Quote:
Originally Posted by Coalkracker
One thing i did notice after i took my gauge cluster out this evening is that i had voltage on the grey wire. I grounded my meter to steel, not the ground wire in the cluster harness because i wasnt sure which one was the ground. So possibly the ground wire in the cluster harness is my problem?
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I missed this post of yours on my last read.. Yes, you're correct, it could be a bad ground connection.. In my first post in this thread, I alluded to checking fuses and grounds as the first first step.. You can "rig up" a temporary cluster ground wire for test purposes.. Get a piece of 16 - 18 ga. wire about a foot or so long.. Attach an open ended terminal eye on one end and a small alligator clip on the other.. Loosen one of the screws that attach the printed circuit to the cluster housing.. Select a screw that passes through one of the traces.. Loosen the screw and slip the terminal eye under it and tighten (do not over tighten.. Attach the alligator clip to a suitable bare metal location.. If the factory ground is bad, your temporary ground hookup will provide a ground path and the dash lights should now work..
I don't like the factory ground for the cluster.. It's comprised of a wire with a "J" clip on the end.. the "J" clip is attached to the edge of the steel dash on the edge of the cluster opening.. Given 40 - 50 years of vibration, rust, and general poor design, the ground becomes ineffective.. Loss of ground paths account for about 80% of the electrical problems in old vehicles..