Module, Instrument Panel Cluster: Description: Description: Notes
There are two distinct versions of the Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) offered in this vehicle: Base and Premium. The IPC is located in the instrument panel above the steering column opening, directly in front of the driver. The remainder of the IPC, including the mounts and the electrical connections are concealed within the instrument panel behind the cluster bezel. The IPC gauges and indicators are visible through a dedicated opening in the cluster bezel and are protected by a hard plastic cluster lens.
Besides analog gauges and indicators, the IPC incorporates an electronic display unit for displaying odometer/trip information, automatic transmission gear selector position (PRNDL), several warning or reminder indicators and certain diagnostic information as well as for the display of the optional Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) data. There are also unique versions of both the Base and Premium IPC, which accommodate the variations of regulatory requirements for the various markets where the vehicle will be offered.
The rear of the cluster housing and the IPC electronic circuitry are protected by a molded plastic housing and rear cover, which are secured to each other by integral latch features. The rear cover includes an integral lever-type connector receptacle, which is connected to the vehicle electrical system through a dedicated take out and connector from the instrument panel wire harness. The IPC housing also serves as the carrier for the IPC printed circuit board and electronic circuitry, the major and minor analog gauges, a Light Emitting Diode (LED) unit for each indicator, the electronic display unit, an audible tone transducer, several LED units for general illumination lighting and the cluster lens, mask and overlay. The cluster housing also has four integral mounting tabs, one near each upper and lower corner of the housing.
The cluster overlay is a laminated plastic unit. The outer surface of the overlay is marked with all of the analog gauge dial faces and graduations. The darkness of this outer layer prevents the cluster from appearing cluttered or busy by concealing the cluster indicators that are not illuminated and the translucence of this layer allows those indicators and icons that are illuminated to be readily visible. The underlying layer of the overlay is opaque and allows light from the LED unit for each of the various indicators and illumination lamps behind it to be visible through the outer layer of the overlay through stencil-like cutouts.
The microcontroller-based IPC utilizes integrated circuitry and digital information transmitted over the Controller Area Network (CAN) data bus along with hard wired analog inputs to monitor sensors and switches throughout the vehicle. In response to those inputs, the internal circuitry and programming of the IPC allow it to control and integrate many electronic functions and features of the vehicle through both hard wired outputs and the transmission of digital message outputs to other electronic modules in the vehicle over the CAN data bus. Refer to COMMUNICATION, DESCRIPTION .
The IPC is serviced only as a complete unit. It cannot be adjusted or repaired. If a gauge, an indicator, a display unit, the electronic printed circuit board, the circuit board hardware, the overlay, or the housing are damaged or ineffective, the entire IPC must be replaced. The IPC software is flash programmable over the CAN data bus.