odometer repair, DIY, FYI
 

hope this helps somebody, it sure saved me a bundle ...

after a couple of years of driving a 99 silverado with an intermittent odometer, I finally bought a $10 AA-battery powered soldering pen from Harbor Freight and followed the instructions and photos here:

Step By Step Instruction :: Mrfixit

it really is that simple ... bending it back was not nearly as scary as he describes it, but do it gently ... job took about 20 minutes from start to finish.

the only details i would add are:

1) i needed to clean away silicone caulk that surrounded the joint in order to see that it was actually loose, and even then i needed to look closely to see the break. it was the exact same joint as on his website. work in bright light and use a magnifying glass or reading glasses as necessary.

2) to resolder, melt solder onto the tip of the soldering pen so that a molten ball of solder forms, then hold the molten ball against both parts of the the broken joint. At first, the molten solder will not flow onto the joint. This is because the joint metals are too "cold". In short time, the molten ball will flow onto the joint. When it does, it means every thing is hot enough for an acceptable repair and the joint has been resoldered. (heating the joint directly with the soldering-pen means you would risk overheating the circuit board and loosening other joints, so i do not recommend heating the joint directly with the pen.)

some photos from the repair ...

There's a similar way to replace 03-07(classics) IPC gauge stepper motors. I've done one odometer LED display in a 99 Sierra, new faceplate on a 2000 silv, and several 03-07 gauge motors. This is after replacing countless IPCs for failed motors as usual business. I just found out about the stepper motors about 4 months ago. Saves people a ton of money. $35 for a set of motors & 2.5 hrs labor compared to $500+ IPC & 1.5 hrs labor. So, FYI there's cheaper options than replacing the whole thing for LED displays and/or stepper motors.

Also, the earlier stepper motors just pop off the board. 03-07 are soldered. Not sure if motors are available for the earlier IPCs (99-02), but they should be. I don't see a lot of those fail.

does IPC stand for Instrument Panel Cluster?

yep. sorry. IPC = Instrument Panel Cluster. =)

Just did mine. It took no more than 15 min. Thank you NW chev. can`t believe i`ve been 6 months without. And it was so quik and easy.