Console doesn’t work

[SoCalTankerDriver]

2004 GMC Yukon XL, over 100k Miles. I previously posted about an issue where
PRNDL are barely visible, now we are experiencing the entire console (gauges, Speedo and tach) not working for some time! Anyone have an idea of what I can look for? Is this a voltage thing? It is irritating to say the least.

 

[Bombsquad85]

@ScottyBoy

 

[HiHoeSilver]

2004 GMC Yukon XL, over 100k Miles. I previously posted about an issue where
PRNDL are barely visible, now we are experiencing the entire console (gauges, Speedo and tach) not working for some time! Anyone have an idea of what I can look for? Is this a voltage thing? It is irritating to say the least.

Is the cluster not functioning at all, or just not lighting up? Do the needles move?

 

[adventurenali92]

Do they randomly shut off all together? Or are they just permanently dark or dimly lit? If the first is the scenario, you might try replacing the dimmer wheel/auto light control switch. My close friends 2005 Escalade esv, cluster would go dark at random times, sometimes over a bump and sometimes not, but whole thing would go dark and well as the back lighting on the radio. I found online it could be the dimmer wheel going bad since we could fiddle with the dimmer wheel and bring the lights back on. He replaced the switch and so far so good. If your whole cluster is dim all the time, then it means the back lighting in your cluster is shot. Which is pretty common in this generation truck. @ScottyBoy rebuilds them professionally and his work is hands down the best! He can put in new LED back lighting as well as put in the better stepper motors for your needles. He put together a write up thread documenting the process on upgrading an Escalade cluster I sent to him that’s now in my Yukon Denali with blue LED lighting. It’s pretty spectacular and a really cool upgrade if the lighting in your cluster is shot.

 

[SoCalTankerDriver]

Is the cluster not functioning at all, or just not lighting up? Do the needles move?

Doesn’t function at all. No lights, needles don’t move and no gauges. Sometimes the console comes back to life in a few minutes but the other day it took about 20 minutes!

 

[SoCalTankerDriver]

Do they randomly shut off all together? Or are they just permanently dark or dimly lit? If the first is the scenario, you might try replacing the dimmer wheel/auto light control switch. My close friends 2005 Escalade esv, cluster would go dark at random times, sometimes over a bump and sometimes not, but whole thing would go dark and well as the back lighting on the radio. I found online it could be the dimmer wheel going bad since we could fiddle with the dimmer wheel and bring the lights back on. He replaced the switch and so far so good. If your whole cluster is dim all the time, then it means the back lighting in your cluster is shot. Which is pretty common in this generation truck. @ScottyBoy rebuilds them professionally and his work is hands down the best! He can put in new LED back lighting as well as put in the better stepper motors for your needles. He put together a write up thread documenting the process on upgrading an Escalade cluster I sent to him that’s now in my Yukon Denali with blue LED lighting. It’s pretty spectacular and a really cool upgrade if the lighting in your cluster is shot.

The entire cluster after engine starts doesn’t function, sometimes it comes to life in a few minutes but the other day my wife drove it and it took 20 minutes before it came to life

 

[Tonyrodz]

Possibly bad grounds. Check all the underhood grounds.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

Id be checking the connector for the cluster.

 

[adventurenali92]

Both these two^ have good suggestions. Start there!

 

[Forrest0125]

Ugh i have a 2004 tahoe and just went through this..... I hope its a ground for you. Me not so lucky, for some reason mine had a disconnect where the pins for the connector were. And unfortunately it was in the plastic on the board side. The plug goes in then the pins make a U shape through the board and onto the face and somewhere in that U i had an intermittent connection.

 

[ScottyBoy]

I've heard of several people on other boards having similar issues. Supposedly there is a ground junction on the frame that gets corroded. Look somewhere on the driver's side under the area around the front door or front floor pan. You didn't mention where you live, but if you live up north and drive in snow, then definitely checking all the ground points is where I would look first.
Another possibility is a loose or damaged plug at the instrument gauge cluster itself. It could also be a damaged pin on the cluster just like Forrest mentioned above. I've repaired a cluster once that had several damaged pins on the cluster, they just needed to be re-soldered onto the circuit board because they cracked at the solder joints.

 

[M1Gunner]

Try pushing firmly and aggressively on the top center of the cluster. And surrounding areas. Sometimes that’ll give away a bad connection.