Dash lights / turn signal

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DanCampbell

Well-known member
Joined
May 30, 2012
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Location
Virginia
My Car
1973 Hardtop
Hello,

I want to start on the dash lights / left turn signal issue I have with my car.

I don't seem to have power to the instrument cluster. After reading through the posts of jmcgill89 (PO) I am trying to find out exactly what he did and where I can pick up.

Where would you tell me to start first?

Thanks

Dan

Past thread and link below.

RE: Wiring Question/Translation


Well,


 


I put a new printed circuit in there and I now have dash lights....but surprisingly not all of them. Speedo is good, and the right side of the idiot cluster is good. Still don't have turn signal lights and/or idiot lights.


 


I give up. I'm going to run new wires and put a temp and oil pressure gauge in there...at least I'll have an idea of the condition of the engine.


 


I had 12v to the red wire with yellow hashes, and the light blue/red wire. However, I have no idiot lights. Maybe my connector is bad.


 


I'll try again to pull it out and bend things back into place.


http://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-instrument-cluster-removal

 
Electrical is a pain...but it is odd to have so many things

Do you have the basic tools:

1. Volt/Ohm Meter?

2. Wiring Diagram(available in data I believe)?

3. Do you understand the wiring diagram, in particular the connector to the dashboard?

4. Do you have the dash in or out?

If your idiot lights are not working, I would check them first at the senders. Do your senders have power with the ignition on?

 
I don't have any immediate advice, but in case you have not found it yet, a wiring diagram is available by clicking on Data at the top of this webpage. Maybe that will be of some help.

 
I am electronically challenged at times and I hate working on them, but out of necessity I have forced myself to learn to use a hand held meter to confirm voltage and continuity. Unfortunately I still have trouble reading wiring diagrams. Therefore I am not qualified to give you the best possible answer. That being said. . . .

I would tell you to first start at the fuse block and check the fuses.

Then I would tell you to use a meter and check to see that you have power at the fuse block at the related fuse on both sides of the fuse.

If that checked out, I would recommend you pull the dash cap, and the instrument cluster. You really should check the bulbs and the printed circuit as either could be part of the problem.

Next check the main connector for the appropriate power at the right locations, using a wiring diagram to verify what it should be.

If after all of this you still haven't found the problem, then I would consider removing the underdash wiring harness and having someone that specializes in repairing them return it to stock and check and repair it completely.

This site is lucky to have just such a person as a supporter.

 
To add to the above, I would check the ignition switch that is located on the lower portion of steering column just above the brake pedal (not the key and cylinder). According to the wiring diagram there is power going from the switch to the instrument panel. Just a thought!

 
Hello,

I want to start on the dash lights / left turn signal issue I have with my car.

I don't seem to have power to the instrument cluster. After reading through the posts of jmcgill89 (PO) I am trying to find out exactly what he did and where I can pick up.

Where would you tell me to start first?

Thanks

Dan

Past thread and link below.

RE: Wiring Question/Translation


Well,


 


I put a new printed circuit in there and I now have dash lights....but surprisingly not all of them. Speedo is good, and the right side of the idiot cluster is good. Still don't have turn signal lights and/or idiot lights.


 


I give up. I'm going to run new wires and put a temp and oil pressure gauge in there...at least I'll have an idea of the condition of the engine.


 


I had 12v to the red wire with yellow hashes, and the light blue/red wire. However, I have no idiot lights. Maybe my connector is bad.


 


I'll try again to pull it out and bend things back into place.


http://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-instrument-cluster-removal
Just because someone else has problems doesn't mean your car has the same problems. Many of the dash cluster circuits are not related, so I'll start with what you said are your problems.

Dash lights are blue/red wires, and are entirely controlled by the headlight switch and the small fuse in the fusebox. The brightness is controlled by the rotation of the headlight switch when it is pulled out. In one direction, you'll feel a little click and all of your interior lights come on. Just before that, you'll have maximum dash lamp brightness (well, not so bright, but relatively speaking). They are very hard to see in a lit garage or in daylight. You may need to do this at night. If you don't have any lights, check the fuse.

