Any thoughts..¿ Gauge problem.

[junglestylz]

I woke up this morning and went out to start my car and all of the gauges except the speedometer shit the bed!...¿ I shut her off and restarted her to see if she was just in that sort of mood and it didn't work. The tach and gas gauges flicker at first then they just die, but the speedometer works fine (thank god). Any ideas as to what it could be¿ I don't want to have to top off the tank every other day (I have never run out of gas before and I don't plan on looking like an idiot now ).

 

[Ben]

hmmm it might be a fuse but i really have no idea.

 

[demq]

It can be:
1) Fuse #10
2) Bas SI battery in your instrumental cluster
3) God's curse...[fake]
If the fuse keeps blowing then there is a short in the wiring of Seatbelt check warning/back-up lihght/instrumental cluster circuit. Let us know what it is...

 

[junglestylz]

Since the gauges move when I first turn on the car I don't think that it would be the fuse. I am betting on the batteries. Especially since the gauges just died overnight. I will probably try to replace them myself, so I will get pics if I can.

 

[demq]

Mannnnnn, is it so hard to check a f-in fuse???? The gauges do move even with fuse blown off
when you start the csr, cause there r tons of circuits in there, which r not completely isolated, so it might be some feedback from other circuits. I am telling it because I had that problem twice in last year, and both times it was a fuse, but I changed the batteries the first time it happened and no luck...

 

[AndrewBall]

Get Some of that German Electrical Demon Killer Spray, its expensive. that might work, or just yell at your car and start hitting it, and sometimes it works then.

 

[junglestylz]

Problem solved. There was a loose grounding lug behind the guage cluster. A little contact cleaner, a small wire brush and a little torque and all is well.

 

[demq]

Good to heart that!
It is reall anoying to drive without gauges(the Tach is my personal favorite, don't like crossing the redline while racing... )

 

[AndrewBall]

well the tach really isnt that important you can tell when you need to shift by sound, if you cant you need to learn how. I think i wouldnt want to be with out the speedometer, cause i dont really car how fast im going. speedometer or not id prolly still be going the same speed, and this was the cop isnt the only one that doesnt know how fast i was going, or does he?

 

[bahnstormer]

nah its nice to see your tach running up and down and your ears will never be as precise as
a tach anyway. esp if u have a radio

yeah i can drive with my eyes on teh road all the time and not look at my tach just from the feel of it but if its supposed to work it should work damit

i had the same prob on my 89 325 the schmuck who installed the head unit grounded it bad and was causing all sorts of trouble

 

[demq]

I need the tach for only one reason, not to pass the redline(mine is at 4500 , so it's easy to crosse..), cause I like to accelerate hard, and when you don't have it you should either drive slower or say bye-bye to your engine....

 

[whitej34]

Where is the batterie for the guage cluster. My car was stored for 6 months and now the guauges dont work (except the Speedo).

 

[e30fr3@k]

well the tach really isnt that important you can tell when you need to shift by sound, if you cant you need to learn how. I think i wouldnt want to be with out the speedometer, cause i dont really car how fast im going. speedometer or not id prolly still be going the same speed, and this was the cop isnt the only one that doesnt know how fast i was going, or does he?

screw that, i'd take my tach over my spedometer ANY day. who needs a spedometer? you can find your speed by multiplying the number of the gear you're in by the RPMs. so then, you know when you're redlining, and how fast your going.