Electrical issue when cold

72vert · Feb 15, 2025

Lately when I have to drive my car in cold weather (below 20 degrees), my dash electronics don’t work. The radio, heater fan, center gauges, and fuel gauge don’t function. The engine starts and warms up ok, for the temperature and the tach still works. Eventually, after warming up for a while everything will come back on and work fine. I checked and cleaned the ground connection to the body, but that didn’t seem to change anything. I just don’t know what could affect all of those components at the same time and I don’t want this to become a bigger problem in the future. Any ideas?

Don C · Feb 15, 2025

Cold weather effects connectors, causing them to shrink, and causes old lubricant in switches to congeal preventing the contacts from making connections.

The only things that are consistent with all of your symptoms are the ignition switch and the black with green hashed wire. The black with green hashed wire provides accessory power to the fuse panel and to the instrument voltage regulator from the ignition switch. The ignition switch connects the incoming power (large yellow wire) to the black/green hashed wire.

The most likely suspect is the ignition switch, although it could also be the connector on the ignition switch, or the connection to the fuse block.

72vert · Feb 15, 2025

Don C said:
Cold weather effects connectors, causing them to shrink, and causes old lubricant in switches to congeal preventing the contacts from making connections.

The only things that are consistent with all of your symptoms are the ignition switch and the black with green hashed wire. The black with green hashed wire provides accessory power to the fuse panel and to the instrument voltage regulator from the ignition switch. The ignition switch connects the incoming power (large yellow wire) to the black/green hashed wire.

The most likely suspect is the ignition switch, although it could also be the connector on the ignition switch, or the connection to the fuse block.

That makes sense. Now I have some places to check. Thank you!

midlife · Feb 15, 2025

Don C said:
Cold weather effects connectors, causing them to shrink, and causes old lubricant in switches to congeal preventing the contacts from making connections.

The only things that are consistent with all of your symptoms are the ignition switch and the black with green hashed wire. The black with green hashed wire provides accessory power to the fuse panel and to the instrument voltage regulator from the ignition switch. The ignition switch connects the incoming power (large yellow wire) to the black/green hashed wire.

The most likely suspect is the ignition switch, although it could also be the connector on the ignition switch, or the connection to the fuse block.

Spot on.

Electrical issue when cold

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