ELECTRICAL PROBLEM!!

[trainey]

Man, thats jacked. With a wiring schematic, I would re-do, or fix the original harness to remove that effing mess that you have from the PO. Maybe you can source just that end of the harness and splice it in?

 

[JimNiki]

Mine was worse than that with the melted track from the original clock. I used a soldering iron to fix all my issues...

My flexible circuit now has more wires on it than tracks... But I trust it a lot more as well.

I also don't use crimps ... I solder all connections... If it starts to play up, you'll always wonder whether one of the crimps is not making contact or has pulled out one end...

They're only connections... No rules...do whatever it takes.

 

[Mikes73]

Unfortunately I'm still in the same boat. All the work, time and money and my instrument cluster lights still don't work. I initially ordered and installed a new circuit board for a tach car, only to find out my car was NOT an original tach car, the PO must have had one installed. So then I ordered the circuit board for a non tach car which didn't come close to fitting because of the way the tach was installed. I decided to remove the tach. I got an idiot light cluster from the rocket man, some new (old) bulb sockets for the center gauge cluster from midlife, new green LED bulbs from hipoparts. Cleaned everything up, painted the cluster flat white and put everything back together. All the bulbs worked during bench testing and I was thinking this is really gonna look great. I installed the cluster yesterday and none of the lights work, except for the turn signal and high beam indicator lights.

Here are some pictures of the plug. It looks like the PO did some creative rewiring.

What us the best solution at this point?? Is it possible for me to wire another plug in or can I fix that plug to get ALL the lights working?

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Using a digital multimeter on DC voltage touch the positive lead to the lower right most contact at the plug as shown in the picture{should have a blue/pink wire going to it} with the headlight switch on and the dimmer switch turned almost all the way left while touching the negative multimeter lead to a good ground, this should read 12 volts if the headlight switch and the fuse are good. We will get those dashlights working one way or another

 

[midlife]

OMG. I would send the complete underdash harness to me, and let me fix that mess. That's an embarrassment to my profession.

 

[Mikes73]

OMG. I would send the complete underdash harness to me, and let me fix that mess. That's an embarrassment to my profession.

The previous owner probably just figured no one would notice since the wiring is hidden from view, I've seen MUCH worse looking connections than those but we all know it takes just one short to ground to ruin someones day and burn up a wiring harness.

A digital multimeter will help a bunch with troubleshooting this problem and with any luck you can undo the splice/hack job you discovered:idea:

 

[73StangCoupe]

Using a digital multimeter on DC voltage touch the positive lead to the lower right most contact at the plug as shown in the picture{should have a blue/pink wire going to it} with the headlight switch on and the dimmer switch turned almost all the way left while touching the negative multimeter lead to a good ground, this should read 12 volts if the headlight switch and the fuse are good. We will get those dashlights working one way or another

Thanks Mike. I will try this. Only problem is I've already put all the dash back together. My car is our only "second" car, it has to be in driving condition for now. I'm in the process of buying another second car, a pick up truck, so if I have to, I can do a longer project on the mustang. Looks like the PO really did a "job" on the wiring harness.

I really do appreciate your help and enthusiasm. I will probably have to wait until next weekend to do the check. Thanks again!!

 

[73StangCoupe]

OMG. I would send the complete underdash harness to me, and let me fix that mess. That's an embarrassment to my profession.

Randy,

I can't do it now because I need to be able to drive the car, but how can I "remove" that portion of the wiring harness? Im in the market for a truck for our second car, so I may be able to do this soon. Sounds like a pretty big job. Please let me know. Thanks!!

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[midlife]

I can sell you an underdash harness, then you replace it and send me yours. At that time, I'll refund the core charge. The biggest problem is figuring out what happened to your car and how to put it back in its proper configuration. It looks like someone installed an aftermarket tach, which screwed everything up, including idiot lights. You are better off finding a standard or a true tach dash cluster and going from there.

 

[73StangCoupe]

I can sell you an underdash harness, then you replace it and send me yours. At that time, I'll refund the core charge. The biggest problem is figuring out what happened to your car and how to put it back in its proper configuration. It looks like someone installed an aftermarket tach, which screwed everything up, including idiot lights. You are better off finding a standard or a true tach dash cluster and going from there.

