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Instrument cluster issues
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jenkinsdh
 


Member Since: 11 Aug 2015
Location: Hinckley
Posts: 53

United Kingdom 2008 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE Auto Stornoway GreyDiscovery 3
Instrument cluster issues

Over the last few weeks the central screen of my cluster (displaying the MPG, range etc) has started fading - not disappearing completely but becoming barely legible over the space of a minute. This is despite the odometer screen on the right (and lights/needles) behaving normally. As it often happened soon after start up on a hot day my working hypothesis was that this was temperature related and putting the blowers on in the cab seemed to bring them back to normal within a few minutes (again, 'fading' back to normal over a minute, not a sudden change).

Yesterday the problem developed further and, whilst driving, the dash went off completely - screens dead and needles to zero - before coming back on a minute or so later.

I suspect it is a cluster failure and I'll need a refurb/replacement but, before I get to that stage, is there anything simple I should rule out?

For info I have a very basic code reader (although it is so basic I'm not expecting to see anything on it!) but I don't have access to an IID etc. Also, I do lots of short journeys so I have also topped up the battery to make sure it wasn't triggered by a low voltage. This didn't seem to make a difference.

Thanks in advance for your help,

Dave
  
Post #20670889th Jul 2019 8:57 am
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aja4x4
 


Member Since: 14 Apr 2019
Location: Westbury
Posts: 2459

United Kingdom 2005 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto Zambezi SilverDiscovery 3

Check and clean the earth point under the drivers side kick panel.
Is yours a 2007-2008 model ? As they are known for cracked solder joints on the cluster circuit board.
  
Post #20672119th Jul 2019 5:16 pm
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jenkinsdh
 


Member Since: 11 Aug 2015
Location: Hinckley
Posts: 53

United Kingdom 2008 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE Auto Stornoway GreyDiscovery 3

aja4x4,
It's a 58 plate, registered in Sept 2008 so, yes, I guess this could be a possibility

It also showed a couple of different symptoms on the way home today -
- Normal function except the fuel gauge at zero and no low fuel indicator and (at a different time),
- Normal except the fuel gauge at zero and low fuel indicator lit,
ps. Fuel is ~90% full

It just seems really weird that the behavior is so inconsistent!

Dave
  
Post #20672799th Jul 2019 9:19 pm
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aja4x4
 


Member Since: 14 Apr 2019
Location: Westbury
Posts: 2459

United Kingdom 2005 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto Zambezi SilverDiscovery 3

Fords have major problems with there dashes. i have repaired quite a few, the solder cracks where the main plug solders onto the circuit board mainly the two canbus terminals which then cause problems throughout the car. Its a very easy repair once you strip the dash down to get the board out.
I have never repaired a landrover dash but i guess they are going to be simular.
  
Post #20672859th Jul 2019 9:31 pm
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Globetrotter448
 


Member Since: 21 Mar 2017
Location: Londonderry NSW
Posts: 1772

Australia 2007 Discovery 3 4.0 V6 Petrol SE Auto Java BlackDiscovery 3

It is known that a connector on the rear of the instrument cluster comes loose and causes those sort of problems.
  
Post #206731110th Jul 2019 4:46 am
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Gar551
 


Member Since: 08 Jul 2019
Location: Dublin
Posts: 6

Ireland 2007 Discovery 3 TDV6 S Auto Barolo BlackDiscovery 3

Im having the same problem with my D3 2007 sometimes dash could work perfect for days then same days intermittent all day on and off 😬
  
Post #206733610th Jul 2019 7:12 am
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gareth71
 


Member Since: 10 Apr 2016
Location: North-east Wales
Posts: 546

Wales 2009 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE Auto Buckingham BlueDiscovery 3

An increasingly common problem on D3 instrument clusters. Due, apparently, to the advent of lead-free solder (which is sh!te) thanks to RoHS regulations - solder joints start failing throughout the cluster after a few years, causing the issues you describe.

I had mine sorted a couple of months back by Patryk at Totaltronics near Rugby - https://totaltronics.com/ - he's not the cheapest option, but far cheaper than buying and programming a replacement cluster, and he gives a lifetime guarantee on his work. I can highly recommend him.
  
Post #206739610th Jul 2019 10:57 am
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jenkinsdh
 


Member Since: 11 Aug 2015
Location: Hinckley
Posts: 53

United Kingdom 2008 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE Auto Stornoway GreyDiscovery 3

Sounds like Totaltronics may be a good option for me. Rugby is quite close to home and the removal / refitting seems fairly straight forward, even for a noob like me Smile
  
Post #206746110th Jul 2019 3:02 pm
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gareth71
 


Member Since: 10 Apr 2016
Location: North-east Wales
Posts: 546

Wales 2009 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE Auto Buckingham BlueDiscovery 3

Don't worry about removal/refitting if you're close enough to Rugby - Patryk will take care of all of that. I turned up at his place in my D3, left him my keys and went for a wander, came back in a couple of hours and it was all done. Top bloke.
  
Post #206777511th Jul 2019 3:20 pm
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