I have an intermittent cluster related/electrical fault I'm trying to diagnose.  Symptoms are as follows:

 

About 60% of the time at present, when the key is turned to position I, the cluster does not illuminate at all, leaving the car dead (electrics are working, but no start, no engine turnover or anything).  Most of the time (but not all), if the key is left in the ignition in position I, the car comes to life after between 30 secs and 3 minutes.  Sometimes it doesn't come to life at all.  Sometimes the cluster illuminates immediately, as it should do.

 

Any leads on where I should be looking to trace this would be gratefully received.  If it is a faulty cluster, I suspect the replacement will cost more than the car is worth .....

 

Many thanks

 

Paul

There is a place on the South coast, name and town escapes me but either Portsmouth or Southampton that specialise in repairing these, they fixed the one on my MK1 while I waited for £99, pretty sure they will be able to turn your around keeping all of the original codings, key and immobiliser data, while I was there I saw instrument clusters arriving and being sent out to most EU countries and even a lot further afield.

 

Googling should find them, decent people to deal with.

Certainly was a place fixing Ford Focus ones with dry solder joints, known problem. A friend of mine used someone like this. 

Have you tried giving the cluster a knock when it's in the non-behaving state?  If a physical disturbance wakes it up, that might be evidence of a cracked solder joint.

Alternatively, are you convinced that it isn't a problem with the ignition switch? They're pretty cheap. I can't figure out just now from your symptoms whether this is a possibility or not.

Interesting thought about the ignition switch.  Any idea how I might diagnose whether that is the problem?  I'll try the knock test when it's next not working.

Thanks

Paul

+1 for ignition switch or less likely a fault in the wiring/ connectors to it.

41 minutes ago, paul_hedley said:

Any idea how I might diagnose whether that is the problem?

Not really, except to maybe try wriggling the key back and forth clockwise/anticlockwise through a very small angle from its resting position in position 1 (if that's even possible).

That might be imagined to 'scrape' the contact wipers inside the ignition switch around a bit on the pads that they contact, perhaps making contact through any grubbiness/corrosion/erosion.

OK - new addition to behaviour today.  On the way home, the whole car shut down while driving.  I coasted over to the side of the road (losing power steering and brake servo on the way), but it then came back to life.  Does this indicate either way on the cluster vs. ignition switch debate?

 

Paul

Ignition switch