pyromanic Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 I drove my 85 wagon 60 miles yesterday, and everything was fine. Needed to take her on a short errand this morning, and fuel guage says she's full (she's not) and volt meter is pegged down at 8 vlts, which is the bottome of the guage. When my alternator died a few months ago, the tach freaked out. The tach and everything else seems to be working fine, lights are bright, and she started right up, just those two guages seem to be dead. If it's a blown fuse, I didn't find it when I checked the fuses, but maybe I didn't check the right ones. I cleaned the battery terminals, and that didn't help. Where should I be looking to fix these two guages? any tips appreciated Pyro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 Looking at my reference it shows fuse 12 is supplying power to those circuits along with others. Pins 15 and 25 in the instrument cluster carry the power to them. It looks like pins 21 and 22 are the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyromanic Posted June 10, 2006 Author Share Posted June 10, 2006 Looking at my reference it shows fuse 12 is supplying power to those circuits along with others. Pins 15 and 25 in the instrument cluster carry the power to them. It looks like pins 21 and 22 are the ground. Thanks Couger. I'll get back in there and check out fuse box more carefully. Hope it's just a fuse. Pyro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyromanic Posted June 10, 2006 Author Share Posted June 10, 2006 Ok, I checked ALL the darn fuses, they are all good. So I'm wondering why the fuel guage and the voltmeter would crap out at the same time? What am I missing? I HATE non working gas gauges. Hope it's something simple, but whatever it is, I'm not getting it yet. Anybody? Help? Thanks, Pyro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 Take voltage readings on the pins I told you about for the instument cluster connector and tell me what you record for the readings. Reference the readings to a good ground point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
()__1337_CRAYOLA__()> Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 Just A Question About The Fuel Gauge.. Is A Fuel Gauge In A 85 Gl Wagon Mechanical? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 The gauge meter itself is electrical. The sensor in the tank is electro-mechanical. As the float in the tank changes in level there is a change in the resistance of the sensor circuit. That changes the voltage at the gauge and makes the meter move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyromanic Posted June 11, 2006 Author Share Posted June 11, 2006 Looking at my reference it shows fuse 12 is supplying power to those circuits along with others. Pins 15 and 25 in the instrument cluster carry the power to them. It looks like pins 21 and 22 are the ground. I suck at electronics. I do know how to remove the cluster, but then how do I identify these specific pins? Bet I'm in over my head. I do have a multimeter somewhere around here. I think. Pyro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 You can do it. The numbers should be marked on the plug and socket. You will need to take the voltage readings while the connection is together, not seperated. The problem may just be a bad connection at the socket and you may fix it just by disconnecting and reconnecting the connection. If you have an analog meter, set it up to read DC volts greater than 12 volts. Perhaps you have a 25 volt scale you can set it to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyromanic Posted June 11, 2006 Author Share Posted June 11, 2006 6:30 A.M. Sunday morning, coffee, thinking I'll pull the cluster loose today, and it just came to me that I've been wanting to make some changes to this PK lifted wagon anyhow. It's my dayly driver, and I love her with a passion. She came to me with a longblock with only 12000 miles but also with a used up auto trans. First thing I did was swapped a 5 sp dual range into her. The instrament cluster is original for the auto. But I DO have an 87 5 sp. DR parts wagon here on the property. Dash is already out, cluster for that 5sp is in the shop somewhere. I'm thinking maybe this is the to make the swap? These clusters are plug and play right? I installed new Silverstar headlight bulbs a couple of months ago, and for no apparent reason, the highbeam indicator light in the dash quit on me the next day. So this old instrament cluster has really been deteriorating of late. But I'm pretty intimidated by electric stuff. Dumb as a post, and I know it. I'm scared I'll get in over my head and then have to try to bribe Hooziewatsit to come down and help me put it all back together! Hoozie, ya gotcher ears on? Got any time to come to La Pine and bail me out if I screw this up? Need any parts, both of those EA 82's are still sitting here. I'm going to go look for that other cluster. Lets see, which pile of crap might it be buried under----------- Didn't I see that multimeter last winter when I was looking for something or other------------------- (picture Soob knuckles and axles and ecu's and harneses flying out the bay doors!) Pyro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyromanic Posted June 11, 2006 Author Share Posted June 11, 2006 Well impatient me, I didn't wait for an answer on my "plug and play" question on the instrament cluster auto vs. 5sp. Found out that of the two big connectors on top of the cluster, the right hand one is different. Only found this out after having everything pretty much back together. So, got the old one just about back in, thought I'd see what was gonna work and what wasn't, and how is this, the fuel and volt gauges both work again. But--------the heater fan is now running on high continuously, regardless of the switch being on or off. WTF have done? I'd like to have that other cluster in there, but I guess it's no go. Have no idea about the heater. If I can't figure it out, I'll put it all back together, and pull the fuses to the heater, which is no fix at all, but at least I could drive it. Pyro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 It sounds like you have swapped a plug into the wrong socket or have not plugged it in correctly to the proper connection. Check the plug wiring from the fan switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooziewhatsit Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 Hoozie, ya gotcher ears on? Got any time to come to La Pine and bail me out if I screw this up? Need any parts, both of those EA 82's are still sitting here. yep, I'm here. Over at the in-laws in grants pass, so I didn't check the board for a couple days. about the fan being on all the time, I *think* there are two similar blue colored connectors behind the dash... Probably just got something misconnected, or not connected at all. You'll just have to take the front of the dash off again and double check them all :-/ I should be going up 97 towards the end of June, and may be able to stop by. PM me if you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyromanic Posted June 11, 2006 Author Share Posted June 11, 2006 I don't think it's possible to hook any of those connectors up wrong. Each one is unique to itself as far as I can tell. It stopped though, just from wiggling the soldiered ends at the switch. so that may give me grief downt he road. But it's all good for now, gauges all work with the original cluster reinstalled. Guess Couger was right, just reconnecting the plugs. Don't know why I thought I could use a cluster from a 5 sp chasis in a auto chasis. Thought I had read about guys doing it. But it don't work, not with out modification anyhow. The harness is different, (of course) Thanks for the help guys. Pyro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 It sounds like the fan switch may have an intermittent short in it. You may have to replace it later. Glad your other problems have corrected themselves. Since the two gauges were on the same power lead, as are some other things with them, it seemed likely that the connector may be the problem. Thanks for the update. Drive On. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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