Need a little help with my gauges

[bazthespazz]

The fuse contacts look good and the fuse is confirmed good. I'll check the connections on 16 hopefully next weekend if my bulbs show up.

 

[bazthespazz]

OK, I pulled the gauge pod AGAIN today and found that I have power at both 11 and 16 connections on the dash plug. I replaced the foam tape behind the printed circuit plug hoping that would help make a better connection but still no luck. While I had it out I checked the contacts behind the 4 gauges that aren't working and every think LOOKED good. I suppose the only thing left to do is replace the printed circuit again. Any other suggestions?

 

[bazthespazz]

All the dash lights, turn signals Speedo and Tach/Clock are working.Anybody have any idea what would cause this? Somebody said they had a similar problem and it turned out to be a wire connector under the rig near the transmission. Does that sound likely and exactly where is that connector? I've ordered a new printed circuit which I already replaced back in 2013 but it would be nice if it was something simple like just a connector so I wouldn't have to tear into the dash again.

 

[5spdCab]

Been there, done that. I've had it out 3 times now. While I had it out I installed a Tic-Toc-Tach, which works, and upgraded my dash lights to LED's. When I got it back together, the lights behind the Speedo don't work now. Still no gauges.

Since i am replying to a post originally posted in January, you may have your main problem figured out by now.
I also tried installing LED bulbs in the dash cluster and they didn't work either. Most probable cause of that is the need of adding extra resistance to the dash light circuit. Not sure how to do that without adding too much heat. Maybe an in-line resistor.
Basic electronics are pretty simple, electricity flows from the battery, to the load, and back to the battery again. Getting into relays and multi-switches is where things start getting complicated.
With gauge cluster removed, using the connector diagram that was sent to you, make sure that you have power at the correct tabs on the main plug when the key is in the "on" position. Next (with gauge removed) use an ohm meter if you have one, to check the corresponding printed circuit to the pins that the gauges connect to, both from the input side and the ground side. If both sides of each printed circuit are good, trace the ground wire from the main plug to it's grounding point of connection.
It is highly unlikely that all the gauges would go bad at the same time, so it must be a broken connection somewhere in the system, either on the power side, or the ground side.

 

[bazthespazz]

Since i am replying to a post originally posted in January, you may have your main problem figured out by now.
I also tried installing LED bulbs in the dash cluster and they didn't work either. Most probable cause of that is the need of adding extra resistance to the dash light circuit. Not sure how to do that without adding too much heat. Maybe an in-line resistor.
Basic electronics are pretty simple, electricity flows from the battery, to the load, and back to the battery again. Getting into relays and multi-switches is where things start getting complicated.
With gauge cluster removed, using the connector diagram that was sent to you, make sure that you have power at the correct tabs on the main plug when the key is in the "on" position. Next (with gauge removed) use an ohm meter if you have one, to check the corresponding printed circuit to the pins that the gauges connect to, both from the input side and the ground side. If both sides of each printed circuit are good, trace the ground wire from the main plug to it's grounding point of connection.
It is highly unlikely that all the gauges would go bad at the same time, so it must be a broken connection somewhere in the system, either on the power side, or the ground side.

I still haven't got my problem figured out yet. I found that LED bulbs are picky about polarity. I had a couple that didn't work so I pulled them out and rotated them 180 degrees and that fixed my problem. I haven't had a chance to pull the gauge pod and check the ohms on the gauge connections but since I'm getting good power and ground at the dash plug and all the lights and signals are working, I'm thinking it may be in the harness connection where it plugs in to the back of the fuse panel. It's at the glass shop now getting all new windows put in (compliments of the body shop that scratched up every one) but I'll check that out hopefully when I get it back next week.

 

[5spdCab]

I still haven't got my problem figured out yet. I found that LED bulbs are picky about polarity. I had a couple that didn't work so I pulled them out and rotated them 180 degrees and that fixed my problem. I haven't had a chance to pull the gauge pod and check the ohms on the gauge connections but since I'm getting good power and ground at the dash plug and all the lights and signals are working, I'm thinking it may be in the harness connection where it plugs in to the back of the fuse panel. It's at the glass shop now getting all new windows put in (compliments of the body shop that scratched up every one) but I'll check that out hopefully when I get it back next week.

Keep us updated on your progress, and the findings of your testing.

 

[bazthespazz]

OK, I'm getting ready to pull the gauge pod AGAIN and check the ohms readings on the 4 gauges that aren't working but I've got a question, to do that, do I check from power to ground or sending unit to ground?

 

[fleming442]

Since the sending units ground, wouldn't it be easier to have someone in the car while you ground the wire at the sensor to see if the gauge moves?

 

[bazthespazz]

I need to see if I'm getting a signal at the dash pod connector. All 4 of the center gauges stop working, everything things else is working just fine.

UPDATE! Well it turned out to be the PCB, even though I already replaced it about 9 years ago. The new ones are really thin on the contacts and I think a couple of them were torn. I was able to patch one near one of the dash lights but wasn't able to fix the gauges so I had to replace it and now it's working perfectly. Thanks for all the help.