HELP!! The dash is crazy!
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 29
Likes: 1
From: Indian Trail NC
HELP!! The dash is crazy!
1986 car. The dash displays will all go into a flashing, wild display and the engine will run rough or cut off. We have checked all grounds, all power wires, wiggle tested EVERYTHING we can find, disconnected the alternator........ It is intermittent and we can find nothing to warn it is comming or when it will subside. WHAT NOW??
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 9,884
Likes: 3
From: Magnolia Mississippi
St. Jude '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
From: Spring Hill Florida
Mine kinda does the same thing. So far, cleaning up the grounds located under the plastic battery tray helped the most. Dont juat look at them, take them off and sand them a bit. Mine, the volts start at 14.3, slowly drop down as the alternator heats up, tends to stay @ 13.9 Then, the brain fart hits, everything falters, volts drop way down, lights dim, sometimes stalls. Ive been meaning to run an additional 4 gauge ground to see if it helps.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 16,838
Likes: 341
From: Database Error Indiana
My dash was doing some pretty strange stuff one time when a couple plug wires decided to fire off the headers. It was years ago so, I can't give specifics. If it is a dash problem Battee is a good source of help.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 277
Likes: 8
From: Calgary Alberta
Dash is crazy
Last year I sent my instrument cluster on my '90 out for repairs $500 later and it was doing the same thing. Got fed up with chasing dead ends, contacted Gordon Killebrew in Tennesee. He asked if I had changed out my ignition coil lately, (I had). He told me to check for an improper ground, or throw the old one back in as I thought I would be proactive on the maintenance. Problem solved, no more cluster issues, damn NAPA coil!
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,226
Likes: 9
From: Irvine Ca
HotRod,
The Flame out that you describe leads me to believe that it is not the gage cluster but something else like what kmiller posted.
believe me when I tell you, Batees sight will help you fix the cluster all on your own. But I'd make sure it is cluster related or else it'll be a Cluster @#$%#
The Flame out that you describe leads me to believe that it is not the gage cluster but something else like what kmiller posted.
believe me when I tell you, Batees sight will help you fix the cluster all on your own. But I'd make sure it is cluster related or else it'll be a Cluster @#$%#
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,050
Likes: 147
From: Phoenix AZ
2021 C4 of the Year - Modified Finalist
dash goes crazy
I had this problem, and it turned out to be the engine computer. I switched it with another one, and problem solved.
when cold, everything normal. when it got to about 120 degrees water temp, the dash started the symptoms............
it would dim, then go bright, all the readouts go to zero, the engine RPM at idle went to 1200 RPM, then the computer made all the digits go to 888 in each catagory, then the idle would fall back to normal, the mileage readout would go back to reset, then the mileage counted like normal in instant and average, the volts started like at 14.8, and then trickled down to 13.8, and it ran fine ................until I let it get cold, and then it started all over again till the temp got to 120, then it went bizzaro, then the computer got warm, then fine. It seemed to last about 4-6 minutes depending on the outside temp.
Chris
Sometimes, even now, the dash goes dark, and theturn signal indicator arrows both come on, the blue high beam light goes on, and If I tap the dash near the headlight switch, it alll comes back. I suspect a poor ground in that area.........oh, mine's an 86 as well. build date: 9-85 so early early.
when cold, everything normal. when it got to about 120 degrees water temp, the dash started the symptoms............
it would dim, then go bright, all the readouts go to zero, the engine RPM at idle went to 1200 RPM, then the computer made all the digits go to 888 in each catagory, then the idle would fall back to normal, the mileage readout would go back to reset, then the mileage counted like normal in instant and average, the volts started like at 14.8, and then trickled down to 13.8, and it ran fine ................until I let it get cold, and then it started all over again till the temp got to 120, then it went bizzaro, then the computer got warm, then fine. It seemed to last about 4-6 minutes depending on the outside temp.
Chris
Sometimes, even now, the dash goes dark, and theturn signal indicator arrows both come on, the blue high beam light goes on, and If I tap the dash near the headlight switch, it alll comes back. I suspect a poor ground in that area.........oh, mine's an 86 as well. build date: 9-85 so early early.
Last edited by coupeguy2001; Feb 15, 2008 at 02:13 PM.
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