Did my Volt Gauge Short Out / Turn Signal Switch Possibly?

[69_Charger_RT]

Hi Everyone,

I have been trying to track down my little electrical gremlin on my 69 dash harness as it is annoying the crap out of me    The problem has to be something so minor as everything was working correctly up until recently when my OEM looking volt gauge and my turn signals stopped working.  Hazards work perfectly fine (all four lights and hood lights blink fine).  My main concern is that the volt gauge is no longer working at all and its throwing off my temp and pegging my oil pressure gauge.  My priority is getting my engine management items under control as I do not want to have to wire in aftermarket gauges.  Right now I have disconnected the sending unit wires for the temp and oil gauges in the meantime as I do not want to burn out one of the gauges.  

I have been down this electrical road before with my 70 Cuda and since the hazard / turn signal are one unit this year, my question is on my 69 Charger could a short in the turn signal switch possibly be my volt gauge problem as there might be a short in the power looping back into the dash harness.  I know these switches are notorious for going out eventually and are the cause for many tail light issues but that is not my problem here.  My thoughts are possibly that a short in the turn signal switch or ACC circuit is the cause of my problem.  IMO this does not sound like a grounding issue but I could be wrong.  I am not popping any fuses either.    

Before I rip apart my whole dash and or replace my turn signal switch, Id appreciate any advice  


FYI: All head lamps, running lights, brake lights, hazards, dome light, dash lights, etc work perfectly fine.  All harnesses have been replaced with the exception of the turn signal switch. My gauge cluster was rebuilt a couple years ago by instrument specialties as well  

Thank you in advance

[nascarxx29]

Ever had cluster out and check board and pins common problem zone.any ghost lights or glowing indicators.caused by a bad ground the cluster screws on a charger small heads ground into dash frame

[nascarxx29]

You got all 4 flashers bright and bright brake lights which feed from turn signal switch .you have running and parking lights.Ive seen chaffed or pinched turn signal harness in column do things then go back fine

[nascarxx29]

Volt gauge aka ammeter gauge if its open shuts all power down at harness it needs to complete the circuit. The flasher has a seperate fuse to left of steering column its know
n to break that wire there or fuse to go

[nascarxx29]

Intermittant connection or a bad ground if nothing else is found bad

[69_Charger_RT]

Volt gauge aka ammeter gauge if its open shuts all power down at harness it needs to complete the circuit. The flasher has a seperate fuse to left of steering column its know
n to break that wire there or fuse to go

You mean the flasher unit correct? Also I have no ghost lights or indicator lights on as mentioned before which leads me to believe grounds are good. Wouldn't the turn signals light up still but not flash if it was the flasher unit?  

You got all 4 flashers bright and bright brake lights which feed from turn signal switch .you have running and parking lights.Ive seen chaffed or pinched turn signal harness in column do things then go back fine

Correct all tail lamps and 4 flashers work normal and are bright including dash signal lights (with hazzards) as well

[69_Charger_RT]

Volt gauge aka ammeter gauge if its open shuts all power down at harness it needs to complete the circuit. The flasher has a seperate fuse to left of steering column its know
n to break that wire there or fuse to go

Just to clarify I removed the amp gauge originally and replaced it with a volt gauge conversion from Instrument Specialties when they rebuilt my cluster  Thanks for the help so far.  I will check everything mentioned once again and try and track it down

[69_Charger_RT]

So replaced the flasher with new one I had laying around and took column apart to visually inspect the turn signal switch and the wiring ribbon does not appear to have any burnt wires/ pinching anywhere.  Now I have more access to the wires behind the dash and all the wiring looks intact including the flasher wires and grounding is good to the dash frame.  

Might just wire in a new turn signal switch real fast to check that before I end up having to pull cluster and check everything. Still stumped as it has to be power / ground before that turn signal switch for that volt gauge.   

[Dino]

Forgive me, I had a long day, but this isn't making sense to me...

