One of our shop trucks arrived with none of the gauges working, so we thought this was a great time to make a video on how to repair a Chevy truck dash cluster. Literally nothing worked other than the illumination of blue LED lights.

Chevy Dash Cluster Repair Steps

To pull the dash cluster, you first have to remove the bezel. The bezel fastens to the dash with only clips, hence you grasp each side with your fingers and pull. Four 7mm bolts retain the Chevy dash cluster in the dash. Once these are removed, pull the cluster out partially and remove the single wiring harness by depressing the clips.

Taking it over to our workbench, we expected to find some broken solder joints once we opened up the cluster. We were not surprised, this is exactly what was the cause for failure. We used our Ryobi P3100 Solder Iron to quickly repair the broken solder joints. Once the iron is up to temp, it only takes a quick swipe over the joint and a quick dab of solder.

Once we finished, we returned the Chevy dash cluster back to the truck and everything worked. We did notice that the oil gauge is off a bit, so we’ll have to diagnose that issue. This could be a sending unit or it could be the stepper motor in the dash cluster.

Final Thoughts

Aside from a little know-how with soldering small electronic parts, this is a simple and straightforward repair. Removing and replacing the Chevy dash cluster and gauges back in the Silverado 1500 only takes a few minutes. Even a novice could tackle this job, as long as you’re not too heavy-handed. Whether you’re a DIY trying to save a few bucks or a Pro looking to earn additional revenue, dash cluster repair may be an option.

Be sure to watch the video for much more instruction and content.

Click here for more information on the Ryobi Hybrid Soldering Iron.