Hatch light randomly comes on...

DJMOJO · 04-11-2009, 09:42 PM

has anyone had this sort of issue before? where the hatch light in the idiot cluster comes on randomly and rapidly as if the hatch isnt closed all the way even if it is closed? i had replaced the latches like 2 months ago and it fixed the issue but it just recently started doing it again... im starting to thing it isnt the latches. any ideas?

edit: left out that its an 88 S4 TII

vex · 04-11-2009, 11:13 PM

I wouldn't be surprised if it was cold solder points in the idiot cluster itself. Does your clock come on/stay on or does it fade in and out while you drive?

DJMOJO · 04-12-2009, 09:35 AM

the clock doesnt work at all haha ive never had to work on the idiot cluster at all on my s5 vert since ive never had a single problem with it and the TII is new to me, anyway ill take it apart and look for cold solder points. any advice on how to get that clock working?

SecondGenPat · 04-12-2009, 12:07 PM

The hatch light could be the switch on the actual latch is loose or mis-adjusted.

When I was experiencing the idiot cluster fading in and out, I decided to re solder it, but as I was pulling it out (key on/ clock on) every time I would pull the cluster a certain direction (it was still connected to the harness) the clock would dim then brighten.
So, I took the cluster out (re soldered it too) but I used a sewing needle to "tweak" the female pins on the male connector (body harness side) to make a tighter connection. Everything seems to work perfectly now.
-Pat

vex · 04-12-2009, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJMOJO

the clock doesnt work at all haha ive never had to work on the idiot cluster at all on my s5 vert since ive never had a single problem with it and the TII is new to me, anyway ill take it apart and look for cold solder points. any advice on how to get that clock working?

Heat old solder, remove it either by wick or by suction, add new solder. Every place you see, re-solder.

My5ABaby · 04-12-2009, 01:36 PM

My hatch latches don't catch easily. I can have the hatch closed and not be able to open it, but one side might not be completely engaged. Try pushing down on both sides of your hatch and make sure you hear a click.

DJMOJO · 04-13-2009, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vex

Heat old solder, remove it either by wick or by suction, add new solder. Every place you see, re-solder.

noted

Quote:

Originally Posted by My5ABaby

My hatch latches don't catch easily. I can have the hatch closed and not be able to open it, but one side might not be completely engaged. Try pushing down on both sides of your hatch and make sure you hear a click.

Mine did that when i got it. you'd close the latch but it wouldnt latch youd have to lean on it real hard to latch it but i replaced the latches with good working latches and calibrated the latch to close easy. you just let it drop and it just latches.

RETed · 04-13-2009, 02:01 PM

Adjust both hatch latches...

-Ted

DJMOJO · 04-13-2009, 03:16 PM

i did.

DJMOJO · 04-17-2009, 02:02 AM

alright i took the idiot cluster out, redid all the solder (i found 2 cold solder joints) fixed all the solder joints with fresh solder put it back in the car and my clock still doesnt work

hatch light doesn't stay on now but my seat belt light seems to randomly come on now (just how the hatch light was doing before)

vex · 04-17-2009, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJMOJO

alright i took the idiot cluster out, redid all the solder (i found 2 cold solder joints) fixed all the solder joints with fresh solder put it back in the car and my clock still doesnt work

hatch light doesn't stay on now but my seat belt light seems to randomly come on now (just how the hatch light was doing before)

Did you just take it out and not apart? As I remember it, you have to take the idiot cluster completely apart. There's two sources of points, back side which is easy to get to and then the board between the panel and the backside. That's the big one. Get those.

DJMOJO · 04-19-2009, 09:48 AM

i took it apart and opened it i did not take the circuit boards out of the plastic bits but i did hit redo all the colder that i could see

SecondGenPat · 04-19-2009, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJMOJO

hatch light doesn't stay on now but my seat belt light seems to randomly come on now (just how the hatch light was doing before)

My belt light does this as well.
I finally traced it to the latch wiring/ switch. I've just been to lazy to fix it

vex · 04-19-2009, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJMOJO

i took it apart and opened it i did not take the circuit boards out of the plastic bits but i did hit redo all the colder that i could see

Then you missed some points on it. I ended up redoing all the points on the boards. If I remember correctly I had to pull them apart and separate two boards from eachother and hit it with some new solder.

