[Shotimes] Re: Gauge Cluster Issues

[Jon Heese]

I don't think it's a sender issue (in the case of the fuel/temp gauges)
because the gauges worked fine before I pulled my dash cluster to lube
my rattling speedo cable, and the chances are slim that two senders on
opposite ends of the car would fail at the same time (for no apparent
reason).  I know that the signal for the fuel gauge goes through the
little wafer board snapped in at the bottom right of the cluster (I
suppose in order to convert the signal from the sender into a signal
that the gauge understands), so I might suspect that something on that
board has failed, except that I'm getting similar behavior on both
clusters, and also I don't believe the signal for the temp gauge goes
through this wafer board.  I think that the problem is between the
senders and the connectors...  but where?  I don't know.

As far as the tach issue is concerned, I did some of research on the
interoperability of the gauge clusters before I bought the new one, and
everything I found suggested that everything on any Gen1/2 SHO/SLO
cluster would work in any Gen1/2 SHO/SLO, including the tach.  I guess
the GL could be excluded from this rule because of the tach, I'll have
to look into it.

> Some of your problems may be sending units.  I believe they are
> different between gauges and idiot lights.  The GL never had a
> tach, so there is no signal to the new cluster.  Don't know what
> to do about that.  You'll have to pick up the signal from somewhere.
> 
> 
> Mike Wojton
> Toledo, Ohio
> 
> -'95 White MTX
>    '96 Brake Upgrade
> 
> Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> shotimes-admin@autox.team.net wrote on 12/02/2003 10:12:42 AM:
> 
> > I just put a (known-working) 1990 SHO cluster (green backlight, 5-digit
> > odo) in my 95 SLO GL to replace the OEM cluster (blue backlight, no
> > tach) which i thought had busted fuel and temp gauges (both pegged out
> > all the time).  All the wiring and clips seemed fine, so I figured I'd
> > take the opportunity to upgrade to the 140mph/tach cluster while fixing
> > my fuel/temp gauge issues.  Unfortunately, with the new cluster, the
> > fuel and temp gauges are both stuck around the middle of their ranges
> > (not pegged out like before) and the tach is dead at 0.  All of the
> > lights (that are easily tested) in the cluster work fine, so I know I
> > have connections at the plugs.
> > 
> > My next course of action is to pull the "new" cluster and probe the lead
> > connectors for signals on the appropriate pins.  The gauges in question
> > all have 3 terminals labeled ground, signal and "beede".  I couldn't
> > find anything on the web as far as what "beede" is, but a little poking
> > with 9V on my "old" gauges seem to indicate that it behaves almost
> > exactly like the signal terminal, except +9V applied to beede and -9v
> > applied to signal moves the needle one way and the opposite moves it the
> > other.  Anyone know for sure what kind of signal I'm looking for on the
> > lead connector pins?  Anyone have any experience diagnosing a dead gauge
> > cluster?
> > 
> > Any help is appreciated.
> > 
> > Jon Heese
> > '95 Vulcan GL SLO
> > _______________________________________________
> > Shotimes mailing list
> > Shotimes@autox.team.net
> > http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo/shotimes