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Truck instrument cluster lights on and powers down while driving.

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    Truck instrument cluster lights on and powers down while driving.

    2011 Chevy Silverado- 125k miles

    While I’m driving (usually over 55mph), the doors will automatically unlock/relock, and the instrument cluster lights come on (like airbag, ABS...) and my RPM gauge will drop to 0 and my MPH will drop to 0. Then it’ll all go away instantly.

    I don’t have to pull over or shut her down or anything. It just goes back to like nothing ever happened.

    Then last week I was coming back from Nanza when “Service Stabilitrak” came on my dash. I swerved left and right and it went away.

    I cleaned my battery terminals and put some of battery grease on em a couple months ago but it didn’t change anything.

    I think it’s time to trade to ole gal in... but wanted to see what y’all thought was going on.?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    #2
    Probably a loose ground strap somewhere.....WAG.

    DC systems go bonkers with loose/lost grounds.

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      #3
      Possible bad brake switch.

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        #4
        could be old battery too.

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          #5
          Originally posted by rocky View Post
          Possible bad brake switch.


          About a year ago I replaced my brake switch for my cruise control.


          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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            #6
            I had that happen on a 2003 GMC that I had and it was a bad battery. The battery went out on me a couple of days after the dash did what you described. Could be something different, but that is what happened to me.

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              #7
              i had something similar in my 2001 silverado several years ago. turns out one of the battery cables was nearly corroded all the way through, about 3" below the terminal. i cut the cable about 4-5" below the corrosion, solder/crimped on new cable and problem resolved.

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                #8
                If a battery gets a bad cell, it'll test ok, but won't be fully up to snuff. May or may not be the issue, but modern computerized vehicles like things to be perfect.

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                  #9
                  ...could also just be a loose connector on a wiring harness that illuminates the dashboard instrument cluster... Had that happen on an old Chebby of mine...


                  More'n likely tho, it's the "shine" from 'Nanza messin' wit yo eyes!

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                    #10
                    I fought this for a couple years in my 07 Tahoe. Exact same electrical gremlins. Might happen once every 2 -3 months. Got to where when it did happen the truck would be dead when I turned it off. All power gone. Battery was still good. Disconnect the cables for 5 minutes to reset the computer and back to normal. Got progressively worse to every couple of weeks. Finally a pain and found one you tube video that diagnosed it correctly. Came to a head when it happen 3 times in one week.

                    It's your ground cable. The terminal connection is poorly crimped and over time it loosens. Work the cable side to side and you will see the play in the connection. Cheapest method would be to try to solder it or cut the terminal off and attach a new one. If it is corroded at all then change the whole cable out.

                    Haven't had an issue since....Well with that problem.

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                      #11
                      If the battery is in good condition clean and tight terminals. The negative cable on these at the crimp portion will look ok but certainly not. Install a new terminal on the battery side. Also, follow the negative down to the block double check the 15mm bolt is tight. If you are handing with a DVOM place one lead on the battery terminal and the other on the block side. Measure the voltage reading while the engine is running. If higher than .2volts the cable/terminal is creating to high of a voltage drop. Meaning the cable or most likely terminal is no bueno.

                      The underhood fuse block is know to create similar issues. The solid state terminals inside will have poor contact. The Under hood fuse block is extremely easy to replace.

                      In rare. I mean RARE conditions the the electrical portion of the ignition switch has issues. The statement of jerking the wheel and issue went away reminded me of this. The electrical part is separate from the lock cylinder that you put the key in.

                      Start with the Neg. Cable terminal end.

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                        #12
                        Sometime the solder connections in the instrument cluster crack and cause this issue. I fought my 05 F150 for a month. I would put my key in the ignition and all the warning lights would come on and chime. If i was driving the temp, oil, volt, speedometer would all go to zero and then sporadically start working again. I checked fuses and ground strap with no luck. I put a used cluster in and the problem went away. I didn’t like the the odometers on the two clusters didn’t match so I took my old cluster apart and re-soldered every connection. I would touch the connection with the soldering iron until it melted then move to the next connection-( there were probably 100 connections) Trouble free now for 5 months.

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                          #13
                          It's the GM pos crimped on battery cables. GM sucks at everything electrical.

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                            #14
                            Originally posted by Traildust View Post
                            It's the GM pos crimped on battery cables. GM sucks at everything electrical.
                            Your educations shines right now. Heaven forbid a person, company, manufacturer has an issue.

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                              #15
                              Originally posted by Big Lee View Post
                              Your educations shines right now. Heaven forbid a person, company, manufacturer has an issue.
                              I had one that started doing the same thing as the OP....master mechs like you couldn't find the problem in 4 trips. Move along parts changer.
                              Last edited by Traildust; 03-26-2020, 05:15 AM.

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