Debug Snicker's Instrument Panel

[snicker]

For anyone interested, here is what I am dealing with. My fuel/temp/oil pressure gauges are not working. My voltage meter works fine and I am not having any problems with my switches such as emergency lights, windshield wipers, etc.

A short while ago I plug in my brand new fuel tank sending unit wire and the fuel gauge immediately started working. It has stopped working. The ground strap is in place and I have tried moving it around to make sure it is in a good spot. I am currently getting no volts from the fuel tank sending unit wire that plugs into the instrument panel.

I used Plumcrazy's test on my voltage limiter and i am having no problems with it. The light blinks as described and the wire is putting out 12volts. I am getting volts on my oil pressure wire but it will not activate the gauge.

I am getting no volts from my temperature wire. That could be a problem with the sending unit, similiar to the fuel gauge.

I still have some things to debug on the fuel and temp gauges but with my test showing I am getting volts on the oil pressure gauge, why would it not be activating the gauge?

I could use some help on where to go next to debug the instrument panel itself as I have ZERO experience with it. I see that all the gauges go back to the ground part (top part of the voltage limiter). Is there anything specific I should be doing to make sure it is grounded?

[Plumcrazy]

Here's what I would do next.
Check for a pulsating 12v at each of the sending units wire connector. If at least one has 12v the voltage limiter is working in the car.
If you have a pulsating 12v then groung that wire.   Watch the guage, it should start rising.   No need to peg it, just watch for movement.
If it rises, the sending unit is not working.   If it doesn't rise the guage is bad.

If there is not a 12v pulsating voltage you need to start tracing that wire back to the guage.   Could be a wiring problem or a bad guage.
The bulkhead connector is a prime suspect.   Another one is at the pins on the printed circuit board.   They can be attached physically but not electrically.

Let me know what you find

[snicker]

Good stuff, thanks. I've discovered something else interesting that would explain some of the intermittent working. I'm not screwing my intstrument panel into the framework. I've just been pushing it into the hole and waiting until I got everything fixed before permantely screwing it down.

My turn signal lights and emergency lights work fine though. Would that mean it is in fact grounded?

[Ghoste]

I had a similar issue with mine years ago and found that I did have to screw it in to get a good ground.  The lights and such are grounded separately.

[Plumcrazy]

I had a similar issue with mine years ago and found that I did have to screw it in to get a good ground.   The lights and such are grounded separately.

Whenever you have the cluster pulled out for access to diagnose a problem take a jumper wire and connect it to a good ground.

[Ghoste]

That is probably SOOOOOOOO much easier than the way I did it!  DOH!
Puttting it in, putting in a couple screws, testing, removing screws, pulling it out. 
Why do we sometimes make the simplest things so hard?

[snicker]

On a related note, anyone know the specifics on the screws to use to secure the instrument panel? I don't have the old ones laying around.

[Ghoste]

My 67 uses a couple of different ones but they are mostly 1/4 inch long course thread philips head screws like most of the interior parts.

[snicker]

Ok, hopefully this is my last "issue" with the instrument panel. My peg on the back of the instrument panel on the circuit board that the wire plugs into for the fuel sending  unit was bent and has now broken off. This is the part where there are 5 metal pegs sticking out. Any ideas on fixing this? If it isn't one thing it is another.. hehe

[Plumcrazy]

Ok, hopefully this is my last "issue" with the instrument panel. My peg on the back of the instrument panel on the circuit board that the wire plugs into for the fuel sending   unit was bent and has now broken off. This is the part where there are 5 metal pegs sticking out. Any ideas on fixing this? If it isn't one thing it is another.. hehe

This isn't a pretty fix but you could make up a jumper wire with an eyelet on one end.  Trace the circuit with the broken peg back to the guage.  Remove the nut and put the eyelet under it and reinstall the nut.  Then splice the other end into the wire in the vehicle harness that goes to that peg.  Like i said, not pretty but it will work.

Maybe someone else here can help us out, does anyone know who repairs these circuit boards ?

[snicker]

I bet that will work. I was looking more towards where the broken peg was but I like your idea of just tracing it to the nut on the fuel guage.

I'm working on that fix now and I found the instrument panel screws in my interior screw kit so I should have an update posted soon. Here's hoping for a positive update!

[Plumcrazy]

I bet that will work. I was looking more towards where the broken peg was but I like your idea of just tracing it to the nut on the fuel guage.

I'm working on that fix now and I found the instrument panel screws in my interior screw kit so I should have an update posted soon. Here's hoping for a positive update!

I kinda hate to admit this but I'm using that fix on my car right now.  Earlier this year one of my dash lights went out right above that connector so I had to carefully unplug it to change the bulb. when I plugged it back together the oil pressure guage was dead.

I have another cluster so I figured out how mant posts to count over from the speedo to get to the post I wanted.  Then I ran the wire to the bulkhead connector and just pushed the wire in along side the original wire.   

Another project for this winter I guess.

[snicker]

Alright, grounding the panel out brought my fuel gauge back to life. Wahoo! No more crossing my fingers to make sure I am not about to run out of gas

Neither the oil pressure or temp. gauges kicked to life. I'm not too suprised about that however as the sending units could be questionable. I am going to start debugging by looking at those.

Thanks for the help guys!

[snicker]

Another quick update...I suspected that the oil sending unit may not be working right but I thought the temperature guage should work ok. I checked the wires on the back on the instrument panel and BINGO, temp. gauge is now working!!!!! I'm excited

[Ghoste]

   That's great.  One of the best things about these cars are the full guage instrument panels.