vanillagorilla

iTrader: (1)

I'm not much of an electrical guy, but at least I can admit it. Anyway, while installing my auto-meter tranny temp guage in the vacant hole in the stock cluster, I ran into some problems.

First, everything worked fine while going for the first drive. Then on the second time I drove it, the tranny temp guage didn't work. I figured it was a bad connection. Now none of my guages work!!!

I can't find any blown fuses, at least none under the hood or by the driver's side door. Are there any other fuse boxes, or fuseable links? My guage lights and lights to the AC panel don't even work. The only thing that works is my odometer, gear indicator, and turn signals, and my message center is just displaying the battery sign. My lights outside the truck work, and even the ashtray light comes on. WTF! HELP ME!!! I feel naked without my gauges!

one03sierra

iTrader: (1)

hey did you cut the wires that run in the board when installing it. they are the gold color strips. some of them run across to the other gauges in the cluster. maybe one of them is touching. i would check that first.

vanillagorilla

iTrader: (1)

The only gold strips on the circuit board I messed with are the ones that go to where the stock tranny guage would be. Even so, why would ALL the guages not work? I'm going to check and see if its getting power to the guages. If it's not getting power then I'm screwed because I don't know where to look, because none of the fuses are blown.

one03sierra

iTrader: (1)

i was told that if one or more of these strips were touching it could damage the cluster causing it not to work. like a short.

vanillagorilla

iTrader: (1)

How could they touch if they're literally glued to the board. I'm sure you're right if they do touch it would short, but I don't see how they could/would. I'll check it out. Thanks

Ryan23silverado

iTrader: (1)

Didn't you have to take ECE201 'Electrical Networks' Todd? (if not i'm going to UofA)

Todd, I know EXACTLY what you are seeing. I did the same thing a while back and could not for the life of me figure it out! No fuses blown, no circuit board wires cut. Same thing you are seeing.
Wee, it turned out to be a loose connection of a plug directly underneith the steering column under the dash. Make sure all of that stuff in there is tight. I guess when I was under there wiring I bumped it loose (but not all the way off) so everything looked good. I was stumped. Try pushing all connections together again, and I'll get a picture of the one on mine that was loose.
Good Luck Todd!
p.s. I know how you feel. Idrove around for a month not knowing how much fuel I had left

vanillagorilla

iTrader: (1)

It was ECE207 here, and it was a joke!!! P=I^2*R and V=I/R and crap like that. I don't remember anything on networks, but I do remember the damned Wheatstone bridge.

Anyway, thanks for the info. I looked into the lights last night, and there was no power to the guage harness. The AC control panel lights don't work either. I bet you're right about the loose connection....I'll check it out. The circuit board is fine and the bulbs aren't burnt out.

If this turns out to be the problem, I owe you one.

Ryan23silverado

iTrader: (1)

When mine did that, the AC lights and blower didn't work either.

ktmrider

Aargh, wheatstone bridges! Thanks for that painful memory. Still to this day can't figure out those things...
I also had a similar issue on my GM car once. Replaced a burned lamp and lost everything on the first speed bump. One connector was loose but not pulled out.
Check them all, good luck!