'It’s Getting Me Down the Road:' Man Gets in His Silverado. Then He Realizes None of the Gauges Work

A Chevy Silverado driver recorded himself driving his car effectively blind, thanks to a malfunctioning gauge cluster.

TikTok user Sam (@elaborate.sam), despite listing all of the issues with the cluster, kept a humorous disposition about the glaring lack of driving information at his disposal.

“I don’t know how fast I’m going, I don’t know the RPMs,” he says at the onset of a recently posted clip. The Chevy driver continues, “I don’t know how much oil’s in the [expletive], I don’t know how much gas is in the [expletive].” He continues, “I don’t know if the [expletive] overheating. I don’t know if the [expletive] charging.”

Afterwards, he flips the camera’s orientation to reveal himself speaking into the camera, “I know it’s a [expletive] [expletive] and it’s getting me down the road right now. It’s working, all right? [Expletive] off,” he says at the end of his clip.

Why Do Gauge Clusters Stop Working?

According to automotive repair business Beck’s Auto Center, there are several reasons why instrument clusters fail. The most likely explanation is a blown fuse. “One of the most common reasons your instrument cluster might not be working is a blown fuse,” Beck’s Auto Center writes.

Thankfully, a blown fuse is one of the easiest fixes. If drivers suspect this may in fact be the issue, they should consult their vehicle’s manual to locate its fuse box. These can usually be found beneath the hood, on the left side of the car’s underbelly. Upon finding the fuse box, car owners should refer to their manual to find which fuse controls the gauges.

Judging by the analog dash cluster in Sam’s video, it seems like he’s cruising around in an earlier model Silverado. One 2002 Silverado driver on a forum speculated that their fuse might be blown. They cited alternator issues, as well as problems with gauge readings.

The cost of replacing a blown fuse is negligible compared to other repairs. For example, Amazon sells a 200+ PC variety fuse kit for under $11.

Further, fuses are often easily swapped out, making for a quick DIY job for even someone with limited mechanical knowledge.

Other Reasons a Gauge Cluster May Not Work

Beck’s Auto Center also wrote that the fuse box itself may be why one’s gauge cluster isn’t properly functioning.

This is a relatively inexpensive fix. A 2017-2019 Chevy Silverado fuse box can be found online for under $50. However, the price of fuse boxes for other model years may vary. GM Parts Giant offers an OEM unit for $87.55.

Jerry Insurance Agency also notes that the model year of a Silverado will determine what a total fuse box replacement costs. The company instructs car owners to factor in both parts and labor, with a skilled mechanic charging between $75 to $130.

A YouTube video uploaded by a 2002 Chevy Silverado driver presents a dash gauge akin to the one Sam is driving. The creator demonstrates how to swap out fuses, and what the box itself looks like under the hood.

In another YouTube video, a Chevy Silverado driver shows viewers how to swap out the wiring harness/fuse box on 2014-2019 models. First he uses a powered wrench to unbolt fasteners. Afterwards, using his hands, he unfastens wiring harness clasps. Finally, he unscrews bolts on the protective crossbar over the fuse box. With everything unfastened, he’s able to remove the old box and drop in the new one. He reverses his steps and secures everything in place in what appears to be a relatively short amount of time.

Other Reasons a Gauge Cluster May Fail

In addition to the aforementioned issues, there could be other reasons why your gauges fail. Beck’s Auto Center says that a “bad gauge cluster unit” may be the issue. One potential fix for this, the repair shop states, is to disconnect a car’s battery from its terminals. After 10 minutes, reconnect the battery and see if that fixes the problem. If it doesn’t, the business advises reaching out to a mechanic to see if the gauge cluster itself is broken.

If that’s the case, drivers will have to swap out the cluster entirely.

Yet another explanation for a malfunctioning gauge cluster is a “bad ground wire,” Beck’s states. The auto shop explains, “The ground wire connects the negative terminal of your battery to the metal chassis of your car, providing a path for electrical current to flow. If this connection is loose or corroded, it can cause your instrument cluster to malfunction.” Disconnecting the ground wire and cleaning it could ultimately fix this problem. If that doesn’t work, you may have to replace it—or keep driving blind like Sam.

Or, as one commenter described his predicament, “This is what trusting God looks like.”

Motor1 has reached out to Sam via TikTok comment for further information. We’ll update this if he responds.