Frequently Asked Questions

My dash quit and there was a burning smell!
Will my vehicle still run without the dash?
Why do some sections of my dash work with no problem?
I found an identical used dash - can the mileage on the odometer be adjusted to reflect my current mileage.
How do I remove my Dash?
My Dash is flickering on and off - am I missing a ground connection somewhere?
I found a dash at a wrecker or an internet auction. Is this a good buy?

What kind of warranty do you offer.
My Speedometer is sticking on my 2003-2006 GM Vehicle - What's Happening?
Do I Have to get my cluster reprogrammed after your repair? My repair shop said I have to.
There seems to be a lot of people repairing the 2003-2006 GM vehicles with gauges failing - why should I use you?
Can you match $50 cluster repair prices?

My dash quit and there was a burning smell!

Most likely some transistors have shorted causing them to burn and smoke. These transistors need to be replaced.

Will my vehicle still run without the dash?

In most cases the vehicle can be driven without the instrument cluster installed. Exceptions are the Nissan Altima and Frontier where the battery charging circuit runs through the instrument cluster resulting in a dead battery in a few days. For safety's sake it is better to find alternate transporation.

Why do some sections of my dash work with no problem?

The displays on your dash are controlled by different circuit sections. We repair the specific failed section. However we check the dash over completely for potential problems in other circuits.

I found an identical used dash - can the mileage on the odometer be adjusted to reflect my current mileage.

No - we do not have provision to do this and there are legal issues regarding odometer altering.

How do I remove my Dash?

Click Here for instrument cluster removal instructions. At present we only have removal instructions for a few vehicles but will add more soon. If you are not handy we suggest taking the vehicle to your local auto service center. They probably will require an hours worth of labor to remove and reinstall the dash.

My Dash is flickering on and off - am I missing a ground connection somewhere?

Probably not; the fault is with components in the dash itself.

I found a dash at a wrecker or an internet auction. Is this a good buy?

You are taking your chances. Because we do a complete rework of your dash you can be assured of trouble free operation. This rework has most likely NOT been done to a used dash so you may have similar problems in the near future. Also the instrument cluster you purchase will have the mileage stored in it from the vehicle it was taken from, most likely a mileage much higher than the true mileage of YOUR vehicle. This is important if you decide to sell your vehicle - will anyone believe you that the vehicle has a lot less mileage than what the odometer says?

What kind of warranty do you offer.

We offer a 2 year warranty on all vehicle year 2000 and newer. Older than 2000 - 1 year.

My Speedometer is sticking on my 2003-2006 GM Vehicle - What's Happening?

Each gauge needle is controlled by a small stepper motor. There is tiny gear inside the stepper motor. A rib breaks on this tiny gear and causes the gear to wobble. This causes sticking of the needle at various locations around the dial - example: needle shows 120 when the vehicle is standing still. We replace the stepper motor(s) with the latest version that is made from better materials to prevent the gear from cracking. Every gauge is susceptible to this problem - the speedometer usually goes first as it experiences the most movement of any of the gauges. Since we repair your unit, there is no reprogramming required. Once you receive your repaired unit, it is just plug and play.

Do I Have to get my cluster reprogrammed after your repair? My repair shop said I have to.

No, since we are repairing your unit there is no reprogramming required. Once you receive your repaired unit, just plug it in and it is good to go.

There seems to be a lot of people repairing the 2003-2006 GM vehicles with gauges failing - why should I use you?

Consider the following: 1. Tom Jeroski, the owner of Mr. Whizard Technical Services is an Electronic Engineering Technologist with experience in the Electronics Industry for over 30 years - he has the training and experience to repair your instrument cluster properly and safely. You may want to ask prospective repair people what training they have in the electronics field. 2. Many of the people that want to repair your cluster have "jumped on the bandwagon" that I've been on for many years. A lot of them haven't been in business long enough to support the warranties they offer. You can check how long a website has been in service here: Click Here 3. We have a storefront repair shop and plan to be in business for many years to come. Many of the other repair folks "work out of their basement". Will they be around in a few years after the run of 2003-2006 GM instrument clusters has dried up??

Can you match $50 cluster repair prices?

Are you kidding? We would be out of business in a short time. We want to be around for many years to service your needs and will not participate in the business "race to the bottom" - this means if we lower our prices, our competition will lower their prices more and soon we would all cease to exist. Don't let yourself fall into this scenario: "Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing." - Oscar Wilde