Aloysius

Help. Anyone seen this before? i have an 83S and these two guages on the right side of the instruments aren't registering or showing any activity. they don't even get tickled when the ignition key turns. i'm thinking it's either a connection on the CE panel (thought i don't see the guagues related to specific fuses or relays), or it's a couple wires in the pod itself. Both of these were minorly disturbed in some recent work (replaced 02 sensor and had to remove CE panel to get at the green wire connection, and anchoring down the turnsignal assembly on the steering column). Any suggestions most appreciated. Thanks!

Go-carter

I would also like some suggestions. Have exactly the same problem, and I have sprayed the instrument cluster with electronic cleaning, I have brushed every copper field on the circut board with 600grit paper, and I've ohm'd every single connection telling it's fine. Still the entire right side of my dash is dead, except for the oil gauge sometimes working, and the red light for low-voltage. I've also cleaned out the CE board with no success. EDIT: Suspecting the three contacts on the flexible circut board may not apply on all of the circuts. Almost all of them were bent up to max, so they just nearly touched the circuts. Tried bending them down, but still think that maybe not all of them is making contact.

Aloysius

Eek, that's a lot of work there - and still no success. Were you able to test the connections with a voltmeter to check for signal, etc.? hopefully someone has seen this before and will chime in. . . .

SQLGuy

I had similar problems with my '85. Haven't owned that car in over 10 years, but, from what I remember, there were gauge pin contacts that were riveted to the flexible PC board (back of the gauge cluster); and the rivets had oxidized, leading to bad connections. I soldered them to the PC board to correct that.

Go-carter

Actually - put it back in today and it seems that the gas and oil pressure gauge has started working. Perhaps intermittent, but we'll have to see. Though, it seems like the oil pressure gauge is sticking, as I have to beat the pod to make it rise/lower, as the oil pressure rise/lower. Noticed that the voltage gauge jumps to 12V for a 1/100th of a second when making the "fine adjustments" to the oil gauge, so perhaps it's still a bad connection somewhere...

As for the warning lights on the right side: I'm starting to suspect the PO more and more, as I discovered that the switch for E-brake was cut off, and removed... WHY?!?!

Aloysius

Perhaps my guages need some "fine adjustments". Just did a quick check and all the warning lights in the pod work (glow when turning ignition key, pre-start), so i know there's power to the warning lights, just nothing moving the needles. And, just to make sure i wasn't dreaming, checked the oil and sure enough it's up to the top mark and the alternator was registering voltage last time it ran. I'll have to check back later as i'm on the 2nd round of transmission removal and it's not going anywhere for a while. Maybe when i get it all back together the guages will work!

Good luck with yours, sounds like the PO got a little too creative. I mean, really, why would you go through the trouble cut out and remove an emergency brake switch? Wow.

Ducman82

i just ran in to the same problem. but my speedo also would stop working..... it was very strange any big "bump" and they would work again, as in i kill the car, hit a rut in the road. but no matter if i pounded on the pod or what, nothing would happen. i checked all the connections i can think of. they seam to work now after i checked the Fuse box connections. if i remember its the H connector that they share. also check the 14 pin in the engine bay.

Go-carter

Actually, cleaned out the 14-pin connector, with no success. Going to check the H-connector though.

But forgot to mention, my speedo isn't working either. But I think that's also a corroding issue on the print card. Checked the connector in the spare tire well, but not on the gearbox(didn't find it)

Ducman82

humm sounds like we have the same problem. on the printed board, they share only a Common ground. so if the ground is good..... then it HAS to be the H connector.

Aloysius

Haven't had time to look for them but could either of you describe where the 14-pin connector and the H-connector are located? I pulled the transmission last summer and the motor move's quite a bit, i'm thinking maybe i nudged the 14-pin connector and that may be an issue. don't know what the H-connector is so i welcome the enlightenment! thanks!

Ducman82

14 pin is the connector above the ignition computer and next to the "jumper" post on the passenger fender . and the H connectors is on the fuse box, 8th connector from the left, on the bottom of the panel below the fuses and relays.

Aloysius

Thank you Ducman82! i haven't the time this week to chase it all down, but i suspect the H connector on the CE panel - I'll post if i locate the fix.

Ducman82

happy hunting! :-P

Go-carter

Update:
R&R the H-connector today, no success. Still eager in trying to remove the problem, I removed the Central Warning light brain, pried it open, and cleaned out the PCB. Though, still no lights on the right side I'm starting to think that it's either the brain that's ruined(Eventhough it looks fine), or that it's STILL a problem with the connectors from the wire harness, to the cluster.

Ducman82

are you getting power to the Sender wires at the connector at the dash?