damage, none found but 2 bad fuses, plugged it bag in nice and snug, torqued down nice and tight, fuses in, boom fixed. I have heard it happening to others too. It sounds like a longshot, but its worth checking.


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## Whitney707 (Sep 29, 2020)

gtrocker18 said:


> So this morning on 5-17-16 my instrument cluster LCD screen was blank. Never had this issue before. So I turned the car off and back in and nothing happened, still a black screen. Everything else on the dash worked as normal and the infotainment system was fine too. (I did the the negative battery replacement). However I went back to my car a couple hours later and the screen was back on. However, the trip setting was erased and set as my total mileage. Mine is a 13 Lt. Anyone have a similar issue? Here are the pictures.




This same thing just happened to my 2014 Cruze LT. It literally came back in a half hour later. I'm just happy I'm not the only one with the issue. My question is did you find out the reason this is happening? If so how did you fix it?


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## Snipesy (Dec 7, 2015)

Whitney707 said:


> This same thing just happened to my 2014 Cruze LT. It literally came back in a half hour later. I'm just happy I'm not the only one with the issue. My question is did you find out the reason this is happening? If so how did you fix it?


We see this all the time with failing batteries. The low voltage can cause memory errors. When a memory error is detected it means any data can no longer be trusted. Sooo imagine pushing the factory reset button on your phone. That is more or less what happens.

There are other reasons why it can happen beyond failing batteries. It could be a photon made billions of years ago. Its exceptionally rare but the car electronics don't really have anything to correct the errors.


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## Isla davis (6 mo ago)

Snipesy said:


> We see this all the time with failing batteries. The low voltage can cause memory errors. When a memory error is detected it means any data can no longer be trusted. Sooo imagine pushing the factory reset button on your phone. That is more or less what happens.


This same thing happened with me..can you help me how to resolve it


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Isla davis said:


> This same thing happened with me..can you help me how to resolve it


Welcome Aboard!
Don't forget to introduce yourself and your Cruze here.


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## Snipesy (Dec 7, 2015)

Isla davis said:


> This same thing happened with me..can you help me how to resolve it


Replace the battery. If that fails, then check grounds and connectors


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## Craig87 (4 mo ago)

Hi I have the same issue my display for odometer is blank but speedo,temp,fuel and rpm work I have a second hand instrument cluster just wondering if I was to replace it would all the gauges still work till I can get it reprogrammed


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