Instrument cluster bad Integrated chip

[Aalbloshi]

Hey guys, there’s a chip in WL SS Instrument cluster can u guys tell me what exactly it does?, I suspect that this chip is bad in my Cluster , here’s the picture of it

 

[VT2Commie]

It looks to be a type of voltage regulator of some sort. What makes you think it is bad?

 

[Fu Manchu]

What is happening with the cluster?

 

[Aalbloshi]

It looks to be a type of voltage regulator of some sort. What makes you think it is bad?

Because there been an issue with the cluster it turns off and on by itself, I’ve checked everything including the alternator, the wiring , the ABS and of Course the battery, everything is Fine, nowadays it is acting more weird, it turns off for like 5 mins and Then turns back on, my friend who had the same problem said this might be the issue he replaced his cluster IC and it’s working normal for him.

 

[Aalbloshi]

What is happening with the cluster?

mate, it’s been 3 years The Cluster turns off and on by itself, I’ve got checked out Everything the alternator battery abs, all the parts are good, So my friend had the same problem He Fixed it by Replacing this IC he said your cluster has also the same problem so replace this IC, So i was just Making sure that what does this IC do, and can anyone of u guys tell me the IC name by chance

 

[Fu Manchu]

The only person who might know would be @TazzI. Not often on the forum anymore.

There are places here in Australia that do the repairs but they aren’t likely going to tell you how to do it.

I posted this the other day and the guy doing this is in Melbourne. Maybe reach out via their socials or email the business.

https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/vy-ss-cluster-repair-no-tacho.301442/

 

[Aalbloshi]

The only person who might know would be @TazzI. Not often on the forum anymore.

There are places here in Australia that do the repairs but they aren’t likely going to tell you how to do it.

I posted this the other day and the guy doing this is in Melbourne. Maybe reach out via their socials or email the business.

https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/vy-ss-cluster-repair-no-tacho.301442/

I’ll check him out, my only disadvantage is I don’t live in Australia, i Live in Saudi Arabia.

 

[chrisp]

View attachment 257380Hey guys, there’s a chip in WL SS Instrument cluster can u guys tell me what exactly it does?, I suspect that this chip is bad in my Cluster , here’s the picture of it

The IC outlined in red is probably a voltage regulator. But exactly what type it is hard to determine from the photo.

First off, try and see if you can identify any numbers and markings on the case of that IC. Sometimes the conformal coating makes seeing the numbers somewhat difficult. So try looking at it under strong light from several different angles. Sometimes I find taking photos (with the flash off, and with the flash on) sometimes shows the markings and numbers on the IC. If you can get some photos, post them up.

If you can’t make out any identifying markings on the IC, the next approach to determining what the IC might be is to make some assumptions and some measurements. If it is a voltage regulator, the large tab (at the top of the photo) is likely to be the ground. Using a multimeter (and with the dash powered up) carefully measure the voltages on the other five pins - but be very careful not to short out any of the pins while doing the measurement. I can’t stress the last bit enough - one slip may cause irreparable damage elsewhere in the circuitry.

For example, the following diagram is the pinout of a PPAK voltage regulator (but it might not be the same as the one on your board). By doing the voltage measurements, you’ll be able to see if the voltage measurements align with the pinout from the data sheet I’ve randomly picked from the web.

The other very useful thing to measure is the voltage of the ‘Vout’ pin. I’d hazard to guess that it’ll be 5V but it might be 3.3V (or something else).

Also, just to put out some alternative suggestions… capacitors, especially electrolytic capacitors, are probably a more likely failure point. So if it’s a guessing game, maybe try replacing the two capacitors first? They are the ‘can’ shaped devices near (what we are guessing is) the regulator.

 

[Skylarking]

@Aalbloshi, take a close up pic of the regulator? IC you've circled and also take a pic of the main 80 pin IC to the left and bellow of the regulator IC you've circles. That would help forum members identify what chip it is.

I'm just curious what the main IC has/had on top of it as it looks a little odd.

PS: you can't just assume because one person had a particular IC fail on their board that your board will suddenly work if you replace that component. If only fault finding was so easy (Holden deealers woudl have a chance)

 

[chrisp]

I'm just curious what the main IC has/had on top of it as it looks a little odd.

I was wondering about that one too. It does look like the smoke had been let out of that one.

My first impression when I saw the first post was that the OP was looking in the wrong place. But they reported that it still works (albeit intermittently).