Left turn signals: they do not flash at all, but your right ones do? Does your dash lamp light up continuously? If so, that means a bulb is out. If nothing there, and the right side works, the problem is probably in a defective turn signal switch.

You say you don't have power to the dash cluster. What makes you say that? You need to give us more details, as the power for each of the indicators and gauges come from different systems.

Randy aka Midlife.

 
Hi Randy,

I just bought this car from the person who posted these statements, I dont have power to the left side of the gauges so I started hunting back through his posts.

I was trying to start with what he did and try to pick it up from there.

I may actually have power to the left side but none of the trouble lights light up. Im just not sure where to start the process.

I will go over what you wrote and start my checks there, thanks for your time.

Dan

 
OK,

I have been outside for the last 45 minutes getting eaten by mosquitoes and all I manages to do was take some screws out.

I'm attempting to get the plastic cover off of the gauge cluster, do I have to take the dash pad off? Is there a trick to doing this? I have all of the screws out but the corners of this cover will not clear the dash pad.

Thanks guys.

Dan

 
Trouble (indicator) lights should go bright with the key in RUN but the car not running. First thing to check is whether the bulbs are blown. If they are not, it gets real dicey to trouble-shoot from there. Best thing is for me to go through all of your wiring, as this is where a lot of shade-tree mechanics screw things up by not fully understanding how the circuits work.

 
OK,

I have been outside for the last 45 minutes getting eaten by mosquitoes and all I manages to do was take some screws out.

I'm attempting to get the plastic cover off of the gauge cluster, do I have to take the dash pad off? Is there a trick to doing this? I have all of the screws out but the corners of this cover will not clear the dash pad.

Thanks guys.

Dan
Before I installed a new pad I was able to manipulate the plastic cover out, but with the new pad I have to remove the instrument pad panel. It's easy, just 6 screws under the edge of the pad and two on top in the metal portion. Then just slightly lift the front edge of the pad and pull towards you. I believe the PO already removed it once according to his posts. Good luck.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have been thinking about this today while I'm at work, would it be a good idea to try and connect some power to the cluster outside of the car?

I would have to figure out a safe power source but this might cut trouble shooting time down considerably.

 
You can tape 4 c batteries together + to - and a lead on each end gives you 6 volts. That being said, I would prefer to see you use a meter to check continuity.

As to your dash lights with some working and some not working . . .

The bulbs have two wire leads that are coming out of the base Usually they are each folded to opposite sides of the base. The sockets that go into the cluster have metal leads that contact these and transfer the connection to the printed circuit. I have seen sockets that were damaged (have several in my car) and there was no contact between the wire base of the bulb and the socket. I was able to bend the wires from the bulb all to the same side, (not touching of course) to make the socket function properly.

 
OK,

I have the cover off and took out the four small bolts holding the cluster in.

How in the world do you disconnect the spedo and other wires from the back?

I'm trying to be very gentle but I'm stumped.

Dan

 
OK,

I have the cover off and took out the four small bolts holding the cluster in.

How in the world do you disconnect the spedo and other wires from the back?

I'm trying to be very gentle but I'm stumped.

Dan
Squeeze and pull if I remember correctly

 
You squeeze in on the back portion of the speedometer cable ( It is a whitish plastic connector that just pops over a lip) and twist it, I believe clockwise, (but it may not matter) and it pulls right out.

Remove your turn signal stalk and the dash pad and it will rotate out towards the driver's side door. If it is tight you can remove the metal strip across the top of the dash to give a bit more clearance.

 
You squeeze in on the back portion of the speedometer cable ( It is a whitish plastic connector that just pops over a lip) and twist it, I believe clockwise, (but it may not matter) and it pulls right out.

Remove your turn signal stalk and the dash pad and it will rotate out towards the driver's side door. If it is tight you can remove the metal strip across the top of the dash to give a bit more clearance.
Hi Jeff,

I'm having trouble getting to the point that I can get my hand on it, The speedo cable is short and I can't pull the cluster out enough to access it. I'm trying to find an opening to get my arm through behind it to grab the connector.

That's where I'm stuck.

Dan

 
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