interior dash lights issue
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interior dash lights issue
Hello, I am in the process of putting the dash panels into my 1968 convertible. I installed the top dash and then the drivers side panel. Afer replacing all the bulbs, a new headlight switch and ignition switch. I turned on the power to check things. Headlights work, and the blue "bright" is lite up when I push the bright lights. but the speedo and tach do not light? btw, they never did in this car.
I found three wires not connected and I am not at all sure where they go - so I am speculating this is my problem. All three wires are brown and have plastic female plug. I see there are a few places where they could potentially go, I tried different things but nothing seemed to work. Under the dash on the right there is a round **** that rotates (what is this for?) it has a male tab on it, I tried one of the wires on it and had nice spark display.
Maybe this is a better way of asking: Once all the bulbs are plugged into the speedo and tach and the headlight switch is plugged in - what other electronics need to be connected? thanks !
I found three wires not connected and I am not at all sure where they go - so I am speculating this is my problem. All three wires are brown and have plastic female plug. I see there are a few places where they could potentially go, I tried different things but nothing seemed to work. Under the dash on the right there is a round **** that rotates (what is this for?) it has a male tab on it, I tried one of the wires on it and had nice spark display.
Maybe this is a better way of asking: Once all the bulbs are plugged into the speedo and tach and the headlight switch is plugged in - what other electronics need to be connected? thanks !
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,447
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From: Syracuse NY
Sounds like a ground issue for the tach/speedo.
Get yourself a tester, even a test light as plugging stuff in to see what happens usually ends with blown fuses or worse.
The round **** is the wiper over-ride switch used to stop the wipers so you can change the blades. Should be a brown, possibly brown/white stripe wire attached to it and a black/ground attached to it's mounting bracket.
I have some lamp issues too since repairing my wiper motor a while back, not looking forward to going back in!
Good Luck.
Get yourself a tester, even a test light as plugging stuff in to see what happens usually ends with blown fuses or worse.
The round **** is the wiper over-ride switch used to stop the wipers so you can change the blades. Should be a brown, possibly brown/white stripe wire attached to it and a black/ground attached to it's mounting bracket.
I have some lamp issues too since repairing my wiper motor a while back, not looking forward to going back in!
Good Luck.
Last edited by DZRick; Jan 27, 2013 at 07:06 PM.
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thanks Rick. I'll get to work again on it this weekend. I was wondering if the issue might be connected to the gauge cluster and column needing to be hooked in. I wired in the column harness since its as easy as laying the column on the floor and drivers seat and plugging it in. Than I was able to test brake lights and directionals.
There is a fair amount of rust on the speedo and tach terminals where those brown wires could be plugged in. I tried to clean them up. If it is a ground issue, does it need to be grounded to the tach/speedo or would any ground suffice?
There is a fair amount of rust on the speedo and tach terminals where those brown wires could be plugged in. I tried to clean them up. If it is a ground issue, does it need to be grounded to the tach/speedo or would any ground suffice?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,128
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From: North Alabama
both the speedo and the tach have a male ground tab located on the back of them. There should be a black ground wire with a female connector that plugs on to each of them from the factory harness
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One of the three connectors has power tho, so the other two must be the grounds. Bot sure what the third was powering. But when I tried to connect it to one of the male tab's it sparked, so it has power to it. but the other two do not - I think if I ground them elsewhere to a solid ground I might resolve my speedo/tach back light issue?
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
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From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Do you have a factory radio? Browns are often for capacitors for radio noise suppression.
Do you have the assembly instruction manual (AIM)? The AIM shows the factory radio and the capacitors, plus all of the dash and center cluster wiring connections. The tell-tales (Bright, Brake, turn signals) do not run off instrument illumination.
If you have no instrument cluster illumination, have you checked the IP fuse? Turned the **** up on the ehadlight switch?
Do you have the assembly instruction manual (AIM)? The AIM shows the factory radio and the capacitors, plus all of the dash and center cluster wiring connections. The tell-tales (Bright, Brake, turn signals) do not run off instrument illumination.
If you have no instrument cluster illumination, have you checked the IP fuse? Turned the **** up on the ehadlight switch?
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Hello. The instrument cluster is not yet installed - all those wire's are just hanging there. I only have the drivers panel installed.
I did have a factory radio that was working (sort of). During this particular project I have removed it and installed a new radio that appears like an old one (reasonably speaking). But having my iphone connected is great. Plus my new low profile subwoofer and speakers I installed sound great ! Kind of funny, I wired the ignition switch and hung it using a zip tie - then I connected the battery (which is on ym work bench) with jumpers. with no dash panels at all I was test the radio
I did have a factory radio that was working (sort of). During this particular project I have removed it and installed a new radio that appears like an old one (reasonably speaking). But having my iphone connected is great. Plus my new low profile subwoofer and speakers I installed sound great ! Kind of funny, I wired the ignition switch and hung it using a zip tie - then I connected the battery (which is on ym work bench) with jumpers. with no dash panels at all I was test the radio
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