If they installed an actual volt meter then it's hooked up to keyed 12v and ground, that's it.  It is unrelated to the turn signal switch or the circuit board.  Pegging temp and oil gauges mean you're getting too much voltage here so the culprit would likely be the voltage limiter.  If all turn signals and brake lights work then the turn signal switch seems fine.

I'd pull the limiter out and test it, if you have the gear for it.  You may just want to pull the cluster to solder those pins to the board and get that issue fixed once and for all.  My cluster never worked perfectly until I did this, and all the pins were tight and clean.

[nascarxx29]

The voltage gauge not working at all check those connections?

[69_Charger_RT]

Forgive me, I had a long day, but this isn't making sense to me...

If they installed an actual volt meter then it's hooked up to keyed 12v and ground, that's it.  It is unrelated to the turn signal switch or the circuit board.  Pegging temp and oil gauges mean you're getting too much voltage here so the culprit would likely be the voltage limiter.  If all turn signals and brake lights work then the turn signal switch seems fine.

I'd pull the limiter out and test it, if you have the gear for it.  You may just want to pull the cluster to solder those pins to the board and get that issue fixed once and for all.  My cluster never worked perfectly until I did this, and all the pins were tight and clean.

No problem - all gauges work except the volt meter and turn signals.  I am not getting voltage to the red wire into the turn signal harness which leaves me to believe I'm having no power somewhere and most likely is tied into volt gauge and not an issue with the turn signal switch.  Also I am getting maybe 1 volt if that to the flasher harness.  

[Dino]

Forgive me, I had a long day, but this isn't making sense to me...

If they installed an actual volt meter then it's hooked up to keyed 12v and ground, that's it.  It is unrelated to the turn signal switch or the circuit board.  Pegging temp and oil gauges mean you're getting too much voltage here so the culprit would likely be the voltage limiter.  If all turn signals and brake lights work then the turn signal switch seems fine.

I'd pull the limiter out and test it, if you have the gear for it.  You may just want to pull the cluster to solder those pins to the board and get that issue fixed once and for all.  My cluster never worked perfectly until I did this, and all the pins were tight and clean.

No problem - all gauges work except the volt meter and turn signals.  I am not getting voltage to the red wire into the turn signal harness which leaves me to believe I'm having no power somewhere and most likely is tied into volt gauge and not an issue with the turn signal switch.  Also I am getting maybe 1 volt if that to the flasher harness.  

Ah sorry, I missed the non functioning turn signal part.  Lemme check my diagrams.

[69_Charger_RT]

The voltage gauge not working at all check those connections?

Its in the cluster and I have yet to pull everything yet.  When I have more daylight I will pull out the cluster as I have pretty much everything apart already.  I have been tracing the power and back on the wiring diagrams.  

The only gauge that seems to not move is the volt gauge and others are inaccurate but I do not seem to be getting power into the turn signal harness (and yes key is in the on position). I have to see what should and should not be getting power on the connector going into the turn signal harness.

Thanks for help everyone as its been awhile since I've seen/worked on the back of my 69 Cluster. Everything theoretically seems easy for the volt gauge but its hard to pin point my problem as everything is pretty much functioning like normal.    

[nascarxx29]

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=24

[69_Charger_RT]

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=24

Thanks, I have the service manual as well - I am just trying to eliminate everything before having to pull cluster out.  I need to look up where all the wires go and which ones get power on the turn signal switch.  Hopefully its just a bad switch and everything will work again. Or I'll have to inspect the actual gauge/circuit board/VR possibly.

[cdr]

did you check all the fuses?

[69_Charger_RT]

did you check all the fuses?

Yes I did and all are fine - I am going to try and replace the turn signal switch next when I have some time to work on the car.

[69_Charger_RT]

So I replaced the turn signal switch and it fixed my signals    still need to check out gauge

[69_Charger_RT]

Ok I figured out what the problem is - just have to pull dash when I have time.