all this stuff happened after cluster install, right? your stereo dying makes me think of when the rubber insulation on the alternator lead came off, causing metl to metal contact. car would stutter randomly and the lights would flicker like you describe.

ended up adding a bunch of extra grounding points (including alt) and it never happened again. maybe uninstall/re-install the cluster, and check all wire leads. such a pita.

 

First thing he should have did was swap back the OEM cluster like I told him to try 4 days ago..

 

5 minutes with a multimeter < 90 minutes swapping back to stock cluster

It's worth a quick test.

 

In my garage now doing that, haven't had time. Like the Sti cluster a lot more so if there is any possible way to keep it ill do that, but it is worth testing definatley

 

Cluster swap is like 10 minutes.....
Screw screw pop clip clip clip pull then reverse

 

Haha oh ok. As you probably guessed I've never swapped a cluster.

 

I do not know.

Sorry if my previous comment sounded mean pushy or rude...

 

Ya cluster swap is really simple, worth checking. Using a meter around all the wiring is also worth testing as well.

 

The AP can tell you what the battery voltage is.

Also, if the car is having a hard time starting, or won't start, jump the car with another car. If the car starts, disconnect the jumper cables and disconnect the negative lead on your battery. If the alternator (circuit) is good the car should keep running, if its bad it will run rough or die. You're taking the battery out of the loop so the car has to run only off what the alternator is providing.

To test the alternator wire you'll need to use a dvom and check the resistance.

 

This does sound like an alternator issue or something related, had one go out on me while driving once, I got about 30 miles and everything started to turn off, and then dead car.... Plus battery was garbage after the full drain.. I would check the alt.. again..

 

So I test the alternator and fuses with my multi Meter, then I check the battery, the battery is low. Go to autozone where I got it and get a new one under warranty. Something is killing the battery, and not putting enough power to the alternator to run the car.
But on a good note I fixed my air conditioning

 

With the sti cluster plugged in, the car off a cold start is fine. Alternator is 14.5
Once it gets warmed up, alternator drops to 11.8,
Swapped clusters back. Anything I can do to make the other one wrk?
All l did was clip wire b9 to make kill the buzzing, which I just repaired.

 

So you're checking the alternator for voltage? Why? How many amps is it pushing out? Voltage is one thing, amps is another.

Like I wrote earlier, pull the negative off the battery while the car is running. If it dies there is a problem with the charging circuit.

BTW, power comes from the alternator, it doesn't go to it.

 

It was the cluster pulling from the alternator... That scares me as the guy above commented that can hurt your car

 

Sorry not guy above... That was on nasioc.

Apparently that can fry your electronic system and some wiring. 7 out of 10 people will be good.
I don't wanna be the 3 because the luck I've had with this car I will be