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'73 Dash cluster lights

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crispy23c View Drop Down
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    Posted: 18-September-2009 at 9:33AM
Okay....so I have a '73 GTS with the rally cluster.  Instrument lights never worked since I got it and the tach is...'bouncy'
So I pull it to R&R:
clean all circuits- check
quartz movement for the clock- check
clean all harness connections - check
clean connections and replace cluster bulbs - check
replace & clean all courtesy bulbs - check
replace faulty headlight switch - check
Today, the cluster is in and looks new, all courtesy lamps work GREAT, tach stopped bouncing and is smooth as silk, BUT
the freaking Angry instrument lights aren't lighting!!!!!  ARRRGHHHHH!!!!  Yeah, I checked the dimmer switch (rheostat) and it is set on "bright".  No instrument lights
Um...anyone have any pointers of what to look at?
My wife would be eternally greatful because I would stop bitching!!! LOL
~Chris
Chris P. '73 GTS FastBack 351CJ-4V Triple black


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote crispy23c Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18-September-2009 at 2:05PM
Oh, I should check the harness for the grounding cable, but I doubt it.  The guages would be erratic.  The flex circuit looked good, too...
Chris P. '73 GTS FastBack 351CJ-4V Triple black


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote occupant Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18-September-2009 at 5:05PM
Did you check the 4-amp SFE-4 fuse in the fusebox? It's kinda hidden by one of the flashers.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote crispy23c Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18-September-2009 at 11:40PM
Yup.  All new fuses.  Most of 'em were very old.  Going to go through all the connections from the harness today.  The Hazards don't work, but I know that's a separate problem.  Ugh.
~Chris


Edited by crispy23c - 19-September-2009 at 1:33AM
Chris P. '73 GTS FastBack 351CJ-4V Triple black


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GranTorinoMan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19-September-2009 at 4:35AM
There is another red connector attached to the main molex that needs to be plugged in. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote crispy23c Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19-September-2009 at 6:53AM
Wow, man.  Thanks a ton for the layout.  You are awesome!!!
On my '73, the red connector is separate (if I remember right, but I got to look again).  I re-checked the molex but did not recheck the red.  I ran a continuity test light to the fuse box.  Everything lit up bright except the 4 amp fuse (no light) and Hazard flasher (weak light).
I will recheck the red connector to make sure.  Other than that, I got to trace wires back from the fuse box.
I will let you know how I make out.  Thanks again!
~Chris
Chris P. '73 GTS FastBack 351CJ-4V Triple black


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote crispy23c Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-September-2009 at 12:09AM
Checked the red, unfortunately it was completely plugged in and working.  I unplugged it and the courtesy lamps (on dash) and clock stopped-- so I am definitely getting power.
I re-checked at night, and the speedo and tach are getting weak light, I think it's light spilling into those instruments from the courtesy lights below. 
I am going to pull the dash and check the circuit (that runs around the back of the dash) for continuity. It has to be that because I am getting power to everything else. Ouch  I should be able to repair it- if I can find the break.  The good news is that the flex circuit is working fine and all guages work great...
~Chris


Edited by crispy23c - 20-September-2009 at 12:34AM
Chris P. '73 GTS FastBack 351CJ-4V Triple black


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GranTorinoMan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-September-2009 at 3:25AM
What happens to the lights when you turn the dimmer control up and down? I had to solder a jumper wire on my flex curcuit because of a hair line break.    
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote crispy23c Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-September-2009 at 7:16AM
Originally posted by GranTorinoMan GranTorinoMan wrote:

What happens to the lights when you turn the dimmer control up and down? I had to solder a jumper wire on my flex curcuit because of a hair line break.    
The convenience lights brighten & dim, but nothing on the cluster (except the spillover from the convenience lights).  I know there is juice for sure. 
That's exactly what I think happened, a hairline that I did not see because everything else works perfectly now.  Time to yank & inspect.  Arrgh...
Chris P. '73 GTS FastBack 351CJ-4V Triple black


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote picon3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-September-2009 at 3:00AM
Is the problem due to the dash cluster voltage regulator?  Just a thought.
Paul~
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GranTorinoMan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-September-2009 at 4:14AM
I cleaned all the contacts on the flex curcuit, lights and the molex plug. All the exposed copper turned brown over the years, so I used an eraser to bring back that shine. I've replaced all my small gauges with Autometer, disconnected the voltage regulator and my dash lights around the tach & speedo work full on or with the dimmer. I had to modify the plastic around the old gauges to make room for 6 Autometers and I bent back half the flex curcuit so all those light contacts are not being used. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote crispy23c Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-September-2009 at 8:30AM
Interesting.  I did everything but the eraser.  Autometer guages would look nice for sure, but I think I will be debugging first as Iwas wanting to stay original.  Thanks for all your help, I appreciate it!
~cHRIS
Chris P. '73 GTS FastBack 351CJ-4V Triple black


