Dash and Guage wiring gurus need your Help!

[Blowngt92 10]

The previous owner of my car had it hot rodded out, so the only guage that worked in the cluster was the speedo. He also took out all the heater/ac ducts and vaccum tubing and removed the heater control box. Where the heater control box goes was a plate panel he made with toggles, and one of the toggles controlled the guage lights. The only good thing about it is he made a seperate harness for the guage bulbs to run off the toggle and didn't hack any wiring. After I removed the dash and cluster, I noticed the guages have a new circuit board but not sure if it is attached to the guage cluster right.

 

The printed board is installed with the guages having the printed board, then a cardboard isolater over the studs, then a copper washer on the isolator then the nuts holding the guage. Is this the right way it should be installed? I want to get the fuel guage, ampmeter and temp guage working but they are doing nothing.

 

Also for the bulb sockets, do they just hold the bulbs and twist in the back without any wires coming out of them? The harness he made has the bulb holders with 2 wires at the back of each one.

 

Also the turn signal bulbs just Stay lit when the lever is engaged and not cycle. I replaced the flasher but that didn't help. Could it be because the the way he moved the cluster lights to their own circuit? They stay solid lit when the 4 way flashers are engaged, but when the 4 ways are on, the flasher canister buzzes at me.

 

As for the heater Controls. I bought a control assembly and know where the 5 wire plug goes, but there is a green wire that is split off that 5 wire plug that I assume goes to the do-hicky on the lever that controls the vaccum hoses. Does that short green wire attach to the closest spade towards the face of the assembly or the rear?

 

Sorry for the long post!

Edited April 2, 2011 by Blowngt92

[LoneWolf2U 136]

The printed board is installed with the guages having the printed board, then a cardboard isolater over the studs, then a copper washer on the isolator then the nuts holding the guage. Is this the right way it should be installed? I want to get the fuel guage, ampmeter and temp guage working but they are doing nothing.

The guages must be centered into the holes, then place the cardboard isolator over the studs. The printed panel goes on last.

Also for the bulb sockets, do they just hold the bulbs and twist in the back without any wires coming out of them? The harness he made has the bulb holders with 2 wires at the back of each one.

The bulbs push in the twist lock holders and have two tabs that contact the print board that give them power and ground. no wires are connected to the dash panel other than the harness plug.

Also the turn signal bulbs just Stay lit when the lever is engaged and not cycle. I replaced the flasher but that didn't help. Could it be because the the way he moved the cluster lights to their own circuit? They stay solid lit when the 4 way flashers are engaged, but when the 4 ways are on, the flasher canister buzzes at me.

This is most likely because of the printed board is not properly installed and the signal lights are grounding out.

As for the heater Controls. I bought a control assembly and know where the 5 wire plug goes, but there is a green wire that is split off that 5 wire plug that I assume goes to the do-hicky on the lever that controls the vaccum hoses. Does that short green wire attach to the closest spade towards the face of the assembly or the rear?

That wire goes to the defrost control.

Sorry for the long post!

 

Hope this helps somewhat.

[Blowngt92 10]

That does help. So the cardboard goes on first, then the printed board then the copper washer and nut?

 

I will have to get some new bulb sockets. He had led bulbs in the cluster, will they work with the factory printed circuit and sockets?

 

what is the defrost control? Is that the small two prong sliver box next to the blower switch on the climate box?

[j69302 11]

It is absolutely critical that the studs of the gauges do NOT contact the metal housing.

 

The only metal to metal contact the studs should have is through the nut to the circuit board.

 

Any contact will ground out the gauges and they will read FULL HIGH SIDE.

 

If the ammeter grounds out, you will instantly fry the ciruit board as the ammeter gets power directly from the battery, with no fuse or circuit breaker. You should also have a plastic cap to cover the ammeter terminals once the panel is fully assembled.

 

 

This is how mine looked before I put my new ciruit board on.

 

Here is the assembled look.