Gauges all died but lights work?

[Vella's Alero]

I used the search button and found a few threads but none of them had the same situation so please don't suggest it unless you found a thread with this problem.

I was driving down the road yesterday and all of a sudden my guages (temp, rpm, speed, and gas) all stopped working and went down to 0. The lights on the console still worked, hvac worked, windows worked, basically everything is working except the 4 gauges.

I did a search on here and most of them were told to check the fuses. I checked all of the fuses and all of them are good. While I was checking the fuses I decided to unhook the battery to because I thought maybe a chip needed to reset (being more of a computer person than a car person...lol)

When I put everything back in and hooked up the battery, I started the car and everything worked! for 5 seconds. then it went back to the same deal except that now when I turn off the car and take the key out of te ignition, the lights in the console stay on.

The lights that are now coming on are the Service engine soon, check engine, battery, ABS and parking brake. The same lights came on when I was driving when this first happened.

I have no clue what could be going on so any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Nate's Alero]

sounds like a faulty cluster

BCM issue?

[Vella's Alero]

how would i check that? Is there even a way? and If I buy a new cluster, would I just do a swap of do I need to calibrate it for anything? Sorry, like I said, computer person not mechanic.

[02AleroEco]

how would i check that? Is there even a way? and If I buy a new cluster, would I just do a swap of do I need to calibrate it for anything? Sorry, like I said, computer person not mechanic.


if you get the new cluster, like computer parts, its plug and play hahaha. but unless you get a dealer new cluster, watchout for the mileage on the odometer, get one with close to what urs is, or exact. expecially if you get a junkyard one.
but bcm sound clausable.. but for my mind to, how do you go about checking that?

[Vella's Alero]

bump.... any other ideas before I go and buy a new cluster?

[Gr1m]

bad ignition cylinder IMO

[Nate's Alero]

bad ignition cylinder IMO

really? that WOULD make sense

[Vella's Alero]

With the ignition cylinder though, would the car still start due to the security features?

[02AleroEco]

With the ignition cylinder though, would the car still start due to the security features?

no. it would lock the ignition, and the computer would have to reset itself, happened to me when my battery finally died.
this would be the same idea right?

[Vella's Alero]

ok...my ignition hasnt locked yet though...it starts like a champ still but the gauges just dont move... is there any way to test which it could be before I replace one and find out it is the other?

[Nate's Alero]

if it starts and everything else operates, its a bad cluster..

[Vella's Alero]

so bad cluster it is then...lol...do you guys recommend the ones off of ebay, local junkyard, or dealer? Thanks for the help so far guys!

[Nate's Alero]

so bad cluster it is then...lol...do you guys recommend the ones off of ebay, local junkyard, or dealer? Thanks for the help so far guys!

any, make sure its close to your original mileage, i would go with junkyard or dealer, i think the dealer can flash the orig mileage into the new cluster

[Vella's Alero]

Sounds good. Thanks Nate.

[Nate's Alero]

Sounds good. Thanks Nate.

anymore issues, IM me in AIM, im always around, cellphone's good.

[Nate's Alero]

you ever get it fixed vella?

[Vella's Alero]

well. Yes and no. Lol.
I was in the process of looking for a local one to purchase and was not having too much luck finding one with close to my km reading.
Then last monday i went and started her up and everything worked normally. It has been fine ever since so i still have no clue as to what happened.

While it was acting up though i used my gpsto know my speed. Lol it was definitely fun times for a bit there.

So no i didnt fix it but she just fixed herself. Kinda wierd but cool nonetheless. Lol.

[Redog]

At first I was going to say Alternator, but your car is starting and running.

When my gagues stopped working like that, EVERYTHING shut off except the car itself and I was running off all battery :eek:

As for the cluster, I was always thought that the miles (or kM's in your case) were stored in the BCM in the first place, but I did read that somebody had a problem with swapping clusters before and the miles being wrong

[clutch1]

I don't know about Aleros, but my Park Avenue has TWO fuses for the cluster.

One powers the gauges, the other powers the lights. You may have popped the one for the gauges.. go check that out.