My gauges don't work.

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Jun 25, 2005 | 03:44 PM

pollock

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From: Denton, Texas

My gauges don't work.

My fuel, oil pressure, and temp gauges don't work. At all. They read zero all the time.

I have read about something called an instrument voltage regulator, but I just removed my cluster and there is no IVR.

What else should I look for? I tried grounding the oil and temp gauges, and they responded.

Jun 25, 2005 | 06:52 PM

Ken00

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From: South Jersey

Check for power at the r/y wire, if you don't have any check fuse 16 and the wiring.

Check for continuity of the bk wire to ground.

Jun 25, 2005 | 08:06 PM

87 XLT

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From: SoCal

Ditto to what Ken said. Just curious, but what did you ground to when the gauges worked?? if you grounded to the block right beside the sending units, the sending units are bad.

Jun 26, 2005 | 04:46 PM

pollock

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From: Denton, Texas

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken00

Check for power at the r/y wire, if you don't have any check fuse 16 and the wiring.

Check for continuity of the bk wire to ground.

Are you talking about wires going into the instrument cluster?

I did check the instrument fuse, and it was fine.

Jun 26, 2005 | 04:48 PM

pollock

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From: Denton, Texas

Quote:

Originally Posted by 87 XLT

Ditto to what Ken said. Just curious, but what did you ground to when the gauges worked?? if you grounded to the block right beside the sending units, the sending units are bad.

I used test-leads and hooked them up to the negative battery terminal.

I have an aftermarket oil gauge in the car, and the sending unit works with it. But I can't get the factory gauge to work. Maybe it requires the factory sending unit?

I'd test the fuel level sender, but I don't think I can get to the wiring without dropping the tank.

Jun 26, 2005 | 08:15 PM

87 XLT

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From: SoCal

Is that a single wire aftermarket oil gauge? If it is the engine block IS grounded & when you ground the temp sending wire to the block the gauge should move to full hot.

The Ford oil sender is probably just an on/off switch. The aftermarket is a variable resistor.

Jun 27, 2005 | 07:32 PM

Ken00

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From: South Jersey

Yes, they run to the cluster.

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Jun 29, 2005 | 02:37 PM

pollock

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From: Denton, Texas

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken00

Yes, they run to the cluster.

I figured as much. I had already put the dash back together. I don't think I want to take that thing apart again. I need my baby girl to grow up some so I'll have a set of little hands to help take stuff like that apart. It tore me up.

Part of what I figured out when working on it was that I had the factory oil gauge wire connected to the temp sender (I replaced the engine a while back). Today I drove it for the first time since working on the gauges and the temp gauge is working now.

So I think I'll replace the Sunpro oil sending unit with a factory one and give that a try. If it works, I'll probably be dropping the tank to replace that sender soon.

Thanks for the help.