New circuit board quality and reliability?

[scgamecock]

I have read some posts where people have replaced the gauge cluster circuit boards and still had issues with the lighting.  Is this a real concern?  

Where is the best place to buy a new circuit board and be assured it is the highest quality?

 

[SteveO_71]

You could get rid of the printed circuit board entirely and use midlifes hardwire set up which is more reliable. I believe the only real fix for the gauge lighting is switching to LEDs.

http://midlifeharness.com/products.html

 

[TheRktmn]

You could get rid of the printed circuit board entirely and use midlifes hardwire set up which is more reliable. I believe the only real fix for the gauge lighting is switching to LEDs.

http://midlifeharness.com/products.html

You beat me to it. Midlife's hard wired harness is the way to go.

 

[Vinnie]

No doubts about Midlife’s quality work but I replaced my circuitboard with a new one from CJ’s I believe coz the copper was letting go on the old one, and the new one works like a charm. Your call

 

[Don C]

Reliability and repop circuit boards are not synonymous. Get Midlife's harness.

 

[OzCoupe72]

Regrettably I had already ordered the CJP circuit board before I knew about Midlife's hard wired setup and being in Australia shipping is expensive.

After rewiring the vehicle for RHD everything is working so far except the instrument cluster lamps which I converted to LED (yes polarity is correct)

I also got the RCC tach conversion and there doesn't seem to be any light provision for this although I think you need to remove some internal covers

I have power/earth at the connector and have opened the tangs up a bit but still nothing so perhaps it is just a bad circuit board

Anyway too late to change now as I have to remove entire dash to get the cluster out so will put up without instrument lights for now and will rarely drive at night

Would definitely go for Midlife's conversion next time

 

[midlife]

Are you sure your headlight knob is pulled out, and rotated? Power on both sides of the fuse? If you have a factory radio, does the light on it go on? If so, you have power to the dash lamps.

 

[OzCoupe72]

Are you sure your headlight knob is pulled out, and rotated?  Power on both sides of the fuse?  If you have a factory radio, does the light on it go on?  If so, you have power to the dash lamps.

Yes I have rotated the switch and pulled it all the way on. I have lights at the h/lamp switch, cig lighter, wiper switch and centre gauges when I do this.. I have power at the cluster connector and earth is good. I may have pushed the circuit card tang itself out of the way? As I don't want to have to remove the entire dash panel I will try to look at it closer with a mirror. I did rewire the connector up to original so doubt the terminal is in the wrong spot.

 

[scgamecock]

midlife,

Do you send a refurbished harness back to me and use mine as a core or do you go through mine?

Do you label the connectors before sending it back?

What is typical turnaround time?

 

[midlife]

midlife,

Do you send a refurbished harness back to me and use mine as a core or do you go through mine?  I prefer, but do not require, your harness to ensure your harness will fit your vehicle as before.

Do you label the connectors before sending it back?  I only label the dash cluster hardwire connectors.  Otherwise, I provide a detailed spreadsheet of all connectors, wire color, wire numbers, function, and location.

What is typical turnaround time? One weekend or so.

 

[TheRktmn]

...I also got the RCC tach conversion and there doesn't seem to be any light provision for this although I think you need to remove some internal covers...

The converted tach uses the factory lighting. There is no change to the tach that will effect illumination.

This is also true for the warning light and clock conversions. Whatever the Good Ford gave you is what you have.

 

[OzCoupe72]

...I also got the RCC tach conversion and there doesn't seem to be any light provision for this although I think you need to remove some internal covers...

The converted tach uses the factory lighting. There is no change to the tach that will effect illumination.

This is also true for the warning light and clock conversions. Whatever the Good Ford gave you is what you have.

Thanks Bob for clearing that up. From memory I shined a torch down every bulb opening and apart from the warning lights nothing else shone through. I wondered which one is supposed to light up the tach? There are 3 unused socket openings that have blue covers.

Perhaps the original clock was never lit up? Not having a working car makes it difficult to check. Anyway need to solve my circuit board problem first.

 

[midlife]

Any socket with blue covers are dash lamp housings. The turn signals, high beams, alternator, and brake lamp indicator lamps do not have blue housings. Since 3 of the blue covered sockets were unused, I would think those would light up your tach!