Gauges acting up
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,674
Likes: 2
From: Rowland Heights
Gauges acting up
VDO gauge set in my 56. Painless wiring block. Not always but sometimes the temp gauge goes to 250, oil pressure drops, gas guage drops, volt meter drops to 12. almost like it loosing voltage, or ground. Any suggestions. I changed the headhight switch. I have euro headlamps with relays, hot from battery. fans on relays with hot from battery.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,450
Likes: 5,520
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
are all your ground straps in place? battery to block, block/frame to cab, and block to frame??
it sounds like the cab ground is intermitant, or the block/frame to cab strap is missing/broken
it sounds like the cab ground is intermitant, or the block/frame to cab strap is missing/broken
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,977
Likes: 2,733
From: Virginia
People with old restored vehicles love to paint everything. They put a lot more paint on the sheetmetal than the factory did. This does cause ground problems. I remember I painted the dash on my 65 mustang, and after I re-installed it, the gauges and the dash lights were acting funny. Come to find out the guage panel got it's ground through pressing on the dash around one of the mounting screws, and yes, I had a nice heavy coat of paint on that spot.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,674
Likes: 2
From: Rowland Heights
I added a ground cable from the cab to the frame today. Drove her for a while. All is well. Got a couple of shows coming up. Lets see what happens. Did the wiring about a year ago and did some under carriage coating. Alternator seems to be at 12 or just below at idle with the lights and fans running. Cruising it goes to 13 to 14. Keep the battery plugged in with a battery tender when parked.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,674
Likes: 2
From: Rowland Heights
Guages went wacky again and I took off the ground from Battery to Frame and sanded off the paint and re-connected the cable and ran a #8 wire from there and added a ground terminal under the dash to connect all my grounds to. also checked charging from Alternator +post and at the battery 13 to14+ (idle) at both points with lights, fan, elec fuel pump on. VDO voltage shows less then 14v but the inout to the guage is 14. wonder is there a gauge calibration on those?
