# 1999 Buick Century Odometer

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-century-odometer/72180>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [April 30, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-century-odometer/72180 "2012-04-30T22:30:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TaxDiva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a6a055/32.png) [@TaxDiva](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TaxDiva)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-century-odometer/72180/1 "2012-04-30T22:30:59Z")

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I have a 1999 Buick Century which I love. Paid for, low maintence, reliable, good interior,… But a few years a go the Odometer stopped reading out. Then one day when it was really cold I got a reading. It warmed up the next day and it was gone and has not returned. This part of the dash is digital not mechanical. I also can not read what gear my shifter is in (so I count 1= park 2=reverse 3=drive). I have been told that this is a cluster which needs tot be fixed. About $500 to fix after they pull the dash, then the part, repair the part and send it back to be replaced. Really…there is no light or this could be seen. Does anyone have another solution to this problem? I see others reporting it but I do not see solutions.

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**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 4:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-century-odometer/72180/2 "2012-05-01T04:25:17Z")

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You could pull a gauge cluster from a similar vehicle at a salvage yard for less than that. Plug it in and see if it works. Call around for prices.

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**Author:** ![JosephEMeehan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecc23a/32.png) [@JosephEMeehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JosephEMeehan)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-century-odometer/72180/3 "2012-05-01T17:24:04Z")

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It could be as simple as a poor connection somewhere and the change in temperature might be causing that poor connection to fail from time to time.

Good Luck

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**Author:** ![TaxDiva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a6a055/32.png) [@TaxDiva](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TaxDiva)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 4:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-century-odometer/72180/4 "2012-05-06T04:31:28Z")

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Most of the time it fails.

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**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 4:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-century-odometer/72180/5 "2012-05-06T04:43:21Z")

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I concur with @JosephEMeehan that there’s a significant probability from the symptoms reported this is just a loose or oxidized connector. If fixing it requires removing the console, it will still be expensive at the mechanic’s hourly rate charge, but at least if it’s just a connector problem, it won’t require finding/ buying the whole replacement console.

As some perspective, the clock display on my car went ker-poof about 3 weeks after the 3-year “bumper-to-bumper” warranty expired, and for the past 17 years I’ve lived with it and haven’t suffered much. If reaching up and jiggling the connector doesn’t fix the problem for the OP’er, maybe living with this problem is the best solution.