04-11-2009, 09:42 PM	#1
DJMOJO The only DJ in RCC Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Tucson AZ iTrader: (0) Posts: 20 Rep Power: 0	Hatch light randomly comes on... has anyone had this sort of issue before? where the hatch light in the idiot cluster comes on randomly and rapidly as if the hatch isnt closed all the way even if it is closed? i had replaced the latches like 2 months ago and it fixed the issue but it just recently started doing it again... im starting to thing it isnt the latches. any ideas? edit: left out that its an 88 S4 TII __________________ Last edited by DJMOJO; 04-11-2009 at 09:45 PM..

04-11-2009, 11:13 PM	#2
vex RCC Loves Me Not You Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Influx. iTrader: (6) Posts: 2,113 Rep Power: 19	I wouldn't be surprised if it was cold solder points in the idiot cluster itself. Does your clock come on/stay on or does it fade in and out while you drive? __________________ The Official FC Radiator Thread My Project Thread: Cerberus CCVT Virginia Rotary Group

04-12-2009, 09:35 AM	#3
DJMOJO The only DJ in RCC Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Tucson AZ iTrader: (0) Posts: 20 Rep Power: 0	the clock doesnt work at all haha ive never had to work on the idiot cluster at all on my s5 vert since ive never had a single problem with it and the TII is new to me, anyway ill take it apart and look for cold solder points. any advice on how to get that clock working? __________________

04-12-2009, 12:07 PM	#4
SecondGenPat Start a Revolution Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Park Ridge, NJ iTrader: (0) Posts: 29 Rep Power: 0	The hatch light could be the switch on the actual latch is loose or mis-adjusted. When I was experiencing the idiot cluster fading in and out, I decided to re solder it, but as I was pulling it out (key on/ clock on) every time I would pull the cluster a certain direction (it was still connected to the harness) the clock would dim then brighten. So, I took the cluster out (re soldered it too) but I used a sewing needle to "tweak" the female pins on the male connector (body harness side) to make a tighter connection. Everything seems to work perfectly now. -Pat Last edited by SecondGenPat; 04-12-2009 at 01:10 PM..

04-12-2009, 01:36 PM	#6
My5ABaby Sigh..... Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Murfreesboro, TN iTrader: (6) Posts: 2,377 Rep Power: 19	My hatch latches don't catch easily. I can have the hatch closed and not be able to open it, but one side might not be completely engaged. Try pushing down on both sides of your hatch and make sure you hear a click. __________________ 1986 Sport: 132k miles, 5A (Sapphire Blue Metallic), Tokico Blues, Racing Beat Springs, Custom LED tailights (only S4 LED tails in the world), SSR Mark II, Racing Beat exhaust, S5 black interior, Rotary Resurrection rebuild at 120k miles Community Service Manual RotorWiki "Imagination costs nothing; we could build square locomotives or fly to Mars" - Felix Wankel Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the "present."

04-13-2009, 03:16 PM	#9
DJMOJO The only DJ in RCC Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Tucson AZ iTrader: (0) Posts: 20 Rep Power: 0	i did. __________________

04-17-2009, 02:02 AM	#10
DJMOJO The only DJ in RCC Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Tucson AZ iTrader: (0) Posts: 20 Rep Power: 0	alright i took the idiot cluster out, redid all the solder (i found 2 cold solder joints) fixed all the solder joints with fresh solder put it back in the car and my clock still doesnt work hatch light doesn't stay on now but my seat belt light seems to randomly come on now (just how the hatch light was doing before) __________________

04-19-2009, 09:48 AM	#12
DJMOJO The only DJ in RCC Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Tucson AZ iTrader: (0) Posts: 20 Rep Power: 0	i took it apart and opened it i did not take the circuit boards out of the plastic bits but i did hit redo all the colder that i could see __________________