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote crispy23c Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25-September-2009 at 1:11AM
Interesting development...my dash lights are working very, very dimly.  Well the Tach & Speedo are slightly brighter. 
Question is:  is there a ground strap/cable for the dash guages?  A poor ground may explain the weak lights on the cluster.  I don't think there would be an external ground for this, but you never know for sure.
Short of that, the cluster is coming out this weekend for R&R...
~Chris
Chris P. '73 GTS FastBack 351CJ-4V Triple black


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Torinogts73c Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25-September-2009 at 2:27AM
  Mine started acting up recently when we had some high humidity ,going to pull my cluster this weekend. I just bought a white face gauge cover set going to see how that works.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote occupant Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25-September-2009 at 5:03AM
I have a standard cluster, but it is about to come out because I have no dash lights after replacing my fuses. And the temperature gauge has yet to work. AND the fuel gauge just stopped working after it sat from June til now. It worked back in May just fine. I'm starting to wonder about that voltage regulator myself. But the speedo/odo, brake/oil/alt/belts/signal indicator warning lights all work fine. No vacuum light and no high beam light but they may be burned out. I think I used the high beam bulb to fix the right turn signal bulb back in May. So I just need more bulbs, MAYBE.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GranTorinoMan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26-September-2009 at 4:10AM
Question is:  is there a ground strap/cable for the dash guages?  A poor ground may explain the weak lights on the cluster.  I don't think there would be an external ground for this, but you never know for sure.
[/QUOTE]
 
It never hurts to run a new (-) ground from the battery to a convenient location under the dash cover. I chose one of the dash supports above the glove box as a main (-) ground contact location for my electronics because it's flat and easy to access. I ran a Streetwires 8 gauge wire from the dash support metal to a (-) ground post right beside the battery. Each component (-) ground wire should have its own separate connection to the metal in case of a melt down. My friends car audio amp shorted out and it sent high current back through the (-) ground wire and melted every electronic component that shared the same (-) contact point of that amp.            
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote crispy23c Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26-September-2009 at 4:49AM
Originally posted by GranTorinoMan GranTorinoMan wrote:

Question is:  is there a ground strap/cable for the dash guages?  A poor ground may explain the weak lights on the cluster.  I don't think there would be an external ground for this, but you never know for sure.
 
It never hurts to run a new (-) ground from the battery to a convenient location under the dash cover. I chose one of the dash supports above the glove box as a main (-) ground contact location for my electronics because it's flat and easy to access. I ran a Streetwires 8 gauge wire from the dash support metal to a (-) ground post right beside the battery. Each component (-) ground wire should have its own separate connection to the metal in case of a melt down. My friends car audio amp shorted out and it sent high current back through the (-) ground wire and melted every electronic component that shared the same (-) contact point of that amp.            
[/QUOTE]
I'm thinking it's got to be that.  Power to everything, just weak dash cluster lights.  Come to think of it, I painted the inside area of the mounts (d'oh) on the dash itself, so I will clean off the mounting points and run another separate series of grounds.  Good idea.  Thanks!!!
~Chris
Chris P. '73 GTS FastBack 351CJ-4V Triple black


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote baough Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26-September-2009 at 6:43AM
Have you checked to see what kind of voltage your getting , if any, out of the dashboard regulator. Or if your even getting any voltage to it at all ? I remember years ago when I had my first 73 GT I had some issues and that is one of the things that I changed out. Unfortunatly I had done several attemted fixes at the same time and one of them solved the problem, just don't know which fix did the fix.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote crispy23c Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-September-2009 at 5:32AM
Oh, I been there a few times before! LOL  Turn all the knobs and don't know what each one did!
Well, I was out in the driveway last night before it started raining (the dash pad is still off), and I was reaching around the back playing with the bulb holders.  I did notice that as I worked them round (clockwise and back) that the lighting got brighter and stayed that way.  There was only one bulb I could not access, and that one is dimmer, so I believe it's a  connection thing. 
I initially thought of the V-reg because my tach was pretty eratic (bounced alot), but after I cleaned the cconnectors the problem was solved and all guages perform correctly.
Prior to install, I did clean all the exposed circuits and connectors with electronic cleaner (great stuff), but I did not use an eraser or other abrasive.  When I re-pull the dash I am going to clean the crud out of them to ensure that no residue is there, ground the panel better, and re-install.  If that doesn't work, I will put in a v-reg as you suggested, but overall the guages are getting brighter each time I work them!
Thanks for all the good advice, guys.  I appreciate it!
~Chris
 
PS-- On the hazards-- they work for about 5 or 6 blinks and then crap out.  I have a new hazard in the fuse box.  I am beginning to think it's the actual switch on the column because hazards work pretty simply.  The normal blinkers work fine.   The only switches for the hazard are the blinker itself (by heating up after 12v is introduced from the battery) and the column hazard switch (which interrupts flow from battery).  I will let you all know how it works out.
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