That actually sounds like the most logical thing to do at this point. The tach that was installed was a 2 wire so that should be plug and play as is. My only other concern is what the PO did to the harness. If I did get a new tach cluster would it just plug in and everything would word? I'll start looking around for a replacement... thanks for your advice.

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[Totalled]

No, the plugs are different, as well as the size of the hole for the plug in the cluster between tach or non tach. I ran into this issue because the previous owner added factory tach and gauges. In my case, they hacked the back out of the idioit light cluster and stuck the tach in, since the lights are in different spots between the two, they couldn't swap on the proper back from the idiot lights to the tach.

If I get some time, I'll take mine apart and get some pictures to show you.

 

[73StangCoupe]

No, the plugs are different, as well as the size of the hole for the plug in the cluster between tach or non tach. I ran into this issue because the previous owner added factory tach and gauges. In my case, they hacked the back out of the idioit light cluster and stuck the tach in, since the lights are in different spots between the two, they couldn't swap on the proper back from the idiot lights to the tach.

If I get some time, I'll take mine apart and get some pictures to show you.

Totalled... thanks for letting me get a few hours of ignorant bliss... just kidding.

I should have already known that because that is exactly what the PO of my car did. He hacked up the idiot light side of my cluster and stuck a factory tach in. He then did some creative wiring to get the lights to work.

So I have bought and installed a circuit board for a tach car, that did not work properly. I've also bought and attempted to install a circuit board for a non tach car, that did not work. I removed the tach and replaced it with an idiot light cluster, installed the circuit board (non tach car) and the lights still don't work. Only the turn signal and high beam indicator lights work. I'm basically stuck and my head (and wallet) hurts. It definitely has to be the creative wiring the PO did that is causing this. Anyone have a solution short of tearing out my dash wiring harness and sending it to MIDLIFE?? Thanks...

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

you said it worked when bench tested-LED's are polarity sensitive-could it be as simple as reversed polarity?

 

[73StangCoupe]

you said it worked when bench tested-LED's are polarity sensitive-could it be as simple as reversed polarity?

Hey Jeff... The simple ideas are usually the best ones. I guess it could be polarity. Its worth a shot and there don't seem to be too many other good alternatives. Maybe Midlife could chime in on that idea... Is it possible?

I hope to have some time this weekend... I'll let you know. Thanks!

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[Totalled]

Time to bust out the multi meter and test light.. Probably gonna have to trace the wires for the illumination circuit, and see where the problem is.


Ok.

Hacked idiot light cluster on top, factory tach on bottom:

My hacked cluster. You can see why the top of the tach is dark, there isn't an illumination bulb there.

Factory tach cluster plug and speedo back hole:

Idiot light:

The contact on the left is the illumination circuit positive. The right is the ground circuit.

This terminal on the idiot light plug is the positive for the illumination circuit:

Hope that helps get you started.

 

[73StangCoupe]

Thanks Totalled,

Unfortunately, I can't see the photos on this post on my gov't computer, we can't access photo bucket. I'll look at it from home tonight. Thanks for taking the time to help, it is appreciated.

I pulled the page that pertains to cluster illumination from the wiring diagram and the power wire that runs through the headlight switch says the color is LB-R, that should be light blue with a red stripe? It looks like that wire is powering half the dash stuff. So I should just have to find out where that wire is, along with the ground and wire that up to the plug and all the lights should work.

I am going to try Jeff's idea about changing the polarity of the LED bulbs first. The only lights that are working are the nonLED lights, the turn signals and the high beam indicator.

I'll keep you posted. Thanks again...

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

hmmmmm . . . I have a non hacked non tach cluster-if having it would allow you to test your car's wiring first in order to eliminate variables, I'd ship it to you and let you send it back when done.

 

[midlife]

Operators are standing by at the phone, call 1-800-MID-LIFE. If you call in the next 3 minutes, you'll also get a set of genuine Ginzu knives!

 

[73StangCoupe]

Operators are standing by at the phone, call 1-800-MID-LIFE. If you call in the next 3 minutes, you'll also get a set of genuine Ginzu knives!

Why thanks Midlife... I can use one of those knives to stab myself in the eye... This is frustrating to say the least!!

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