# 96VW Passat **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [January 3, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96vw-passat/8964 "2008-01-03T18:32:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wfm.59](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5daacb/32.png) [@wfm.59](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wfm.59)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96vw-passat/8964/1 "2008-01-03T18:32:15Z")
What is the problem with my instruments coming on. When I start the car on a warm day the instruments work fine. If the weather gets damp raining or cool they work until I turn the key to start the car. Then they don’t work until the car has been driven for about 15-20 minutes and then they kick in and come on. Until then I can’t tell how fast I am going, how much gas I do or don’t have and RPMs, or mileage. It is all LCD lighting. The lighting stays on but the gauges themselves don’t move or function. It is not the ignition as I have had it tested at the dealership. They don’t think it is a short. They say it is the Cluster? What is the cluster and is that in fact what it is? They aren’t sure and for not being sure I don’t want to replace it at the cost of $950.00 for the part only. ---
**Author:** ![Beadsandbeads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Beadsandbeads](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Beadsandbeads)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96vw-passat/8964/2 "2008-01-03T18:40:32Z")
The “cluster” is what you are looking at, the assembly with all the gauges or the “gauge cluster”. I don’t know what the problem is, but if you want a second opinion, go to a good automotive electrical shop. They may be willing to trouble-shoot the cluster rather than replace it. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96vw-passat/8964/3 "2008-01-03T23:45:46Z")
With luck it is a bad ground from the cluster to the car frame.