How to Repair a Chevy Malibu Cluster 

My daughter-in-law bought her 2013 Malibu as new and in 2016, the GM dealer replaced the IP cluster. Now in 2020, it failed again. It was taken to the GM dealer again, but this time the dealer said no parts were currently available and returned the car to her. A few months later, I decided to do some searching on the Internet for answers. I found a local repair shop here near me (Madison, Hts, MI) that specializes in this type of repair. I took the cluster there and they would not touch it because the GM dealer, somehow, had been involved with them(?). I found Jeff's RU-vid video, contacted him, mailed it off to him, and in a few days had it back repaired! The cluster is back in the car and working perfectly; Jeff is for real, guys, go to him if you need this service; don't even bother going to a GM dealer!

I'm a auto tech and have benefited from your videos more then once. Sometimes a fast easy repair the pleasure of a successful repair and a happy customer

not a cluster repair guy, but I watch your videos for techniques and best practices. good job!

Hey Jeff. Welcome back! Nice to see new Malibu clusters! Nice fix!

yeah there a 3rd group of people who watch your videos i watch because its nice to watch someone whom is very good at there job make it look so easy when its not. its entertaining to me. and glad you back to making videos hope your doing well during there strange times.

OMG i can't believe it actually worked, i resoldered The R203 resistance and now it works, 1000 thanks i could never find this myself !

This is a very sound fix. The video is literally perfect saved me a bunch of money. 25$ solder and about 30 minutes thank you very much

Hope all has been well sir, glad to see some new content

Always a pleasure to watch your videos, although I do not repair panels, it is fun and educational to see a prof repair man like you. I enjoy all your previous videos Thank you and stay safe.

Awesome video followed your instructions step-by-step fixed it in 30 minutes thank you very much

Excellent video. Now that I’ve seen you do it, and I’m actually an electronics technician, I know now I probably prefer to send mine out. That is too tiny for me, and I don’t believe I possess he patience as you do. Thank you so much. And you are right. The Chevy dealerships are impossible to deal with as is the GM corporation Parts system.

I like to watch a pro in action!! Is that a D?

Happy to see you back at it again!. Question how can I send you my 02 gm Sierra Cluster for rebuild and what's the turn around time?

Hi, what does the part actually look like? Did you have to remove the old resistor and replace it? Or did you have to just solder the broken connection?

In your description, you had said: "If your Instrument Cluster, entertainment system and power steering are going out at the same time it's your connector under the passengers seat." Can you elaborate on this please??

Awesome video. I've been thinking about buying one to play with on eBay. There is seller on eBay with them for around $20. I like to buy one of a model before I do them for customers.

I'm interested in using these clusters with a ls1 motor in a 1981 gbody di you think it's possible?.. what would I need to interface?

What soldering materials did you use?

Hi Jeff, I just bought a 2013 malibu and I’ve the same problem. The MPH worked for one day, ride. And then next morning it the whole dashboard started to blink and shut off and come back and now. At the end of the day, on my way back home from work, it completely stopped working. I don’t see your contact information. I need your services, please

You got all 10 Of My thumbs up ! Wow!

My 2013 chevy malibu lt dash cluster has been off for almost a year. Read that moving the passenger seat would get it to come on. And it actually would if someone sat in the seat but hasn't turned back on for a year now. Would like to send mine out to you to repair

This is huge help thank you so much 🤙🏼

Jeff are some of the newer ones that you can't fix because they went to hi tech? Have missed your great videos. I have a 95 chevy van that I can still work on....lol. Have a problem with the gas gauge that wont read right take it loose . Pull it out and when you have it straight up and down turn the key on works right. Set it back in sometimes reads right then wont. Move it again then it works. Even took it out clean the contacts just in case still does it on and off. Probably need a new gas gauge. Can't find one as of right now. Sometimes the bang your fist on top of dash sometimes makes it works sometimes don't. Sometimes it has a mind of its own works then won't. I get buy using the trip mileage thing. 33 gal tank 15 miles to the gallon to be on the safe side fill her up at 250 to 300 miles. Someone brought me a 2003 chevy s10 because I had one. Ask me to look at. I looked at it....lol No use in going any farther said you need to many tools and wire harness and hook it up and hope you don't smoke it. I did some RC small soldering stuff that I thought was small like re-solder a lose wire. Never stuff like whats in this new instrument Cluster stuff. You need way to much special stuff like a mandatory microscope and tools like you have. Any work I would have you gonna get it a virgin as I would just send it to you. If it was a used vehicle if it was messed up u can bet I got it that way. I would only know unless someone else broke clips off.

