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Old 03-28-2016, 08:02 AM   #1
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Year: 2001
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2001 IHC Dash Cluster Problem

Now I know why they call it a Cluster. International outfitted all their vehicles for several years with a smart analog dash cluster. If you have one, you may have experienced the thrill of dealing with it.

All idiot lights on the left and right sections of the dash work fine. Left and right harnesses.

Two issues - Center Harness

Fuel gauge reads full all the time. Sender in the tank or cluster?

When I start the engine, all gauges perform a single sweep and then stop working. On occasion it wakes up and I get readings. I've pulled the unit, pulled the circuit board, check all the soldier joints where the harness connector attaches to the board. They are clean, shine like new, and all have continuity. Me thinks the unit was pulled and rebuilt at some point. All the contacts are clean and covered with a non-conductive grease. The last owner of this bus who used it as the backup for his school fleet maintained it pretty well. Any ideas? Anyone have the pin-outs for harness so I can measure for voltages? Should I be looking upstream? Does this thing have a brain somewhere that drives it's tiny little CPU?

Thanks in advance.

Toby

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Old 03-28-2016, 09:41 AM   #2
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I would be checking to make sure you are getting a good ground to the cluster. Without a good ground you will have a hard time figuring anything out.

The fact the cluster goes through the pre-start dance means the gauges actually work and are not stuck.

Since everything is operated from the brain box something somewhere is not sending or receiving the proper signal. As to where the signal is leaking out I have no idea.

I hate to say it but about the only way you will know for sure is you are going to have to have an IC/Navistar/International tech hook their diagnostic computer up.

I haven't had enough experience troubleshooting the electronics, particularly the newer buses with the multiplexing, to really know what the short cuts and easy fixes are.

Suffice it to say, I like old school better because it gives the shade tree fixer uppers a chance at making things work.

Good luck.
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Old 03-28-2016, 06:25 PM   #3
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Yank it all and make your own with mechanical gauges.
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Old 03-28-2016, 08:11 PM   #4
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low drawing solenoid in line somewhere? (only thing I can think of at the moment)
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Old 03-28-2016, 09:03 PM   #5
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Docsgxr: Been thinking along those lines and a possible bad ground as well. I've killed off one problem. After painting the bus, the overhead markers worked, but I found two tenths of a volt on the outside of the main power solenoid in the switch console. After using file to clean out some screw holes, I have good markers and the backflow is gone. I spoke with a mechanic at a tree service company that has a dozen 3800 IHCs in service. He suggested that the center connector on the harness is not providing good ground. That will be my next stop. Thanks for the info!

Toby
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