Rallye Dash Grounding

[Bruzilla]

A couple of grounding questions. First, is the back side of a rallye dash a grounding surface for the dash lights, i.e., when those spring steel clips that hold the lights in their sockets get plugged into the holes in the dash, are they grounded (assuming the dash itself is grounded?)

Also, where are the ground points for the dash? I just removed the stock AM radio, and I thought that may have been one of the main grounding points.

Thanks

 

[Randy73]

A couple of grounding questions. First, is the back side of a rallye dash a grounding surface for the dash lights, i.e., when those spring steel clips that hold the lights in their sockets get plugged into the holes in the dash, are they grounded (assuming the dash itself is grounded?)

Also, where are the ground points for the dash? I just removed the stock AM radio, and I thought that may have been one of the main grounding points.

Thanks

There is a harness ground wire right beside A/C controls, but what year rallye are you talking about?
Just about every year had a different harness.

 

[Ron 73]

I just had my Rally cluster out (73) I put in LED's and had it out to put in white face overlays in and it had to come out, I found trying the new bulbs that putting the bulbs in they didn't light up until i plugged the light back in the hole they go in.. AND it, the cluster, was just sitting in front of me, no ground that i could see.. The indicator bulbs do not have the metal attachment around the socket but still worked if i turned on my 4 ways.. Im sure there is a wire some place that is grounding the cluster, but i didn't see any... If the dash is grounded and it would have to be, then where ever you run a ground wire/strap to the cluster, it to would be grounded... I think all it is IS pot metal.. If this is the same problem you had before, Charge up your battery, i messed with mine because the bulbs all lit up as they should but a couple gauges didn't work and my turn signals and 4- ways wouldn't.. I charged the battery and all was back as it should be, might not make sense, didn't to me as bright as the bulbs seemed to be, but thats what i found... That and a whole lot brighter bulbs. Ive been reading about your problem and thought just maybe this could be your problem, if it isint, at least your battery's up good, no pun intended, Honestly ive seen stranger things with Mopar when it comes to lights and grounds and what not... Hope this helps.

I forgot to add, I don't remember seeing a condenser type looking device on the back of mine, but have heard that some go bad and gauges wont work.. Maybe its the older ones, i don't remember but its something to check on maybe.. If yours is out, i would as a last resort, hook the old one back up and make sure all is working on it, this way you might eliminate a problem before the cluster itself..

 

[moparmarks]

The cluster frame is grounded to the dash frame via it's mounting screws. The dash frame is grounded to the body the same way. There is also a harness ground as shown bottom right. Then there is also column ground jumper at it's dash mount.

 

[Ron 73]

mopar marks, what i said above, could i have a problem elsewhere that would do such a thing? i never had this happen before and just charging the battery fixed the problem, i don't understand how, or why.

 

[tpodwdog]

any dash bulb ( or any bulb for that matter) with one wire on it grounds thru the springy clips that hold it in. the twist in black plastic dash bulbs ground thru the circuit board which in turn grounds to the dash itself .

 

[moparmarks]

Well Ron I'm not real sure. I do know that if the cluster frames loses a good ground that real fuuny thing came happen. Drove a 64 Chevy for 20 years. For the longest time when I turned on the head lights the gas gauge would fall 1/2 way and the right T/sig light would come on. Put a grounding jumper on the cluster frame and all was good.
I myself had never used LEDs in a car.
Another note is make sure the mounting nut for the H/L switch is gootantight. Thats the ground path for the switch.

 

[Ron 73]

Thank you, I will check that mounting nut... The LED lights are just change the old, put them in, unless you use them for t/s then you have to change the flasher for them and the 4-ways.. its been working ever since i charged the battery, i just thought it to be a bit odd and maybe this is the problem bruzilla was having, as i said ive seen some strange things with the wiring issues.. Thanks again, i will check that..

 

[moparmarks]

Try this one Ron. The dash I showed above is in my 72 SSP beater. The dash light in the bottom of the clock has a constint flicker but only when the motor is running. Changed the bulb. Made sure everything is seated good. Clock is grounded good to the cluster frame. Clock works fine. Its wired right in with the other dash light bulbs but it the only one the flickers.

 

[Ron 73]

wow strange stuff, i don't know.. i don't want to hy-jack a thread here but you have that flicker, when i turn the key in run position, i watch the voltmeter flicker, just like the clock, i don't even have, shut the doors, turn garage lights off cant see no kind of a spark touching + post with cable that gos on the post. and battery doesn't go dead sitting there. go figure.. Sorry Bruzilla!

 

[tpodwdog]

as most of you know, mopars and im pretty sure all makes GROUND THRU THE BODY ( this is why there is a pig tail usually from the battery neg(-) to the body ( rad support ).

if weird things start happening, start your search for a bad ground or a loss of ground first. its pretty simple actually. think of electricity as a full circle. pos(+), load(lights) and neg (-). to complete any circuit it MUST GO FULL CIRCLE. goes from (+) to the load to ground (-). if any one of these are lost, it cant complete a circuit.

electricity is like water...it will take the path of LEAST RESISTANCE.......and this is why stupid things start happening. a test light is your friend. learn how to use one( with a aa battery and one without )...and most anything can be found.

you can tell a bad ground ( like the cars we all seen with one bright head light and one really dim...the dim light is caused from a bad ground). ...amd no ground...it just dont work !

so...in essence.... everything grounds ( mostly everything) grounds thru the body so you have to make sure the " full circle" goes to the body in some way. some go thru a screw or a bolt....some have a " pig tail" going directly to the body ( good grounds require bare.... AND I MEAN BARE metal, and CLEAN connections. that is your electricity lesson for today ,,,,lmao!

 

[moparmarks]

Well said tpodwdog. Good advise to follow.
Being a master electrician of 30 years I have a pretty good understanding of auto wiring. Have a 57 Chevy, I know, in the shop now doing a complete rewire and installing some those Dakota gauges.

 

[tpodwdog]

Well said tpodwdog. Good advise to follow.
Being a master electrician of 30 years I have a pretty good understanding of auto wiring. Have a 57 Chevy, I know, in the shop now doing a complete rewire and installing some those Dakota gauges.

thanx Moparmark. it took me alot of blown fuses and learning how to use both powered and non-powered test lights to fix electrical things. i am a master carpenter by trade but if youre gonna own an old car, ya gotta learn how to fix em and have a basic understanding of how electricity works ! Thanx again!