Dashboard cluster

OLDBUICK

MEMBER
BUICK CENTURY

Have a 1998 Buick Century Custom with 115K miles on it. Recently, a mechanic put in a new battery. All was fine, but the battery connections loosened. When the connections were tightened, the car started fine — but the dashboard display screwed up. The temperature gauge reads in reverse, the odometer is messed up and all the other idiot lights are reversed.
Solution?

1 Reply

JDL

MECHANIC
16,098 POSTS

Sorry for the late reply.

You can have intermittent problems with instrument if battery voltage is lost. You did say the battery was replaced and battery connections were loose. The are trouble codes that can relate to instrument cluster. These are B and U type codes. Some of the national brand autostores used to check codes for free. It don't hurt to ask if they can check B and U type codes or use a code reader that will check manufacturer specific codes.

I did look up wiring info for your fuel level sending unit, those circuits go to pcm. The pcm will send info on serial data line to instrument cluster to work fuel gage. I can't tell if something going on with pcm? The vehicle is driveable?

The instrument cluster is a commonly replaced component on this vehicle. I hate to see you replace the instrument cluster and still have the same problem?

I realize this is an old post. You probably no longer own this vehicle. In the future, hope you don't have any vehicle issues, but, if you do, keep the site in mind. They are always working to make the site better and it is free.

Have a good day