Help needed to replace cluster motor

[dna]

Does anyone have a good and detailed instruction manual on how to replace this, including down to the steps to remove the cluster in the first place? My speedo cluster motor is bad and I just recieved a new motor (bought off ebay) but I have no idea where to start.

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

[05h2sut]

Hope it helps - sorry for the ZIP file, PDF file uploads are limited to 19.5k, way too small.

instrument-panel.zip

[Humdingah]

Can you send to a link to where you got the new motor from on eBay? I'll be doing mine soon too...

[dna]

I bought the motor from ebay (item#280394061397) for $5. Just do a search for Hummer stepper or cluster motor and you will see that there are alot of guys selling these as they are a known issue - actualy you will see that it is a GM wide issue, alos common on all GM trucks, Monte Carlos, Impala, etc. Just make sure you buy the upgraded motor which is X25-168 and not the original xc5-168 (these are the ones that go bad with heat).

I just finished the replacement - took about 1.5 hours and it now works great. I'd rfate it a 7 out of 10 for difficulty - it really wasn't that hard but does take special tools and soldering near other near circuit runs. Below are the steps:

1) remove the drivers vent cover; it has two bolts on the bottom and two clips on the top - the two bolts have non-fixed nuts on the back so once you loosen you really can't remove the bolt as the nut turns with it. I popped off the fuse cover on the drivers side which allowed me to hold the nut (closest to the door) with pliers while removing the one bolt. Once this is removed and the other bolt loose (you can't reach its nut) you pull evenally on the top of the cover which pops loose of the clips. Now with this cover practically off you will be able to go to step two

2) remove the two bolts from the bottom of the cluster assembly. With the vent cover already loose (step 1 above), pull on the left bottom which will pop loose from its clip. Now pull the top left and top right and they will pop free from their clip. Now pull on the right near the middle area to release the final clip and the cluster cover will now come off.

3) remove the four bolts holding the cluster, and then pull the cluster out to have better access to the wiring harness (there is plenty of extra wire). Now pinch the two blue fasteners on the harness and pull (detach) the wire harness - it helps to pull (wiggle) left and right as you pull. Now you have the whole cluster free and out of the H2

4) remove the back plastic cover (covering the circuit board) by simply unclipping (lifting) the four clips.

5) remove the cluster glass/lense cover by lifting the three clips on the front and the two on the back. The two on the back are tough as they are inside the assembly. I stuffed a flat blade driver in behind the clip and while pushed and turning I pulled on the lense cover which eventually popped it loose.

6) now you need to remove each needle in order to pull the circuit board off and access the motors (you need to remove all needles even if you are only replacing one motor). To remove follow these steps:
6a) turn each needle counter clockwise until it reaches its natural stop and with tape next to it mark that point with a pen - do this for each needle. But it is kinda obvious as the natural stopping point is slightly less than the zero or start of the guage.
6b) after marking the stopping point, now continue to turn the needle counter clockwise while pulling at the same time - keep turning and pulling and eventually the needle will be free from the shaft. Do this for each needle at which time you wil be able to remove the circuit board and see the motor.

7) now you need to remove the old motor - to do this first get a butter knife and straighten the bent pins on the back of the circuit board. Now get a solder gun and heat up the two left solder points while pulling on the motor on the other side of the board. Keep heating and keep pulling and evrtually you will feel the motor start to pull slightly on that side. Now so the same for the other side. You may need to swap sides as it only came out a mm or two each time. Eventually the motor will pop off.

8) now insert the new motor into the board by inserting the pins into the board and with the butter knife bend the pins inward. Now solder the pins.

9) now reinstall the needles; push each needle on at the 12 oclock point and turn it counter clockwise to the same point as the tape. Note that it is important to get the needle back to this point otherwise the guage will be off by the difference.

10) thats it - just put it back together and take it for a test spin. Do not install the vent cover and cluster cover until you take it for a test spin just in case you need to remove it again. I found after my first test spin that all my needles where "fast" by about 2mm on the guage - this is because I did not do step#9 right basically did not turn the needles back enough once I pushed them back on. After removing the cluster and turning back the needles a mm or so, all my needles looked good and worked great.

Hope this helps. Overall it was a $5 repair and rather easy - well worth doing it yourself versus living with a bad speedo or paying well over $300 at the shop.

[IRA51]

If you just replace 1 of the stepper motors ,the rest will go bad 1 at a time and sooner or later you will replace them all . for $189.00 you can send your cluster out and have it compleatly rebuilt . the removal and reinstalation of the cluster is easy . replaceing the stepper motors involves dissasembly of the cluster and unsoldering and resolodering the stepper motors in the cluster .if your not real good at fine soldering work you are better off haveing a pro do it .
http://www.mrwhizard.com/

[pteam]

Shouldnt this be covered under the hummer recall?

[IRA51]

Originally Posted by pteam

Shouldnt this be covered under the hummer recall?

Depends on year and mileage .

[dna]

I just found another drawback of doing this repair yourself. You will run out of gas (like I did today) if you do not set the needles back to the exact position.

I was used to my needle allowing me to go about 1mm past the red/empty mark on the gas guage prior to the repair. I guess I set the needle off by 1mm because I was driving today when the needle was exactly on the red and the truck stalled. Kinda embarrassing. Well at least I know know the new mark on my guage when the truck means business.

[Ahchu183]

Has anyone tried this person yet on ebay? They have a lot of good ratings.. I figured it was cheaper than sending it ot the dealership.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/03-04...fA ccessories

[OrangeCrush]

Originally Posted by Ahchu183

Has anyone tried this person yet on ebay? They have a lot of good ratings.. I figured it was cheaper than sending it ot the dealership.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/03-04-05-06-H2-HUMMER-SPEEDOMETER-CLUSTER-GAUGE-REPAIR_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem5882eefa6cQQitem Z380153821804QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fA ccessories

I bought a cluster off this company a few years ago on my '03 H2. The cluster was perfect and worked correctly.

Well worth the money.


Mark