Dash instruments not working any ideas please

helipilot · Post by **helipilot** » Mon 14 Dec, 2009 09:49

Hi all, got in the car this morning and none of the instruments are working but all the warning lights / indicator lights are okay, any ideas about what this could be would be appreciated.
Thanks in anticipation.

estocks · Post by **estocks** » Mon 14 Dec, 2009 10:36

Try (after disabling the underbonnet alarm siren) unplugging the battery for 10 minutes.

Post by **Robert T** » Mon 14 Dec, 2009 11:22

I had this twice with mine in fairly close succession about 2 years ago. All of the gauges were reading zero, but the odometer was working fine. I didn't have time to think about it the first time and used my satnav as a speedo - it had cleared by the following morning. The second time I pulled all the fuses for the instruments one at a time and it started working again. It is either an electronic glitch or a loose connection in the instrument cluster, but it will be a pain to track down if it is as intermittent as mine.

It may be possible to get a digital speedo in km/h by putting the odometer into self-test mode if you don't have a satnav. Might be worth trying this anyway as it will tell if it is just the gauges and not the sensors - the gauges in the zed are slightly odd in that everything is measured digitally and then put through an ADC to give the analogue display. Self-test mode is described in the knowledgebase on here.

Oh, and to qualify estocks post above, you only need to worry about the alarm siren on cars built in 1998 or earlier with the separate fob type alarm.

Cheers R.

helipilot · Post by **helipilot** » Tue 15 Dec, 2009 10:18

Did the battery disconnect for 10 min like Estocks suggested and now all is working okay, thanks for the help !!!

parkesp · Post by **parkesp** » Tue 15 Dec, 2009 15:04

I also had this problem and it seemed to be a loose fuse. It was at night so I just gave a little push down to the fuses in the compartment under the bonnet-just to make sure they made contact. It worked. Never came back but I m sure you could locate the fuse easy enough. Pat

Wessex · Post by **Wessex** » Tue 15 Dec, 2009 22:54

This has happened to me tonight. Turned off the car to deliver a letter and then turned on engine and no instruments. Had to drive 15 miles by guess work.

Anyway, where are the fuses for the instrument panel? Under the bonnet or are there fuse boxes elsewhere?

I wonder if there is someone somewhere puishing buttons that cause intermittent faults to occur globally? Or is that paranoir setting in?

Merry Christmas to all.

Peter.

Post by **Robert T** » Wed 16 Dec, 2009 19:03

The ones I pulled were all in the main fusebox in the engine compartment. Almost all the fuses are in there.

Cheers R.

helipilot · Post by **helipilot** » Thu 14 Jan, 2010 15:47

Hi Wessex
Did you manage to find the cause mine have gone again !!! and will not come back, noticed the warning lights on the gauges are okay just the needles dont move.
Any more ideas welcome !!!

leahandsteve · Post by **leahandsteve** » Thu 14 Jan, 2010 15:58

have had this happen twice in the last couple of years.

Second time i thumped the top of the dash and it's been fine ever since, nearlly a year now.

diddykong157 · Post by **diddykong157** » Mon 18 Jan, 2010 15:19

I have heard of chaffed wires behind the instrument cluster! Worth a look to check!

1. Disconnect battery
2. Remove 2 torx screws holding the cluster in
3' Use a suckker to pull the cluster out, its a snug fit.
4. Remove cluster and connectors and inpect wiring.

You could also change/swap any blown bulbs, clean the connectors with electrical contact spray.