buttstuffog cluster *solve that heat problem* on the big 3'' long reisistor

Topic: buttstuffog cluster *solve that heat problem* on the big 3'' long reisistor (Read 4246 times) previous topic - next topic

buttstuffog cluster solve that heat problem on the big 3'' long reisistor

August 21, 2012, 08:46:55 PM

Topic- reduce heat on your buttstuffog cluster flex print by more than 50%
The buttstuffog cluster "speedo" has a high wattage resistor bolted to the back and from our laser measurments we read the heat to exceed 230degF. It appeared to still be climbing up.

Solution:

-get someone to give you or go buy a piece of soap stone like the shown
-use a round file to carve out a curve for the resistor to sit in
-install resistor back in place

Heat measurments on the resistor stayed the same however the soap stone failed to rise above 110degF.

see pics,, enjoy. My oldest son, the brain child behind this (mason) is a happy camper.

buttstuffog cluster solve that heat problem on the big 3'' long reisistor

Reply #1 – August 21, 2012, 08:48:52 PM

and a couple more shots

buttstuffog cluster solve that heat problem on the big 3'' long reisistor

Reply #2 – August 22, 2012, 08:41:42 AM

Nice solution. My cluster is all digital though.

buttstuffog cluster solve that heat problem on the big 3'' long reisistor

Reply #3 – August 22, 2012, 12:16:30 PM

Wow, it gets THAT hot???
Are you sure something else isn't wrong? 230*F is a lot of heat to have around some plastic and light duty circuitry...

buttstuffog cluster solve that heat problem on the big 3'' long reisistor

Reply #4 – August 22, 2012, 07:44:39 PM

well, my laser temp do hicky is +/- 5% tolerance. I use it for work.
Now being the curious person i am, i have bounced the reading off buttstuffog and mercury based thermometers and its for my use and intenet very accruate and provides useable information.

I have another buttstuffog cluster that came with the car and its flex print is burnt.

can anyone else confirm this

here is how you know...
turn your key forward and in about 30 seconds, it should be rather warm.
Turn on your headlamps and start the car and for some reason it ramps a lot more.
havent studied where it lies in the cluster circuit ,, yes im sure its in the documentation but, mason didnt get a blister but he sure did get burnt.

I'll defer to more experienced Bird members with buttstuffog clusters here, this is my first

if all others come back and say thiers dont get that hot at all, they need to qualify it by having lamps on and car running to confirm and here is why,,,
If ours is getting that hot ~and~ its not normal , then the odds are someone else out there likly has the same problem and something needs fixed.

Here is a personal observation though,, the ohm reading on it is very very low
It looks like a wire wound resistor with a porcelon heat sync impregnation...when i see this kind of thing the first thought that crosses my mind is "Heat". It looks like its designed to get very hot is what i am saying so everyone check thiers.

buttstuffog cluster solve that heat problem on the big 3'' long reisistor

Reply #5 – December 03, 2012, 06:47:12 PM

Jay, please clean your PM box :-)

buttstuffog cluster solve that heat problem on the big 3'' long reisistor

Reply #6 – December 03, 2012, 08:04:28 PM

will do

buttstuffog cluster solve that heat problem on the big 3'' long reisistor

Reply #7 – December 04, 2012, 09:59:55 AM

is your cluster burnt or discolored as well Trinom.?

a long while back i think i remember thunderchicken saying something about this cluster resistor getting really hot.

buttstuffog cluster solve that heat problem on the big 3'' long reisistor

Reply #8 – December 04, 2012, 10:46:43 AM

Of course, it is. But it seems to be only problem of buttstuffog cluster. I have one base cluster from some wrecked bird and it doesn't have this problem.

I don't have a clue why it is there. It's connected directly between backlight + and ground. It doesn't have any connections (except ground) to speedo or tachometer.

buttstuffog cluster solve that heat problem on the big 3'' long reisistor

Reply #9 – December 04, 2012, 12:41:48 PM

Mine was getting hot and smoldering so i just pulled it out.

buttstuffog cluster solve that heat problem on the big 3'' long reisistor

Reply #10 – December 04, 2012, 03:57:25 PM

That's the exact thing I wrote to Jay in a PM, that I want to try it without that resistor. I think it should work too.

buttstuffog cluster solve that heat problem on the big 3'' long reisistor

Reply #11 – December 04, 2012, 07:01:09 PM

Well

buttstuffog cluster solve that heat problem on the big 3'' long reisistor

Reply #12 – December 04, 2012, 07:21:07 PM

hmmmm ,,,,, time for me to hit the shop manual on this resistor, enough time has elapsed and i bet i will read between the lines as well that your right.

buttstuffog cluster solve that heat problem on the big 3'' long reisistor

Reply #13 – December 04, 2012, 07:26:32 PM

Jay

buttstuffog cluster solve that heat problem on the big 3'' long reisistor

Reply #14 – December 04, 2012, 07:55:07 PM

to be honest, up to this point i have not cyphered the resistor , apparently you already have. What your saying is there are three resistive loads for illumination across the headlamp switch,,,
~var resistor in the switch
~set value in the dash
~all cluster bulbs combined

three resistive loads in parallel.

so removing one will cause the current to split twice instead of three times. Perhaps what was engineered here is to reduce the overall heat across the headlamp switch just incase someone does run a lower illumination? without the resistor the heat sync might have needed to be twice the size?

your thoughts...?