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  #1  
Old 11-30-2006, 05:25 PM
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all the sudden the gauges dont work

I drove the car home from work two days ago, I had to drive my truck yesterday. this morning my guages didnt work on the way to work. I am sure they were working when i parked it. I checked all the fuses when I arrived home today and they are all good. the fuel, temp and tach are not working.... is there a known quick fix or do I have to pull the dash yet again.....

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1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
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  #2  
Old 11-30-2006, 05:38 PM
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Double check your fuses. I thought mine were OK until I physically pulled it to check. It looked good but fell apart in my hand.
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  #3  
Old 11-30-2006, 05:45 PM
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Originally Posted by vwbuge View Post
Double check your fuses. I thought mine were OK until I physically pulled it to check. It looked good but fell apart in my hand.

i checked them with a meter to be safe. they all show good.
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1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)
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  #4  
Old 11-30-2006, 05:52 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lutzTD View Post
I drove the car home from work two days ago, I had to drive my truck yesterday. this morning my guages didnt work on the way to work. I am sure they were working when i parked it. I checked all the fuses when I arrived home today and they are all good. the fuel, temp and tach are not working.... is there a known quick fix or do I have to pull the dash yet again.....
I wouldn't pull the dash. It maybe a bad ground. Try pulling the cluster and put a temporary ground wire to the back of the gauges and see if they work then. If that works you know you have a bad ground. Then try pulling all the gauges out of the cluster and see if you can find any burned circuits.

The tach maybe and independant problem though. Usually the rpm sensor on the driver's side wheel well in the engine bay is the culprit.
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  #5  
Old 11-30-2006, 07:26 PM
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Smile

I had a similar problem. From the junkyard I took a K1, k1/1 over voltage protection relay, and that did the trick.
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  #6  
Old 11-30-2006, 07:30 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Biodiesel300TD View Post
I wouldn't pull the dash. It maybe a bad ground. Try pulling the cluster and put a temporary ground wire to the back of the gauges and see if they work then. If that works you know you have a bad ground. Then try pulling all the gauges out of the cluster and see if you can find any burned circuits.

The tach maybe and independant problem though. Usually the rpm sensor on the driver's side wheel well in the engine bay is the culprit.

ground is a good idea, I am skeptical it will end up being seperate issues so I am looking for something in common. can I reach a ground point anywhere without pulling the cluster? I finally got the oil gage to stop oozing oil and I hate to disturb it again.....
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1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)
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  #7  
Old 11-30-2006, 07:41 PM
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Originally Posted by lutzTD View Post
ground is a good idea, I am skeptical it will end up being seperate issues so I am looking for something in common. can I reach a ground point anywhere without pulling the cluster? I finally got the oil gage to stop oozing oil and I hate to disturb it again.....
If you pull the under dash panel so you can get to everything from underneath you should be able to do it. Also you have to do is find a good ground spot, there is a ground wire harness right behind the cluster so that would work if you can get to it. Then all you have to do it touch the metal housings on the back of the gauge and then turn the key and see if they gauges come back to life. If so you probably have a bad ground in the cluster somewhere, likely a burned circuit.

This is how I found a bad ground in my cluster that was keeping the GP light from comming on.
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  #8  
Old 11-30-2006, 08:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Biodiesel300TD View Post
If you pull the under dash panel so you can get to everything from underneath you should be able to do it. Also you have to do is find a good ground spot, there is a ground wire harness right behind the cluster so that would work if you can get to it. Then all you have to do it touch the metal housings on the back of the gauge and then turn the key and see if they gauges come back to life. If so you probably have a bad ground in the cluster somewhere, likely a burned circuit.

This is how I found a bad ground in my cluster that was keeping the GP light from comming on.

as a matter of fact I did notice the GP light stopped working too..... sounds like you might be on to something.. can I just run a ground to the metal and be done if that works?
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1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)
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  #9  
Old 11-30-2006, 08:23 PM
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Originally Posted by lutzTD View Post
as a matter of fact I did notice the GP light stopped working too..... sounds like you might be on to something.. can I just run a ground to the metal and be done if that works?
Yup sounds like a burned ground.

You sure can, a lot of people add a ground wire to the cluster.
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  #10  
Old 11-30-2006, 08:38 PM
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well wonder of wonders, I went to try the new ground wire and everything worked when I started the engine. I did not have the wire in place yet. It just worked......

So the only thing I did different this morning is I accidentally let go of the key real quick when I was starting it and I recycled the start very fast. are there circuit breakers somewhere that reset? I am puzzled......
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1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)
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  #11  
Old 11-30-2006, 08:41 PM
Craig
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Originally Posted by lutzTD View Post
So the only thing I did different this morning is I accidentally let go of the key real quick when I was starting it and I recycled the start very fast. are there circuit breakers somewhere that reset? I am puzzled......
If/when it does it again, try wiggling the key around a little. It may be a problem with the ignition switch.
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  #12  
Old 11-30-2006, 09:10 PM
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I still think its a corroded fuse. Pull that fuse, replace with a brass element type and report back.
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  #13  
Old 11-30-2006, 09:17 PM
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Intermitten electrical problems are usually bad grounds, or bad fuses.
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  #14  
Old 11-30-2006, 10:23 PM
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well the gages worked down to the end of the driveway. then at the drive through my window didnt go down. none of the windows are working. I am getting really frustrated wit the cost of MB ownership......the windows have always worked...

I took all of the fuses out this weekend, cleaned all the contacts with a wire brush and reinstalled the fuses with dialectric grease. isnt this enough? Is the florida humidity just too much for this old girl?

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1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)
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