Hey all, a chick friend of mine just sent me a message & has no idea what the problem is with her car & wants to find out before she takes it to a mechanic as she has had dramas with a few mechanics before mucking her around, so hoping you guys can help her out... She has a 2001 lancer gli 1.5l auto.

This is what she said:

When its hot outside and the inside of the car heats up, so when u get in and its stinking hot u have to wind the windows down cause the speedo, taco, odometre & temperature gauges don't work (fuel gauge and the gear selector still works)
So when the inside of the car cools down, say a 20 minute drive or so later with the windows down, then they will come on as it's not as hot, they work fine its only when the cars been sitting in the sun all day...

She also reckons that she put a new fuse in but still has the same problem...

Cheers...

sounds like a corker. I wouldnt be taking that to a mechanic, it sounds electrical to me (and most mechanics only like to fix things with a spanner! not a solder). I'd take it to an auto electrician.

She also reckons that she put a new fuse in but still has the same problem...



I think there's more to the story!! Fuse?? Which Fuse?? Why did it Blow?? Has someone been playing with the Wiring on the Car?? Stereo? Foglights?? etc???

She said that her neighbour said it could be a fuse, so her & her dad changed the fuse which is for the cluster/dash i guess? But obviously wasn't the prob as there still is a prob... Nothing has been changed or touched, just started happening recently out of the blue...

Hey FFEEKY, i told her to go to an auto electrician but she's really keen to find out the prob first as she doesn't want to get ripped off like last time...

Go with her ... I know it sounds sexist but some people will take advantage.
Oh and as far as the problem get her to crack a window just a few mm's and see if that relieves the heat build up.

Well that's the reason she wanted to find out first what the prob is, cause 2 mechanic shops have taken advantage of her before, but i'll mention opening the window a little bit & i think i will have to go with her... Thanks Johnny.

If anyone knows what the prob is or has any more advice, please let me know...

Cheers everyone :)

tell her to drive to 3 different places, and just ask them to 'have a look' and give her a rough idea. She should tell them that she needs to run it past her dad first before she gets anything fixed.

With any luck, all 3 places should give a similar diagnosis, and a rough idea of their hourly price (these sort of problems cant be fixed on a set price, as sometimes they take 5 mins, sometimes they take 5 horus)

Sounds like there is a temp sensitive problem in the instrument cluster. Remove the instrument cluster and unplug/re plug all of its connections. While its out check it for dry solder joints or damaged tracks. Any damaged tracks can have wire bridges soldered across them. Then cross your fingers and try it out. You may achieve hero status if you have fixed it! lol

ive fixed many of these
remove the instrument cluster and look at the bottom track on the circuit board in the middle of the cluster.
you will see a fine crack, use some thin wire to bypass that track (best done at the closest globe holder contact pads) as soldering the track will only lead to another stress fracture.
reinstall - done

also its best to pre tin the wire and board and to use flux on the board as it has that crappy plastic backing that melts very easily.

Ash, is it a common problem on the Lancer? (My wife has one). I fixed one on a Sigma, but that is my only experience, although I have seen others that had been repaired in this way. Had some flimsy plastic sheet with copper tracks embedded in it, is the Lancer cluster the same? (yep, you just answered that)

You can get a pen to repair tracks on rear windscreen defoggers, might work too.

Stupid design really, copper tracks on flexible plastic, asking for trouble!

in the last year ive fixed ~15 of them
its best to use a bypass wire... saves getting in there again to fix it when it reoccurs... or the inconvenience

the old "check the fuse",the answer of the unknowing!,if it works soemtimes,it cannot be a fuse,its either has continuity or it doesnt,no inbetween,i think the_ash is on the right track! (pardun the pun!)

in the last year ive fixed ~15 of them
its best to use a bypass wire... saves getting in there again to fix it when it reoccurs... or the inconvenience

I bow to your superior knowledge and experience! 15 in one year!

Thanks Ash, will pass it on... Cheers everyone.

There is that issue and also some have an issue with the voltage stabiliser, this ensures that the electronic guages all read accurately by making sure there is a constant voltage to all powered guages. This will often play up when it gets hot