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Technical Need help with headlight on and gauge weirdness

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by El Caballo, May 13, 2019.

  1. El Caballo
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 6,283

    El Caballo
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    When I turn on my headlights, my gas gauge and temp gauge move to the right. The amp gauge is not working and oil pressure gauge is not even wired. I would assume they would act erratically as well but let’s go with what we have.

    Since both gauges are doing this, I think the problem would be some sort of ground problem with the light switch but I’m no electrician. Has anyone here had the same problem?
     
  2. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,942

    squirrel
    Member

    Probably a ground problem with the dash, not the light switch itself. If the ground side of the gauges and idiot lights and dash lights are are connected to each other at the gauge cluster, but the cluster is not grounded to the body, it might do that kind of thing.
     
    dan griffin likes this.
  3. El Caballo
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 6,283

    El Caballo
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    The back of the dash has the thick printed circuit film on it which has a rectangular socket on it to insert to the wiring loom plug that has pin contacts. It would seem that the ground would go through that since the gauge cluster is plastic?

    Basically this:

    gauge cluster.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2019
  4. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,942

    squirrel
    Member

    It's likely. It's almost straying into off-topic stuff, but not quite....I had a 65 GMC truck with a similar setup, it was a pain to get all that working. You'll want to look for a black wire in the dash harness, which should be ground, and follow the traces to see if it really does connect to one side of most of the bulbs, and to all the gauges. If so, that really would be ground. See if it's messed up somwhere, either on the PC, or the connector, or the other end of the wire just is not connected. It's also possible that it is supposed to get ground through one of the mounting screws...hard to tell from the little picture you posted.
     

  5. El Caballo
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 6,283

    El Caballo
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    f100gauges2.jpg Oooo, like one of those maze puzzles...

    I'll do that, thanks Squirrel. This is the type that I have, better picture.
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2019

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