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Why do the dashboard lights flicker?

Tiny
DOVEPHRAIM
  • MEMBER
  • 2002 SATURN VUE
  • 119,000 MILES
Dash lights (including radio and shift panel display backlights) flicker, and the gas gauge drops -- but radio, headlights, fan, etc, don't seem to be affected.
Monday, February 6th, 2012 AT 2:20 AM

6 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,724 POSTS
Check for weak or lose body grounds.
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Monday, February 6th, 2012 AT 2:56 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
Just to add to this one the gas gauge drops to empty?Do the door locks cycle while driving or any other strange things happen?Could have a bad body control module pretty common for those to go bad.
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Monday, February 6th, 2012 AT 3:35 AM
Tiny
DOVEPHRAIM
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Saturntech9: The gas gauge sometimes drops to empty, but then recovers -- but not enough to consistently indicate the actual level of the tank (we watch the odometer to confirm when we really need to fill up). The door locks do NOT cycle while driving.

Jacobandnikolas: Would a bad body ground ONLY effect the dash lights and gas gauge? If so, where should we start looking?
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Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 AT 2:01 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
Honestly it sounds like a bad body control module if it was a bad ground to the body control module it would effect a lot more then just dash lights and fuel gauge which the body control module controls.A lot of the bad body control modules I have replaced started out with issues with the fuel gauge locks etc. When there is issues with the fuel sending units effecting the gas gauge it sets a code in the body control module. For fuel level circuit when its the body control module it doesnt set a code for that.
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Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 AT 2:10 AM
Tiny
DOVEPHRAIM
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Thanks! We'll go with that...
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Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 AT 12:34 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
Please have someone diagnose it as a bad body control module before replacing it. You have to take it to the dealer to have it replaced the new one has to be programed with correct mileage calibration file options etc.
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Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 AT 2:13 AM

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