Long time lurker, first time poster.. I have an issue with my MY08 WRX dash cluster - I recently removed it to clean the plastic, and realized after I plug it back in that my Speedo stopped working and my dash looks weird (the info display shows an extra line on the side (like as if it were for Automatic). My Air conditioning also gets triggered as soon as I switch the Key to "ON" position.
Anyone know what could be wrong? I didn't touch anything else, nor have I played with any of the wiring.
Is there a way to reset or to SETUP my dash back to my car? My ODO and trip meters are still accurate - Tacho works, just Speedo doesn't, everything else does... I can't use cruise control aswell - I'm assuming this has got to do with the Speedo not working.
Also tried to RESET the ECU by unplugging the Battery, bleeding out all the power with the brake pedal.. Still no dice.. It looks so weird, and I need a working Speedo! Surely there's a Electrical guru out there right?
Service manual procedure is to disconnect the battery before removing the combination meter, but I'm not clear why. I removed mine for bulb replacement last night.
However, it sounds like one of the plugs may not be seated all the way in. Has that been checked?
They probably tell you to disconnect the battery so it doesn't short anything when you unhook the connector. Not usually a problem, but it is a possibility.
Thanks for the responses thus far - I now have hope for forums again! Thought my post would get forgotten. I've checked all the obvious things, and quadruple checked the pins/needles, connections and everything - I'm pretty confident when it comes to wiring etc because I didn't change anything!
A crazy story, but hear me out:
For some reason it seems as though my dash thinks it's an Automatic, which leads me to believe that the Speedo won't move as Automatic cars may utilize another wire for the 'Speedo' signal from another pin on the loom? Hence Speedo not working when I drive (it doesn't know which signal to take?) the additional line on my LCD panel (to show what gear the cars in) and last but not least the fact that my Air Conditioning is always active after I start the car - Perhaps this suggest that for Automatics, that the cluster does a Parking lock check or something that may trip the Air Conditioning in this instance as I'm Manual?
Lol I know this sounds random - but that's the only logical sense I could make.. I was just wondering if anyone knows/had experience to reset the dash somehow.. Or at least trigger it to be manual again, I'm currently using my iPhone for my speedo!
Last resort is to purchase a replacement dash I guess... But $____$
I would be surprised if they had different clusters for manuals and autos... Could be wrong though. I suppose a quick Ebay/Subaru OEM parts search would let you know.
If you're worried about this, the electrical diagrams in the service manual should be able to shed some light on this subject. I know there's a link to them floating around here somewhere... They can be a pain to read and might take a while to figure out, but they have the pinouts for each of the connectors so you could compare any differences.
Ohh - Did I mention that my fuel consumption meter thing - doesn't fluctuate much anymore - stays at 8.6/l - I'm assuming it's something to do with the Speedo not moving and cannot calculate the average.. And when I switch to ON position - the SWEEP is GONE too!! ):
Is there any way you cold have put a connector in upside down or in the wrong spot? Probably not cause they usually only go in one way or are not compatible with other nearby connectors but, don't hurt to ask.
Yep, it only goes in one way... Everything else works - it's just the Speedo and the other odd bits and pieces.. Perhaps the memory chip got fried and lost the information required to run properly..
Just ordered a replacement dash... So hope that fixes the issue.
A quick update - I've checked the diagrams in the service manual and yep you're right it's only 1 dash that covers all, I've found some diagnostic pages and tried all the tests. It seems that only my speedo needle not moving through the tests.. It was interesting to find this test it's pretty cool.
All other options tell me to check the connection to the VDC/ABS control module - as it's speed sensor related perhaps... Haven't got around to this - but there are two measurements I have to take and if they don't fall within the limits - "Replace Instrument Cluster Panel" -____-
Also checked ALL fuses in both the cabin and the engine bay - All good so far....
i had my cluster all to pieces when i was building my wrx. and it went back together and worked fine. i pryed on the needles pulled the plastic lens out. poked around at the circuit board in there. If it was a speed sensor issue you would have an ABS light on, and trac ctrl light and a code stored. its strange that its activating the A/C system, the cluster and a/c arent linked. Maybe something got into the dash harness and chewed things up a bit...
The electrical diagram from the manual does have a circuit to attach to the aircon controls. I have a feeling my dash memory got wiped somehow and got shorted.
I'll soon find out when the new cluster arrives. I'm now thinking that there might be a harness loose at the back that stems off the dash plug. I sort of pulled it up a bit to make it easier to plug back in.. Might have unplugged the VDC/ABS harness or something? I'm showing 0 error codes though.....
All my gauges work fine as mentioned, except for anything that is related back to the speedo! Ie.
- Fuel consumption meter
- cruise controls
- Needle sweep
- Dash Intro sequence
- aircon turns on automatically
Does anyone know if I need to repgroam the keys for the new cluster to work 100%? I manage to start the car with NO dash cluster....
No you should not need to reprogram the keys, the security codes are stored in the pcm i believe. And you can start the car with no instrument cluster. It shouldnt hurt anything as it has no effect on the way the vehicle runs, its only there to display whats going on with the car
Thanks for confirming that! Once I get the new cluster I'm going to open it up and see if perhaps the EEPROM is damaged. Apparently these things store information about the vehicle etc.
I guess my serial programmer I bought 6 years ago will come to good use. Lol
Peace.
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