Digital Dash Pod Instrument Panel Problems Intermittently Out Blank

Hi all -

Have 1989 S4.  Excellent condition but not driven that often (which I know, is not great for these electric jigsaw puzzles).

Instrument panel has started randomly not working correctly. Seems obvious to be a bad connection. My inclination is that it has a bad ground.  Symptoms :

- Can hit a bump all starts to work
- If I turn on fog or headlights light some things start to work  (like dash is getting ground thru other things turned on)
- Turned lights on yesterday everything started to work except volt meter.
- when in blank mode there is a weird buzzing coming from the fuse panel.  Like a relay is not happy.  Have not pin pointed this location yet

- Have pulled and cleaedn fuse #5 (pod diagnosis) and fuse #24 (pod diagnosis)

- Have tried to jiggle wires behind dash.... but not a lot of access there.

MY QUESTION IS:

Have not put a lot of research into this yet.  Does anyone know how the dash is grounded?  Is there a main connector to the POD and if so how to access it.

Any input here will be appreciated and save me some time wading thru manuals, etc...



 

I don't have a simple answer for you.  Number one, start with a charged battery (or replace if old) and clean the positive cable (and the multiple attachments to the positive) and ground strap.  The ground strip is covered with plastic, be sure that corrosion hasn't crawled up under the plastic - replace if necessary.

It may be that a plug to the instrument board has corrosion.  Removing the plugs and cleaning them might be the first step.

The factory workshop manuals can be downloaded at www.ligeti.com/928/

Look for the 1989 928 wiring diagram, sheet 4 illustrates the wiring.

Rich -

Thanks for great tips:

All those things are good.

Good battery, everything else in car is fine.

I have every doc imaginable for these cars : Pet5 / fiche / wire diagrams / factory manuals ..... etc....

It seems clear to me connection to dash pod is "dirty"

So I guess my question is:

How hard to get to the back of that? I also have some backround lights out on it..

Anyone fixed a dash pod?

Here are two references to read.   Dwayne's is for an earlier car, and Schocki's is for a GTS:

Dwayne's:    rennlist.com/forums/928-forum/424856-pod...r-w-pics-part-i.html

Schocki's:     rennlist.com/forums/928-forum/372301-15-...for-an-ok-price.html

Lots of great info avaialble.

Gary -  Great stuff.  THANKS !!

Stupid question #1..... Is it likely my '89 dash is more like the GTS setup.  It is the early digital dash.  That's what I am assuming here.

Thanks again.

The '89 pod and instrument gauges are, as I recall, identical to the GTS (I've owned both model years).   The difference is in the access to removing the pod, as the '90 plus cars have airbags, therefore some different fitments below the dash which have to be removed in order to access the pod bolts, etc.

Your pod REMOVAL should be identical to the earlier car 'non-airbag' procedure.

Gary
928OC charter member, former Treasurer