Ok, so I spring for replacing the unit. Found one on ebay for $35. Now, things are a little different. I can press the buttons and it does not beep at me anymore. There are still no display lights, the buttons are backlit but nothing on the display. It does allow the HUD to show in MPH instead of KM/h, unlike before.

This car has had a smaller SC pulley on it, along with a different computer to compensate for the pulley. Would this have any affect on the DIC.