NEED help, nothing working on my dash...

[Uncle Don]

just bought car so starting to do some trouble shooting. just wanted to see what to look for and how to approach.....

i have a new gas tank but the gauge does not work. the temp gauge does not work either. the radio will pop when you turn it on and thats about it....but my antenna is broke off at just above the fender...??

no dash lights what so ever. the dome light does work.

id like to have all this working....any ideas? where to start? look for? thanks guys.

oh this is a 66 ply belvedere 2 door hard top automatic.

 

[rdrunner1974]

Troubleshooting

You can check the gas and temp gauges by grounding the wires at the senders. Do the gas gauge at the tank and the temp to the manifold being sure there is a good clean area to ground to.
With the ign. on, they should go to FULL and HOT. If not, you probably have a bad dash volt regulator.
The dash lights could be fuse or light switch which has the reostat for dimming the dash lights.
Fix the antenna and see what the radio doe's. If your radio is bad, they are available in many different forms, stock appearing modern guts, used replacement.
Good luck
http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1966/66BelvedereSatelliteA.JPG
http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1966/66BelvedereSatelliteB.JPG

 

[Uncle Don]

well i know the dimmer switch on the headlight knob doesn't work...either...so may be the switch on that...ill get to checking tonight......thanks for the help....

anything else?

 

[68ChargerAG]

I would start by verifying 12VDC going in and out of each fuse and checking the grounding of the sensors as rdrunner suggested. The fuel level gauge needs that little clip that goes from the sending unit output tube to the gas line across the flexible line connection to ensure it is grounded, if that is missing the sending unit will not work.

I am not sure about 1966, but my 1968 has a voltage regulator on the backside of the instrument cluster that powers all of the gauges. I have seen this discussed on this forum before, try doing some searches for that, there is good information about checking the regulator and where to get a new one if it is bad.

 

[Uncle Don]

so maybe if none of my guages are working then its a good chance i could put in a voltage regulator behind the panel and be good??? wishful thinking....??

 

[MarPar]

so maybe if none of my guages are working then its a good chance i could put in a voltage regulator behind the panel and be good??? wishful thinking....??

wishful thinking? :yes: electrical demons are a bitch...you fix one, and two more pop up :black_eye: we do have a lot of great guys (and gals) on this forum who will help you out!!! Good luck and Godspeed!!!

 

[morbidgoat]

have you looked at any of the dash bulbs yet to make sure they are not just blown, maybe something surged the system and popped the bulbs as well.

 

[Uncle Don]

ok update...and help!!! now ive done it...lol. i have the hole instrument cluster out of the dash, that was fun. so i only found two bulbs that were out, all others are working..one is totally missing. i grounded the temp gauges out under the hood at the unit, and it did absolutely nothing...tried different things and needle never moves....so i never moved to the back to check fuel wiring....

so all fuses are good, and still no dash lights. although my turn signals lights work, my low and high beam light works, my oil pressure light works, but no ilumination bulbs work...??? i have zero lighting at night...not even in the radio.

oh on a lighter note, put a new antenna on and fixed the radio...! sweet.

so am i down to headlight switch replacement? that fix my dash lights? the switch does click over and turn the dome lights on too....

am i down to putting a regulator on to fix my gauges? what else can i do or check while i have my hole cluster out laying in the floor....??? i want gauges that work and lights in teh dash dangit! i demand it.

 

[68ChargerAG]

Do you have something that looks similar to this on the back of your gauge cluster? I don't know if they used them in 1966 or not.

If so, make sure you are getting voltage both into and out of it when all is plugged in. This one item can cause all gauges to not function.

I would say that the dash lighting problem is related to the dimmer switch, especially since you say that you already know that it is bad. You could try bypassing the dimmer switch to verify the lights all come on, it is just a variable resistor and the contacts are probably worn corroded.

 

[Uncle Don]

YEP thats exactly what i have, got one on the way, and i bought a light switch be here today....so while i have all this out and there not that expensive i might aswell go ahead atleast i know there new.....gotta start somehwere.

 

[Uncle Don]

ok now i have another problemmm who up top said ill be chasing electrical gremlins forever??? arhhhh!

so when pulling my instrument panel out last night i forgot to unhook the battery(yeah i know dont say it) and it shorted out on the dash where the hot is for the volt gauge....smoke a rollin under the dash and outside under the hood...heard a loud pop like a fuse but they all look ok??? so unhooked the battery...went on about my way.

today i hooked the battery back up to move it outside the garage and nothing. zero. not a smidge of anything. so i get my testy little multimeter out and check around...i got 12.4 volts at the battery, 12.4 volts at the starter, 12.4 volts at some block on the fire wall...so i know its getting power there. but i have nothing inside the car. no dome lights no anything. fuse block nothing there...no readings nothing....

so obviously i have shorted a wire or fuseable link wire? or? regulator or? now keep in mind that my dash isnt back in the car yet so i just have wires hanging there but i would still think i would have power to the fuse block? or a dome light? or does all that light switches and blah blah have to be hooked up for it all to work?

what do i check first? im new to the old plymouths when it comes to electrical...so help me out best ya can.....

thanks in advance.

 

[69 Runner]

Fuseable link

 

[67GeeTeeX]

greetings,
I bought a plastic laminated wiring chart for about $20+/- on Ebay. It's color coded and very easy to follow for my "67 GTX. I also bought a used/reprinted service manual for the same car. Both have been very helpful in getting me in the right direction. I don't know "Pelosi" about 12v wiring but I am making great headway now with these two documents and a good 12v multimeter, which it seems you already have. I bought new bulkhead connector pads and new brass connectors. Then I just started with one wire, traced it, checked it for ground/power/continuity and fixed/replaced or improved what I found. Also, took out the entire instrument cluster, used a fine cardboard nail file (Emery board) and shined all the contact points for wires and plugs. I started all this in 1974. I should be done with the final few wires in about 2 or 2 1/2 years. lol good luck.

 

[69 Runner]

One trick to use on a printed circuit board to clean the contact surface without damage is to use a red pencil eraser (rubrubrub)

 

[68ChargerAG]

If you are not connected to your alternator (ammeter) gauge you will not have power to anything in the car unless the gauge is bypassed. The power that goes to fuse box and everything inside the car goes through the gauge first so if it is disconnected and not bypassed you won't see power at your fuse box.

Do you have 12.4V on either of the two fat wires that connect to the alternator gauge? If not, trace the one back through the firewall that connects to the pos terminal of the starter relay, that one should cary your 12V from the battery to inside the car. If you do have power on one of them, short the two together ( thus bypassing the alternator gauge) and you will have power to your fuse box etc.

 

[MarPar]

"Pelosi" :rolling::rolling: that's great! Lots of great info and tips on this thread guys... :sSig_thanks: i've picked a bunch!

 

[Uncle Don]

thanks guys! i had a friend that did the same thing on his 64 belvedere come over tonight and help...we found a fuseable link wire bad rite at the firewall where the wiring block go's into the car...fixed it and wallah! power!! weee....
now i just got to find a ac/heater switch, door flapper cable, and fix my interior dash lights and im all good to go......!!! you guys helped a bunch. thanks.

 

[MarPar]

I just love happy endings!!!

 

[69 Runner]

I just love happy endings!!!

kinda makes you tear up doesn't it:grin:

 

[MarPar]

kinda makes you tear up doesn't it:grin:

lol