SEL 500 Cluster\Heat question
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SEL 500 Cluster\Heat question
My 1985 SEL 500 just lost the back-lighting for the instrument cluster.
The radio does not work but 'back-lights' when I turn the lights on. The instrument cluster used to back-light but it has just stopped. The back-lighting for the temperature controls has not worked since I have owned the car. The heater also randomly stops blowing warm air. If I pull over, turn the car off and start it back two or 3 times it will instantly blow heat for a random amount of time and start blowing cold air. I suspect these are all related as they seem to share a common fuse (I think). -Warning buzzer (for lights, seat belt) are on the same fuse works fine and if I pull the fuse the radio back-lighting stops working when the lights are on)
At this point, heat is intermittent, not back-lighting for instrument cluster and temp controls...no radio...oh and the digital temp display randomly works too.
ANY thoughts or help would be appreciated!
(new alternator, belts, battery and fuses)
The radio does not work but 'back-lights' when I turn the lights on. The instrument cluster used to back-light but it has just stopped. The back-lighting for the temperature controls has not worked since I have owned the car. The heater also randomly stops blowing warm air. If I pull over, turn the car off and start it back two or 3 times it will instantly blow heat for a random amount of time and start blowing cold air. I suspect these are all related as they seem to share a common fuse (I think). -Warning buzzer (for lights, seat belt) are on the same fuse works fine and if I pull the fuse the radio back-lighting stops working when the lights are on)
At this point, heat is intermittent, not back-lighting for instrument cluster and temp controls...no radio...oh and the digital temp display randomly works too.
ANY thoughts or help would be appreciated!
(new alternator, belts, battery and fuses)
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 801
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From: Mercerville New Jersey
1991 560SEC Teal 1989 420SEL Ice Blue 1984 500SEC White
1st the heat.
Sounds like a monovalve gone bad. Easy fix and not very expensive.
Do a search on monovalve replacement.
2) Instrument lights. Try playing with the rheostat for the intensity of the instrument lights. Sometimes it gets hung up from resetting the trip odometer.
Sounds like a monovalve gone bad. Easy fix and not very expensive.
Do a search on monovalve replacement.
2) Instrument lights. Try playing with the rheostat for the intensity of the instrument lights. Sometimes it gets hung up from resetting the trip odometer.
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Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Los Angeles
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Awesome! I did accidentally hit the trip reset yesterday hours before this happened.
I'll try it and post the results.
Any thoughts on the center column? Nothing back-lights for the temp controls and the radio does not work but when I turn the headlights on the LCD display on the radio glows but displays nothing.
I also noticed something odd today. When the fuel light comes on it "flickers" whenever I hit bumps in the road...it almost constantly flickers -here in the land of rotten roads (Illinois) Bad ground going to the cluster? Where would I look to check the wiring\ground?
Thanks so much!!!
I'll try it and post the results.
Any thoughts on the center column? Nothing back-lights for the temp controls and the radio does not work but when I turn the headlights on the LCD display on the radio glows but displays nothing.
I also noticed something odd today. When the fuel light comes on it "flickers" whenever I hit bumps in the road...it almost constantly flickers -here in the land of rotten roads (Illinois) Bad ground going to the cluster? Where would I look to check the wiring\ground?
Thanks so much!!!
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 801
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From: Mercerville New Jersey
1991 560SEC Teal 1989 420SEL Ice Blue 1984 500SEC White
Center column and or stack most likely is a bulb.
It uses a sort of fiber optic set up to illuminate the stack.
The radio could just be dead, but I am not sure.
Do you have lights on the shifter gate?
It uses a sort of fiber optic set up to illuminate the stack.
The radio could just be dead, but I am not sure.
Do you have lights on the shifter gate?
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From: Los Angeles
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Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 192
Likes: 12
From: Los Angeles
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Thanks! That worked.
1st the heat.
Sounds like a monovalve gone bad. Easy fix and not very expensive.
Do a search on monovalve replacement.
2) Instrument lights. Try playing with the rheostat for the intensity of the instrument lights. Sometimes it gets hung up from resetting the trip odometer.
Sounds like a monovalve gone bad. Easy fix and not very expensive.
Do a search on monovalve replacement.
2) Instrument lights. Try playing with the rheostat for the intensity of the instrument lights. Sometimes it gets hung up from resetting the trip odometer.
I'm going to check the monovalve this weekend.
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Super Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 801
Likes: 1
From: Mercerville New Jersey
1991 560SEC Teal 1989 420SEL Ice Blue 1984 500SEC White
The fuses should be the copper fuses and not the aluminum ones.
The copper to copper fit in the fuse box is a better metal match, than the aluminum to copper that came with the cars.
The copper to copper fit in the fuse box is a better metal match, than the aluminum to copper that came with the cars.
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 801
Likes: 1
From: Mercerville New Jersey
1991 560SEC Teal 1989 420SEL Ice Blue 1984 500SEC White
Glad it worked.
Check out my post on the fuses though. Changing from aluminum to copper has gotten rid of a number of electrical gremlins for me.
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 801
Likes: 1
From: Mercerville New Jersey
1991 560SEC Teal 1989 420SEL Ice Blue 1984 500SEC White
Your Welcome.
Do yourself a favor and get the copper fuses. there like $7.50 or so at Mcparts stores.
