Are you having issues with your gauge cluster and it needs a repair, but you're not sure if you should do a DIY Repair or send it to a professional repair technician? In this guide we want to list a few important details for why you may want to consider sending your speedometer to a professional rather than completing a DIY repair. 

DIY Repair

A DIY project is often a more affordable and faster way of getting something done. If you're doing a DIY repair on your gauge cluster you would assume that you can make the repair for a fraction of the cost as sending it to a professional, but that is not always the case. 

1. Cost: a lot of times when doing a repair yourself you may come up with a more affordable repair but in many instances to get the job done correctly you have to purchase the tools needed for the repair. This includes but not limited to: Soldering station, microscope, solder, flux and a cleaning solution. That's not including any replacement parts for your cluster, in the end this can very easily accumulate to more than what a repair service costs.
2. Time invested: Sometimes you can get away with a quick and easy DIY project, that is not the case with repairing most speedometers. Not only do you have to do research and know how to repair the unit, but you will also have to learn how to solder (assuming you do not already know). This can lead to more time spent without the unit in your vehicle or if you damage the board then you will be in a worse spot than where you started.
3. Reliability: If you do not already know how to solder then you may not get the results you are expecting. In many many cases that we have seen individuals that have tried to repair their unit themselves have ultimately ruined the board and then need to purchase a replacement cluster as well.

Professional Repair

Getting a repair done by a reputable company is almost always the route we recommend. Listed below is a list of very key points why we think getting a repair by a professional is always better than a DIY repair.

1. Cost: although prices with companies like us may seem expensive, compared to most dealers we are a very affordable and fast option. Most dealers cost 3 to 10 times what we would charge for a repair.
2. Time invested: We offer a short 1-2 day turnaround on our repairs, so the only major time you are losing is time that your unit is spending in shipping. If you do not already solder then our time spent on your cluster may even come out to the same as a DIY if taken into consideration time spent learning and waiting on tools and parts.
3. Reliability: As a well established company we offer top quality repairs for all our services, when doing a DIY repair you often sacrifice reliability and quality on a repair. Which is a key factor when looking at longevity of a repair done.
4. Warranty: One major thing that you will not get with a DIY repair is a warranty. We offer a lifetime warranty on our repair services, which can make all the difference when thinking of about the lifespan of a repair.

Conclusion

In conclusion we recommend sending your instrument panel to a professional when it needs a repair, if you already have all the tools and knowledge to repair it then maybe a DIY would be best for you. 90% of the time that is not the case and we always suggest going to a professional, here at Automotive Circuit Solutions we offer quality and reliable repairs for many automotive electronic parts! If you are in need of a repair to your speedometer click HERE to browse our large selection of gauge cluster services.