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I have a short in my system. In the fuse block there is a fuse that says gauges and to the side of it there is a wire plugged into Ignition. The gauge blows every time I turn the key to the ON position. If I test the battery when the engine is off I get 12.2 volts and 14.5 when it's running. I put a test light on each side where the gauge fuse should go then I tried unplugging things to see if anything caused the light to go out. I did this so that I might be able to track down where something was going to ground, but no luck. Then I thought would having the door open and the door light on cause the test light to stay on? I do have a colored wiring diagram and have tried everything I can think of without taking the dash out. Any help would sure be appreciated.
Sounds like a short to ground in the gauge circuit. Check for pinched wires behind the dash, especially near the cluster. Door light shouldn’t affect it. A multimeter would help trace the exact fault look for continuity to ground on the gauge fuse circuit with key on. Could also be a bad gauge or sensor.
Since I just bought this car there have been many things I've been into. Taking the center console and gauge console was one of them, so pinching a wire could be the problem. I'll take it out and look tomorrow.
Thanks for the PW diagram. I unplugged the PW relay and still show a short, so it is either from the pink IGN wire to before the PW relay or somewhere behind the gauges. Never had to track auto wiring before but it's like a puzzle and now we have more pieces. Thanks again everyone. I'll track the pink wire to the PW relay tomorrow and if that's not it then I pull the gauge console.
Blowing the fuse with power on, clearly a dead short to ground. A pinched wire somewhere likely. A shorted out guage or printed circuit board. You'll find it. But pulling the gauge cluster is likely in your future.
So, I did pull the gauge cluster, and I found that the plug in the back was not in all the way which could have caused the short. Also, there was one gauge light missing so I'll have to wait until one comes in the mail before installing it again. I will try and see if my test light goes out now that the gauges are unplugged. it it does go out then no more short.
Took out the center gauge console and guess what. The tester light is still on showing a short but the gauge console is unplugged which means it's somewhere else. I found a wireless wire short tracer and ordered it. It can tell you were the short is inside a wire bundle or behind a door panel or behind plastic. I'm going to try that when it comes in. it follows the current and shows where it's going to ground.
Well, as it turns out the beeping noise that the wire tracer makes is a sound that I can't hear. My wife said she hears it but I can't. So, I'm back to the light to tell me when I find the short. Also I've taken my dash out so I can get to the wires behind the AC ducting and other places that I could not even see when the dash was in. So back to doing it the old-fashioned way. Also I guess after 47 years of the dash being in the car it wanted to stay attached to the windshield and took out big chunks of dash when they stuck together. No fixing this one so I ordered a new one.
This seems to be a short that does not want to be found. I'm still tracing but have not found it yet. Lunch time now but have four other ideas to trace down.
Good and bad news.
I found the short. it was a three-wire combo left and right turn signal and cruise control it looks like it was pinched in two places. Bad news is that the entire dash is out and all wires are are unwrapped. More good news, new wiring harness is going in as well as vacuum lines. Bad news is the dash was stuck to the windshield and ripped a large corner piece off so now dash has been delivered. I might start calling the vet Humpty Dumpty because I'm not sure if I can ever get it back together again.....not really just time and patience.
Electrical problems ---help please
