dale3in98

Just got my dash gauges back and after several hours of standing on my head, I have them installed in the housing and back on the car. I wired everything back as I remembered and according to the book.

On which terminals on the ingnition switch do the 14 gauge pink wire and
18 gauge pink wire go? Back of the ignition switch has a terminal BAT,
ACC, and one with nothing. It seems I have something grounded and I'm
not sure what. Headlights work, dash lights, etc. but when the key is
switched on...zap-fried wires.

jerrybramlett

There is an error in most GM ST-12 service manuals in the wiring diagrams for '58 - '62 Corvettes. It's in the way the wiring is shown to the dash battery gauge. You should wire this gauge with the black wires going to the terminal closest to the steering column. All the red wires go to the other terminal. Do not connect any of the black wires to the same gauge terminal as the red wires.

I didn't see your e-mail address in your profile, so I can't send you a photo of the ignition switch wiring. I assume you are in the Witness Protection Program and can't reveal any contact information. I'm sorry I can't help you further.


[Modified by jerrybramlett, 7:25 AM 2/20/2004]

62fuelie

The 14 and 18 ga pink wires both go on perimeter terminals that are energized with the ignition on. There is one extra terminal that is hot all the time. You have something badly wrong if you are frying wires. Post some more info and someone will try to help you out.

Like jerry says, the red/black wires are reversed on the ammeter in the book. That shouldn't do anything except make your gauge read backwards. You have somthing shorted dead to ground.

dale3in98

Good one Jerry...I refused to testify and they kicked me out of the program so you can e-mail me the switch pic at dale3in98@hotmail.com. I would appreciate it.

The wire that fried was the Pink 18 gauge wire that goes to the gas gauge. It fried when I cut the key on, so I am thinking that maybe the two pink wires on the key switch may be crossed. Should it make a difference which terminals the pink wire are attached to. BAT terminal isn't/hasn't been used.

As for the battery gauge, I did wire it according to the manual so I'll reverse those wires today.


[Modified by dale3in98, 3:48 PM 2/20/2004]

62fuelie

The 18 ga pink that powers the fuel/temp gauges comes off the 14 ga pink at the ignition switch. The 18 ga pink on the switch goes to the fuse block and powers the turn signals among other things. It makes no difference which terminals you attach to on the switch, two are hot with the switch on, the other is hot all the time. If you cross them up, you will get power when you're not supposed to, but it won't fry anything. Check the pink wire at the gauge. Somehow, it is shorted dead to ground. :auto:

dale3in98

Been under the dash again and here is the latest.

1. Switched pink wire around on back of gauge...turned key switch on...same
pink wire(now yellow after the first fry) began to fry again. Conclusion, as
62Fulie replied, it doesn't matter which terminal the pink wires are
connected to on the switch.

2. Removed the pink(yellow now) wire from the gas gauge...switched the key
on...car cranks and nothing fried.

3. As noted above, manual lists the wrong attaching points on the battery
gauge, so I switched the wires around on the gas gauge...switched the key
on...gas hand moved down slightly(no gas in the car)...car cranks and
nothing fried.

Question: Could the manual also be wrong on the attaching points for the
gas gauge?

Currently, I have the Brown wire attached to the terminal
nearest to the drivers side and the Pink(yellow now) wire is
attached to the terminal nearest to the temp gauge/steering
column. Is this correct or do I still have a problem?

62fuelie

If I am reading your post correctly, you have the fuel gauge wired backwards. The pink (now yellow) wire should go to the outboard terminal on both the fuel and temp gauges and the sender wires on the inboard terminals. At one time, there was a warning tag (red paper) on the inboard terminal of the fuel gauge warning you not to connect power to this terminal.
As you have discovered, evidently, you have shorted the wire to ground through the gauge and sender. Hope the damage is limited to the fried wire.

There is an article in this month's Corvette Enthusiast, written by yours truely, which addresses troubleshooting and repair of early wiring. It doesn't get into the dash and gauges per se, but there is a lot of good general information. You might want to pick up a copy. :auto:


[Modified by 62fuelie, 1:03 PM 2/21/2004]

dale3in98

So, is the manual correct on the wiring of the gas/temp guage? This is how I wired it up the first 2 times and fried the pink wire. I currently have the brown outboard and the pink inboard and nothing fries with the ignition switch on and the gas needle moves downward slightly. Is this incorrect? If so, then I am stumped as to what the problem is. Could the gas gauge inner workings be grounded somehow? Sorry, for all the questions but I am about to pull what little hair I have left...out.

Thanks for the help 62 Fulie...I'll pick up a copy of the mag.

62fuelie

The pink (hot) wire should be on the outboard terminal, closest to the door. Is the gauge properly mounted (isolated) in the case? Check with an ohmmeter for contiunity between the terminal and ground.

dale3in98

Removed the fuel/temp guage and everything looks fine, no burned inner workings and all terminals are isolated on the back...temp with what looks like a small piece of square rubber and the fuel gauge with what appears to be thin cardboard.

Removed the fuel tank cover and everything looks to be ok...Brown wire is on the terminal in the cernter of the sending unit and the Black wire is attached to one of the circular sending unit screws. Is this correct?

Running out of ideas...I'll try the ohm meter next.

62fuelie

Something has to be griounded to smoke that wire. Check to be sure the outboard terminal has no continuity with an ohmmeter. Also check the tank connections to be sure the center wire is not in contact with ground or with the flange. :auto: