Printed Circuit

The printed circuit which supplies current to the instrument panel indicators, gauges, and some clocks, is made of copper foil which is bonded to a polyester base film (usually referred to as Mylar).

The printed circuit is mounted to the cluster housing and, due to its location, cannot be easily inspected and/or tested in the vehicle. This makes the printed circuit vulnerable to damage when a probe is used for in-vehicle testing as the probe can pierce the printed circuit or in some cases, burn the copper conductor.

Since there is no approved procedure for in-vehicle testing of the printed circuit, it must be removed for visual inspection. If no visual damage is evident, each circuit should be tested with an ohmmeter or test lamp. If an open circuit or short circuit is detected, the printed circuit must be replaced.