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View Full Version : quite a pickle...

Iroc-z86
10-15-2006, 09:30 PM
heres a good one for ya's, when i turn my headlights on in my iroc the entire gauge cluster stops working, no tach, oil, batt, fuel, temp just nothing. only the speedo works cause its mechanical. turn the lights off and its fine except the blinker lights dont work at all with or without headlights. any ideas?
HardcoreZ28
10-15-2006, 09:53 PM
Sounds like a short in the wiring to me. Any difference if you have the high or low beams on?
Iroc-z86
10-15-2006, 10:28 PM
nope doesnt matter. the high beem indicator works though...so its one thing.
BonzoHansen
10-16-2006, 10:03 AM
I got $1 that says the headlight switch is going bad...actually the part that dims the gauges/turns on the interior lights. Assuming you haven't done any wiring lately.
Iroc-z86
10-16-2006, 10:47 PM
hmm, i dont know because it was out of my 83z which worked fine and i never had a problem till now. the previous one that came with the car was bad, didnt even turn the lights on.
V
10-16-2006, 11:08 PM
If the gauges actually go dead and stop working..then i dont think its switch related as much. seems more like a ground issue.

from off the top of my head, (i may be mistaken but im tired and ive seen similar situations) it seems the ignition power goes to the gauges and then doesnt have a good ground, possibly grounding back through the lighting circuit somewhere. when 12v are introduced into the lighting circuit, that connection being used as a ground for the gauges would get "taken over" in a way and therefore disable the gauge circuit. but like i said thats a quick guess and possibly my theory is flawed, i'd have to relearn 3rd gen dash wirign diagrams to figure it out for sure, if i have time and the energy i'll look at my schematics..


iroc-Z86, where are you located, seeing the car would help me more to track down the issue.
BonzoHansen
10-17-2006, 09:30 AM
D'oh! I somehow read it as the gauge lights go out. D'oh.
Pampered-Z
10-17-2006, 06:06 PM
Sound like a short in the dash.


I got $1 that says the headlight switch.

Didn't you lose a dollar on your last bet as well?

CA CHING....
Iroc-z86
10-17-2006, 07:15 PM
sussex county, lower part. yeah i havent really had much 'will' to search the wires again because i had to learn it all because some ass put a remote start system in the car before i got it.....hmmm remote start+manual trans=??? interesting. well either way it didnt work and was screwing things up nicely. i figured since i cant drive my car yet i wasnt going to worry about it. wish i had the money for the digital dash... thanks for the input.
BonzoHansen
10-17-2006, 07:57 PM
Sound like a short in the dash.




Didn't you lose a dollar on your last bet as well?

CA CHING....
Damn. What was the last one?
ZeroCool8891
10-20-2006, 05:18 PM
its prob something stupid like a bad ground or a lose wire or some junk like that
njfastestcamaro
10-25-2006, 11:31 AM
bring the car to jc i have a guy that can fix it
Iroc-z86
10-30-2006, 08:32 AM
well i did some investigating the other day... it might be my headlight switch because if i turn the dimmer down to nothing the gauges work again, no lights but it works. the one turn signal arrow stays lit up now too. i think its either a loose connection in the back of the cluster and the headlight switch. anyone know the price of a new switch? any anyone have a cluster laying around because my speedo is clicking so its on its way out.