[harpman1]

86 el co. Does the printed circuit get it's power from one lead for the gages and then power the gages or does each gage, like the gas gage, the amp meter etc. come into the printed circuit already powered.
From schematic, it looks like the pink/black wire crosses all the gage leads to give them power before they get to the printed circuit so I'm just trying to figure if my pod connector and the circuit itself is not contacting good or if the gages are just not coming in with power....

Help!:???::dontknow:

 

[gilby]

thats a yes,the pink/black powers, and there is two leads to the board. The gas,temp and oil, it use a rheostat type of resistor in the tank,temp sensor and oil sensor, where as for the idioit lights,its just a switch that if it gets hot,"Blink" light on,or you loss oil pressure,'Blink" lights on..:beer:
:beer:

 

[harpman1]

So, I have no power to any gage, or Tach, so that means the pink /black pod connection is not making a good connection with the printed circuit tab???

 

[Rally169]

Gage power

Check the 20 amp Gage fuse first.

 

[harpman1]

fuse is good ,I have power at the pod connection on both pink/black wire points on the connector. I'm thinking it may be grounding out somewhere on the printed circuit with either the tach or the gages??????????????

 

[harpman1]

If I had hair, I would pull it out. Did I mention I hate this gage pod set up???

 

[Rally169]

Gage power

Clean all the connections with a pencil eraser and recheck. If they still don't work, look for a broken trace on the printed circuit. It cam be repaired by soldering a wire to bypass the break. Go from bare copper on the connector to a Gage bare copper. Clean and use rosin flux.

 

[gilby]

Clean all the connections with a pencil eraser and recheck. If they still don't work, look for a broken trace on the printed circuit. It cam be repaired by soldering a wire to bypass the break. Go from bare copper on the connector to a Gage bare copper. Clean and use rosin flux.

...I think you got it,I hope you have a test meter or something like that to make sure thats the problem.:beer:

 

[harpman1]

test light, I have. and no, I'm not sure of anything.... just looking for a cure

 

[gilby]

test light, I have. and no, I'm not sure of anything.... just looking for a cure

..well,lets go the other way,check the grounds wires to the P.C.B...:dontknow:
:beer:

 

[harpman1]

Gilby, the black wire to the PCB is good. I'm putting the test light to that ground point (prong) then checking the copper prongs for live circuits and the pink/black is good as is the main which is orange and may be the gage lights.??

 

[JJLT1]

orange would be power for the clock,,should be hot all the time..
http://www.maliburacing.com/wiring_diagrams/Clock-Cigar-CourtesyLights.jpg

grey would be inst panel lights. should be hot with the headlight switch on.
http://www.maliburacing.com/wiring_diagrams/LightSwitch.jpg

 

[harpman1]

That's all correct. I have power to the orange all the time. I have power to 2 pink/black terminals with switch on and the grey terminal with the light switch on. I get a power signal briefly to the tach.( needle moves) and to oil gage, it moves briefly. No other gage moves or has power going to it I guess ?????? Am I not getting the signals individually to the gas gage, the amps, temp etc?????????

Help:dontknow::dontknow::dontknow::dontknow:

 

[harpman1]

ideas anyone??????????????:dontknow:

 

[Rally169]

Gage problems

You have been messing with this for quite some time. You need to learn how to trouble shoot electrical. I remember reading some where several steps to trouble shoot auto electrical. Steo one was to throw away your test light an get a Volt 0hm meter and learn how to use it. A test light doesn't give you enough information.
Then you should pull your instrument cluster out and check end to end continuity of your gage circuits.

 

[harpman1]

Yes forever. You're saying check out the circuit board? Check the continuity of the circuits strip by strip?? I have a ohm meter and barely know how to use it, but can get that done. But if say the Tach wire, or temp gage wire has no power coming in, then the problem must not be on the circuit board??right?
All the gages can't get power from the pink/black wire can they??
thanks for your reply

 

[JJLT1]

http://www.maliburacing.com/wiring_diagrams/OptionalGagePackage.jpg

yes all get power from the pink/black

each gauge has 3 connections,,
power from the pink/black
ground thru the black wire
and each gauge has its own signal wire,
fuel is pink
temp is green
oil is tan
tach is white

the volt meter has 2 wires, pink/black and black,, power and ground,
if it dosnt work check the printed curcuit as said,,

:dontknow: sounds like a bad ground maybe :dontknow: if the gauges jump when you turn on the key??:dontknow:

make sure power is off when you ohm the curcuits, or youll blow the fuse in the meter..:texas:

 

[harpman1]

thanks, I'll work on that. What is confusing though, as I am electrically handicapped, is the signal wires, can you explain how the signal wires work??????? do they come off say the temp sender with a positive charge, or how does the signal get to the gage pod??? or does the pink/black give the signal wire the charge and it comes back to the gage or what?????

 

[464elky]

The sending units make ground for the signal wires. Voltage is sent to them through the gauge.

 

[harpman1]

ok thanks for that post