"Scrambling" '85 gauges
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 742
Likes: 5
From: McMurray PA
"Scrambling" '85 gauges
Hi all -
Here's a new one, I think - I searched the forum and web for gauge issues and solutions, but haven't seen anythign on this one. When I started my '85 last week, the digital gauges began scrambling, as if they were running through their full cycles at high speed repeatedly. I turned off the car and then restarted it a couple hours later, and they were fine. The next time I started it, the backlighting was gone, and the gauges were still scrambling. I drove it for an hour this afternoon and they are still out of whack - if they were backlit, it would be like Vegas in there... Any suggestions for what may be wrong here? Thanks in advance.
Terry
Here's a new one, I think - I searched the forum and web for gauge issues and solutions, but haven't seen anythign on this one. When I started my '85 last week, the digital gauges began scrambling, as if they were running through their full cycles at high speed repeatedly. I turned off the car and then restarted it a couple hours later, and they were fine. The next time I started it, the backlighting was gone, and the gauges were still scrambling. I drove it for an hour this afternoon and they are still out of whack - if they were backlit, it would be like Vegas in there... Any suggestions for what may be wrong here? Thanks in advance.
Terry
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,032
Likes: 4
My cluster didn't work at all... so i sent it to chevy to have it rebuilt... Now it works perfectly about 90% of the time. 10% of the time i have the exact same symptons you have. I've been thinking about this for awhile. It's gotta be a bad ground somewhere. I've got a question for ya- is there something you do that brings it from an unreadable mess back to working order? It seems when i hit the brakes while its scrambled, it usually brings it back... that's prolly just a coincidence. Anyway- mines an 85 also. What have you tried so far?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 742
Likes: 5
From: McMurray PA
So far I haven't tried anything yet other than turning the car off and on, shutting the lights on and off, flipping some gauge cluster switches..... I wanted to see if anyone had this problem and a solution before I started down too many useless paths.... Thanks.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,032
Likes: 4
I'm thinking a wire is being shorted somewhere, or a bad ground. But I have checked so much stuff, I just gave up... i'm happy with my 90%. If you ever figure out what the solution is, let me know. I feel a little better knowing i'm not the only one with this annoying problem 
