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dash lighting

Old Jul 17, 2014 | 09:06 PM
  #1  
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Default dash lighting

removed the lower dash( speedo and Tach) section due to a couple minor issues. Question I have is- speedo has blue wired bulb in signal light location and green wired bulb up top. all others are gray which I think is correct. The other side where tach is located I need to know which color wired bulb goes in signal light location? There is a pink/black one but not sure where it goes. Additionally there is a black wire coming out of the dash harness with a wire connector looking like a ground- where would that mount? Somewhere on the dash bezel.? Thanks for help Paul Prior to removal the gauges and lights worked but left signal light lit up when using the signal light but not when lights were turned on?
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Old Jul 17, 2014 | 11:45 PM
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Hi pn,
Here's the back of the tach from my 71.
All the bulb locations are called out.
Top row: Gray Pink/Tan Gray
Bottom row: Gray Dark Blue Gray
You can also see the spade connector for the tach ground wire.
Not sure if this info is any use to you.
What year is your car? Is the back of your tach marked?
Regards,
Alan

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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 06:20 AM
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Default wires

Thanks for pic. Mine is marked but already started putting it back in and had headlight switch side done. being old and with a fat head-I couldn't see the writing. This helps greatly. car is a 68. Still puzzled by small black wire coming from harness with circular connector which looks like it mounts under a screw or bolt somewhere. I do have the spade for ground on the tach already so wondering if this is another ground I missed Thanks
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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 07:00 AM
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Hi pn,
I didn't catch the style of the connector on the black wire…. on my 71 there is a wire as you describe that is fastened to the interior side of the hinge pillar.
Regards,
Alan

It's at the lower right in this drawing above the courtesy lamp wiring.


It's in this area.

Last edited by Alan 71; Jul 18, 2014 at 07:03 AM.
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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 07:27 AM
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Default connector

Alan, the piller ground is already on. The small black wire comes from the dash harness and is ony long enough to attach to gauge pod or another ground spot nearby- I just noticed it and it wasnt connected to anything before. It has an end on it(aftermarket) with a circular connector the type you would put a screw or bolt through and mount to something metal. maybe its not needed
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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 08:58 AM
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On my '69, there is a female-spade ground connection on both the Tach and the Speedo housing. You didn't mention the ground on the Speedo housing, so I'm thinking someone may have changed the female-spade connector to the ring-lug type that you see. There should be 2 of the male spades, as shown in Alan's shot of the back of the tach, with the second one on the Speedo. If there is no male spade on the speedo, then the previous owner may have just used a screw through the ring-lug to attach to the Speedo housing.
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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 09:36 AM
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Default ring wire

Both the speedo and tach have the female spade wires attached This is something I just noticed last night coming right out of the dash harness it may be for an accessory I dont have but would it hurt if I just used it as an additional ground or just tape it off? Everything worked ok with out it. I hate to keep taking the dash apart every time I do something else goes haywire!!!! Bubba did a great job with this previously and I'm only 1 step above him LOL
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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 10:17 AM
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Tach and speedo each have grounds off the main dash harness. IIRC, each is in the break out for each instrument.
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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 10:44 AM
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I forgot to attach the ground plug to my tach when I replaced my column. I had no tach light when headlights were on. I could see the spade hanging, but couldn't connect it with the column up. I just pulled the column out so I could connect it and look around a little and see what I could clean up. Notice the plug now connected behind the brown wire floating in the pic.

While we are here, any idea what this brown plug is for that I have hanging in the middle of the pic?
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Old Jul 20, 2014 | 08:42 AM
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Originally Posted by pnewt
Both the speedo and tach have the female spade wires attached This is something I just noticed last night coming right out of the dash harness it may be for an accessory I dont have but would it hurt if I just used it as an additional ground or just tape it off? Everything worked ok with out it. I hate to keep taking the dash apart every time I do something else goes haywire!!!! Bubba did a great job with this previously and I'm only 1 step above him LOL
I have a full-color wiring harness diagram (11" x 17") for the dash harness, from one of the Vette parts suppliers, for my non-AC '69. It shows all the wire colors, sizes and connectors. There are actual photos of each connector. The only wire with a ring lug connector shown for my car is the pillar ground that Alan mentioned. See if you can get the one for your '68. They are excellent.
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Old Jul 20, 2014 | 09:07 AM
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Default dash

Thanks for all the help. Taped off that wire which had an aftermarket connector on it. Things I need work now. I hope they stay working!!!
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