Was there ever a recall on the year 2013? Please help

I have an 08 Malibu and the cluster was not working this morning, I checked all the fuses and they were fine. Disconnected the negative battery terminal, waited a min, reconnected and it started working. If it starts doing this consistently, can I send it to you to be fixed? Have you heard of this problem before? Estimated price on fix?

Do u offer this repair for others?

i have a 2011 malibu cluster with no power where should I start?

or 3. I just like electronics. Thanks

Hiii jeff brother i have issue with 2011 malibu cluster... It goes blank but car working perfectly fine and when i remove negative battery terminal and join again the cluster start working again for couple of days and then goes blank again...... Could you please help me out..

Thanks, this did the trick!

Hi , my name is Hector i need a chevy malibu 2013 cluster repair How do I send it to you and have you repair it?

Do you do 2007 malibu? I got a dead one. Fuses good.

Hello and thank you! I have this issue as well. I just can’t find a place to send it to. Can I send to you or would you recommend somewhere else?

My Malibu 2011

How can I send my cluster in to you? What do you charge I have a 2013 Malibu cluster comes on when it wants to.

Hey Jeff what's the cost to repair this issue?

Fractures due to modern crappy solder or is it a heat stress failure? Really hate lead free crap...

No, I just like electronics.

I'm electrician in Ghana I have the same problem with Malibu

The cost of a higher wattage resistor was too much for them? GM really destroyed itself, blaming the Japanese is wrong.

$1000 to fix a bad solder joint. Goodbye GM. Good Riddance.

I l o v e y o u ❤️

Neither, just like watching

How about C? Someone who doesn't repair clusters and doesn't own a Malibu either, but I love the talcc.

I just enjoy watching

Ore of the 3rd Kind, just liking the Vid´s

Another great fix Jeff. I had an issue before but never seen that cracked resistor. I'm glad you gave me the exact location my friend. Thank you! James

The man and dog printed on the board are interesting. Manufacturers are getting cute with lots of details. Some windshields now come with printed figures on them too.

Thank you very much, I did everything as in the video, and now I also have a dashboard working on a Malibu 2013.

I must come into the catigory "Old git repairer that enjoys watching how other people repair things." I have never touched clusters and i'm not likely ever to, but still interesting :-D. Hmm a hot resistor, double the value and put two in parallel, Reliable... Oops you don't need that lol :-D

Where Have you been, Jeff? I've been deprived and forced to watch other hacks. 😆

Good ol' General Motors! Keeping mechanics and technicians employed! Quite enjoyed the Easter egg too inside the cluster.

I like your set up

Great video! FYI 06-12 Hyundai Accents and Kia Rios use the same stepper motors looks like. The cluster plastics and layout are very similar also

I don't know why, but there is something very restful about the LACK of audio when under the microscope. Like, this is something very delicate, and we can't be disturbed when we're down here.

gm clusters......the gift that keeps on giving!

Thank you So Much Man, I have a MALIBU 2013, i was having an issue with my cluster Sometime turn on then goes off for a month than again turn on and off, i tried the way you did soldering and it worked fine 3 days on and its still working perfect. Thank You so much again

Did the actual resistor go bad or did it just need to be resoldered?

Missed you, glad your back, Not a cluster tech or own a Malibu, but soldered surface mount on ceramic substrate by hand for 10 years building radar systems for the Navy many years ago. thanks for videos, stay safe.

Neither for me I don’t own a Malibu and not a cluster tech. I really do thank you for this type of sharing. Not many are willing to share their bread making secrets.

Thanks for making a video on this cluster. I just had to replace one of these cluster for my boss. He bought a 2013 malibu from a customer that replaced their cluster due to this problem but the cluster the customer put in was the wrong cluster and then they bought the right cluster and only had to get it programmed. I have it stashed with other spare clusters I still need to go thru. Could not find no info at the time to what caused this problem. I guess this week i will have to open it up to check that resistor.

