Electrical help

So I have found that I don't have power to my cluster. I'm not sure why, but jumping over to it lets all the gauges work.



However, the only indicator that works is the rear antilock indicator. Turn signals work but the indicators do not. I thought maybe a ground but as best I can tell, the ground is tied and functional. Suggestions??

I'm diving into the manual as I type. It seems too coincidental. I had to readjust the ignition switch. That freaked me out. Suddenly it wouldn't crank with the key. [emoji15]that caused quite a panic.

Any help is appreciated.

so if you put a jumper wire to the cluster it will work? or did I read it wrong.

I don't think this will help but, a few years ago I had a wacky problem with my gauge cluster. it would work fine until I turned the light switch on and then some of the cluster would stop working. I would call it **** luck but I pulled the cluster out and jiggled the wires and it started to work fine.

The power wire for the cluster is not getting power from the fuse block. I back fed it from the vacuum switch plug and the gauges started working. That let the gauges function. The only indicator light that is working is the rabs warning. It's not plugged in so I know why it's on. The seatbelt warning light comes on and goes off.

Wiggle the keyswitch a little bit. I do know on the 86-down trucks, they were bad about this, the key would not return back to center especially in cold weather, and while the truck would run, strange things would not work like the wipers, the blower motor, etc. If you wiggled the key a little bit everything would start working again. Awful big coincidence you messed with the ignition switch and now this other stuff doesn't work.

I guess the ignition switch could be bad. That would explain why there is no power to the cluster. I've been sitting here studying the wire diagram. I can't seem to come up with a commonality in the things that aren't working.

You can always pull the ignition switch off, and test it in various positions with a multimeter. Test each of the terminals; there should be a wiring diagram that will show you what positions each should be connected in.

A replacement switch isn't particularly expensive, either.

Second page down in this link shows the ignition switch. It might be that one leg not making. According to it your fuel switching valve should not be working either. I don't know where that 15 amp fuse goes.

http://www.revbase.com/BBBMotor/Wd/DownloadPdf?id=11317

The selector switch is actually working...backwards but that could be that I have it plumbed backwards. I tried to start the truck and ended up having to re-prime.

I swapped the ignition switch out for the one that was in the truck originally. No change. I went and grabbed the cluster out of the other truck. No change. Started tracing wires. The power wires seem to be in tact based on continuity measurements. I have power from the switch to the cluster via one of the power wires. I don't know if the problem is the fuse block or in the dash wiring somewhere. I just don't get it. I really don't want to pull the dash again but Im limited in my ability to trouble shoot it with the dash in. The dash illumination lights work now. I figured out that I had not plugged in one of the plugs under the dash. Heater controls work. I just don't get it. If all the wires are together how can I not have power everywhere I need it.

[emoji20]

Make sure you don't have a blown fuse, test them all.

Macrobb said:

Make sure you don't have a blown fuse, test them all.

Click to expand...

That's actually a good call. I have checked a few but there are a couple missing. I hadn't thought about that. The thing is I remember most if not all of this stuff working before. I really didn't change anything wrt this indicators. I fix the headlights and now this stuff doesn't work.

So the situation has improved. Part of my problem was actually a BUNCH of burnt out bulbs.

Right now the tally is functional:
Left turn
Right turn
Seatbelt
RABS
Illumination
High beam
All the gauges

Not working:
Check engine
Engine
Charging
4x4
Low range
Brake warning

So that's progress I guess. The high beam was my stupidity. The indicator actually ties in out at the DRL harness which if you were keeping score, I nuked. Manual says it ties in at the foot switch. Nope. So I tied it into my harness for the relay mod. All better.
I know am powering the cluster correctly. Not sure why. I changed fuses and tada. Old fuse tested good. Got me what actually changed.

So now I need to look at what's working and go from there. I suspect those may be problems out at the senders but I really don't know. All the indicators should self check on Key On power like the RABS is right?

4x4 and low range don't come on unless the transfer case is in 4x4 or low range. They don't light on initial startup.

Brake light - That is hooked to the e brake and the brake vacuum sensor on the fender well. I don't think it comes on with key on either. Set the parking brake and see if it works.

Charging? - no clue.

Check engine and engine light? I don't remember these every coming on in my 89. I think they may be tied to the overheat temp sensor. Maybe ground it out and see if they work.

I would lean towards you having a harness ground missing somewhere on the dash wiring. I think there is a ground around the ebrake and one around the passenger side dash at the bottom by the foot well. I could easily be all wet. I don't remember anything buried back in the dash though.

If what you are saying is true, I may be 90% there then. I can't tell what gear the tcase is in at the moment fore sure. The engine warning is tied to both the over temp sensor and the oil pressure sensor. Honestly I don't care about it. I've got gauges. About to have more gauges. Thanks for the input junk. I may not be too bad off then.