rebuilds and repairs

Between the years 2000 and 2007, GM produced their pick up trucks, SUV and other models with defective or recalled parts within the instrument cluster. Over time the defective parts, called stepper motors, wear out causing erratic movement of the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, oil pressure gauge, water temp gauge, volt gauge, and the optional transmission temperature gauge.

Common symptoms of stepper motor failures include: dead or sticky gauges, gauges giving incorrect readings, needles "pegging out" or showing maximum readings, intermittent operation of gauges, and speedometers reading inaccurate vehicle speeds. These symptoms can lead to potential speeding tickets and unsafe driving conditions if a driver is startled by an incorrect gauge reading while driving. A failed fuel gauge has led to drivers being stranded on the road as they attempt to measure fuel by miles driven on the odometer.

Other common symptoms include: dim or burned out back lighting bulbs, gear indicator (PRNDL) or odometer that does not display or is hard to read, or the entire gauge cluster powering on and off intermittently or not powering on at all.

If you find yourself with a GM vehicle that has any of these problems you have a few options. First, you can consider buying a used cluster assembly from a salvage yard or "junk yard". Be aware however, you must to have the mileage programmed from the dealer and all used clusters will have the same defective parts and will also fail in time.

Second, you can take your GM vehicle to the local dealership. They will replace the entire part for a cost usually between $400 and $800 and an extended down time of at least 2-3 weeks.

Third, you can have your original instrument cluster repaired by a professional instrument panel repair business ( www.GMGaugeGuy.com ). This option is often the best for many GM owners as it requires no re-programming, little or no down time and the least overall cost of all the options.