I want to thank you for great video

Glad to see you uploading again! Your videos are informative!

What is the liquid you are adding on the board?

T-241 and T-242 looked like they had been a might toasty Jeff... And you missed the third type of folks that watch your videos. The ones that like your precise, slow, methodical nature coupled with what is obviously a wellspring of knowledge associated with GM clusters and electronic repair in general. I dont care at all about cluster repair, but the art involved is appreciated a great deal! Peace out my never will meet you ever friend!

what pins are power and ground?

Is there a way to turn off that annoying sweep?

Nice video and thanks

Thank you so much for this video. I was just about to go to the dealership. I had the dash apart several times but failed to see that one. Works perfectly now!!!

My 2013 Malibu with 75k on it has so far had know cluster issues but I know where I’m sending it if it does, you know your stuff Jeff

Have you considered putting bigger power rated resistor. Not much like 0805

cool to see how it done

Awesome

hoi welcome back everything ok ??? very good video thanks

Hi Jeff my cluster for some reason can’t find the R203 all the cluster have the same numbers ? Please help

Hi there mine was not working I replaced it with instrument cluster with colored screen but the odometer is not reading anything could you help

Hi friend if I may ask did you change the resistance

I just paid $800 to the dealer and my cluster ligts still don't work. They couldn't fix it:( I have no family here in St. Louis that knows how to repair this. It's scary not knowing how much gas is in the car:(

Mine looked ok but, but when I took a small screwdriver to R233 it popped right off. Thanks so much for the help. Cluster wirks great now.

Great detailed video! Is it safe for me to drive the car while my instrument cluster is being worked on? I use an obd2 speedometer due to the instrument cluster failure.

Oh dam those the exact stepper motors from my 15 legacy cluster. That I may of broken.... not getting off.. but putting it back on. You want to make sure to support the back because the “shaft” goes all the way through. So when you push down the needles you can just destroy it.... I ended up dissecting it as it was broken anyway. It seemed perfectly fine from a mechanical standpoint but just ground You also don’t have to dick around as much trying to line it up, yes because it has that stopping point so I would recommend to anyone to put the needle half on, spin it around hitting that stop (being careful) and once you get it aligned push down (again preferably bracing the rear part of shaft)

Thank you! Great video!

Never seen this type of work before I thought it was cheaper just to buy a new one at the auto dealer junkyard. It's enjoyable to watch somebody who knows what the hell they're doing for a change appreciate you

Hey bro, I got the same problem with Malibu 2010, do you know something about it?

Having a bit of an issue finding the correct resistor online. If I search the model you referenced, I've seen some, but they don't seem to match the resistance specs you listed. But I'm also not experienced in resistors or soldering. I just wanted to order the part so I can take the part to someone with more knowledge.

really appreciate it, thanks!! I fixed it last saturday but only can‘t handled the speedpointer.. i‘ll try it tomorrow again. Greetings from Germany!

Awesome.

Did everything and it turns on again. Temp gauge works, gas gauge works but the rpm and speedometer aren't working and start to click. Tried to reset the needles but don't think I'm doing it right. Any advice for resetting the needles so they work?

Thanks for the help.. Nice video i wish i could fix my problem. Where can i find a place to do that welding job???

The LED’s that are used to backlight this cluster. Are they solderless? Can I easily switch them out for a different color?

Hi question can you repair cluster for 2010 Chevy Malibu is digital ??

Hi,I cant find that resistor online anywhere. The one that was on the cluster is gone.Do you have a link or where I could find one? Thanks Rick

Very interesting have you had any problems with the 2014 to 2020 new Impala clusters?

Very similar to the cluster in Camaros of the same vintage. Hopefully I won't have issues.

Hi I have a 2016 Malibu limited and the odometer and the trip just shows - - - - any idea what it could be? Or what I need to replace?

hi i have a 13 model malibu can you tell me where to send it and price?? its dead nothing works..thanks

I have a question about my Chevrolet dash, could you contact me? Thank you

Your price for labor and part to repair one....as well as where to send it

Do you have the mouser or digi number for that

I sent you an email sir! I need mine repaired as well