Hey gents,

I'm back with another question.

first an update, for those who followed my thread on the engine rebuild issues (which was eventually solved by going back to stock ignition system), i did the initial break in on the engine and found no problems luckily. Then I took it in to a shop to do final tune before continuing the break in process and the fun part, driving it!

Amidst driving it ive been finding minor issues I've been taking care of.
1. The old plastic cable for the gear selector broke, so I ordered a new one and installed.

2. Turn signal switch cam broke, so turn signal wouldn't stay on, ive got that on order.

3. My dash lights aren't working.

this is my primary issue, ive replaced the headlight switch (a fun test of my wrist flexibility), and got them back! For a short time. Shortly after that on a drive I hit a speed bump and lost them again. Somehow blew the fuse so I replaced it and.... now I only have lights for the heater control and headlight/wiper switches. Nothing to the gauges.

ive pulled the gauges and tested power coming in and it's good. I've jumpered 12 volts and a ground straight to the copper strips feeding the gauge lights and gotten nothing. I'm not sure where to go from here. The gauge cluster in general isn't in the best shape (which i imagine is common), sone bulbs aren't staying in because the plastic holding them snapped, the electrical feed for the gauges is cracked in the back (where the face of the connector would seat.)

I really just want my dash lights, but im not sure if i should up and replace the whole thing, or if i cam even find a gauge cluster for an 80.

Let me know your thoughts.

 

First thought is junk aftermarket parts. Did you have the shorting problem before replacing the switch?

 

Negative, it only blew the fuse the 2nd time.

 

New switch shorted out?

 

I don't see how, it's from napa and I'm still getting the light that illuminated the heater controls as well as the light that illuminated the headlight and wiper switches. It's JUST the gauges i don't have power to. And even then I tested at the connector and I am getting power to the connector.

 

If you have power to the plug but not the other side on the cluster then you know where the problem is .......... the plug connection!
I know on the cluster side of the plug / the socket the copper pulls away from the backer and it could short out and blow fuses.
I think some have used clear nail polish as glue to hold the copper to the backer.
I know LMC sells the board for the later years but never looked for early ones as mine is a 81>
IIRC they make 3 different ones: lights / gauge no tach / gauge w/ tach.
Dave ----

 

Most of the time when I have dash lights go out, the bulb is good it's just the twist connection on the socket to the copper traces or the bulb itself. Take each bulb out and use a ohmmeter to read across to make sure it's good. If it's good, insert it and take it out of the little plastic socket about 5 times. Then install it and then twist the socket in the cluster and then take it out about 5 times. You can also use a pencil eraser to shine the copper pads up where the socket touches.

If the copper comes loose were the large plug plugs in, you can put a little bit of super glue under the copper piece and glue it back down. This works well to repair it, even if it's wrinkled.

 

Hey guys, sorry for the delay in response. I was dealing with a massive exhaust leak on this truck. Now that I've got it back ive been trying to diagnose the base of the problem.

right before i took it to the exhaust shop, I was at a point where the heater controls lit up and so did the bulb lighting up the headlight and wiper switches.
Tonight i took my wife into town and the first large pothole i hit on our driveway caused everything to come on for half a second and now it's all out. My guess is the fuse blew again.

Does this ring any bells for anybody? I would guess that there's just a loose connection somewhere, although I tested power coming into the gauge cluster and it was good. I assumed it was a problem of the connector mating to the old circuit board but I'm not sure.

 

If it turns out to be the fuse, 99% of the time the problem is over at the radio. Usually when someone puts in a aftermarket radio they wire it wrong or leave that wire hanging somewhere where it gets in trouble. The factory used that wire to light up the original radio, but most aftermarket radios don't use it, or it's hooked to the wrong place.

If the fuse it not blown, the "take it apart and put it back together" trick should work to fix it.

 

I'll have to check the fuse, if it's blown ill look for the illumination wire in my Haynes manual for the radio and make sure it's hooked up to radio illumination or taped off. I assume that would fix it.

Still doesn't make much sense to me that the radio can cause the dash lights to come on momentarily and then blow the fuse when going over a pothole. Unless that wire needs to be permanently grounded out and the pothole makes it contact ground poorly and cause the blown fuse? Either way I'll start with checking the fuse.

 

You hit the pothole which caused the lights to work momentarily? That seems more like a bad connection or ground than the fuse popped.

 

I also say it is a bad connection on the power side or ground side for the dash not a fuse problem.
Dave ----

 

I'll check that fuse first, but I'm pretty sure it's blown. When we came back I hit half a dozen good sized potholes in our driveway to see if I could get it back.... which I didn't. Not even a flicker.

 

Also worth mentioning the fuse has blown before. I agree however that the symptoms would point towards a bad connection, but with a brand new headlight switch (in an attempt to fix the problem) and with the connector into the back of the gauge cluster being removed and reassembled multiple times i don't know what other connection could be bad.

 

If the fuse is blown, I am betting poor wiring practices over at the radio. You must have a aftermarket radio. That wire could be floating around loose over there, or the radio might be pinching it to a metal bracket.