jermdm

I'm sure other people have this problem with there volt gauge needle bouncing when using certain accessories. First off, I have cleaned all grounds on the body, under the dash and on the cluster. I have added/upgraded ground wires at the battery to the body and body to engine. I have cleaned all contacts on the cluster circuit board/plastic sheet. Since doing all that stuff, my temp gauge reads correctly(was off by about 20 degrees), my dash lights are brighter(which were dimmer before), turn signals flash faster(which they flashed slow before) and the volt gauge reads above the 13 mark(which it never read correctly before and was all over the place). Everything works like it should. Amazing what a little cleaning can do. Only problem is the volt gauge will bounce when using the turn signals, spike down for a second when I turn on my headlights, press on the brake pedal, turn on my rear defroster, when the cooling fan kicks on, or changing blower motor speeds on the HVAC. The volt gauge will go back to normal after a second when whatever accessory I turn on. No lights dim when doing this. Just wondering if anybody else has this problem and were you able to fix it or do you just live with it. I wouldnt think the gauge would do this when it rolled off the assembly line. Is there a diode some where that prevents this spike to the volt gauge?

Ransford2987

I also have this issue, and I don't know if it's able to be fixed. I imagine the slight voltage drop from whatever is powered on is causing this, but I'm not an expert. Sub'd to see if anyone has some thoughts.

majobis

iTrader: (3)

Another place to check - arguably the worst interior maintainence item - is the rear of the gauge cluster. One of the copper paths on the board may be slightly corroded. I ended up having to buy a new printed circuit board last year because of corrosion.

jermdm

I already cleaned all the contacts(including bulb and gauge contacts) on the circuit board on the back of the cluster. When I did that, all the gauges started reading correctly. Just have the volt gauge needle bounce when turning on the accessories. Doesn't appear to be hurting anything and I don't notice any problems associated with it. Just wondering if anybodys thirdgen doesn't do this or if everybodys does this.

NINÅ

Oldies

HELP! I have a minor and major issue: Minor: Cleaning the cluster circuit - a good idea; the grounds, (85 Z28 5.0L), for the Temp and Oil on my Z, which are inaccurate - are supposedly the circuit board itself as the shop manual wiring diagrams indicate; the ground for these two guages is distinguished from the other gauges, (not the column ground wire). How are these grounds treated to restore guage accuracy?, if the problem is not the gauges themselves?
HERE'S MY REAL CURRENT ISSUE, no pun intended - 89 IROC-Z, 5.7L, 62K -
MAJOR issue: I turn on the head or park lights; everything works - high/low beams, (dimmer switch), high/low beam indicator, turn signals, hazard warning, gauges, EXCEPT they only function with the headlamp **** turned all the way, CW, right, i.e., WITH NO cluster illumination, (bad at night).
If the headlamp **** is turned only a little CCW, all gauges drop to ZERO, there is NO cluster illumination (except the safety lamp partially illuminates about the first 45 mph on the speedometer), albeit everything functional continues to work - turn signals, high/low beams, hazz. wrng., EXCEPT the high/low beam icon works backwards, and both turn signal arrows stay on, (but flash normally when turn signals activated). I've checked grounds and replaced the headlamp switch with the same results.
Is anyone familiar with this phenomenon or its solution? Thanks, I could use some help to read my speed and gauges driving at night!

84 1LE

iTrader: (9)

What nina said, also.
sometimes when you take the cluster out & dont seat it all the way when re-installing.Your gauges/lights will do all sorts of querky things.

Arvizu9618

iTrader: (1)

Oldies

Thanks for the feedback; problem solved, including the needle bounce when using the turn signals. After removing the cluster I found one anomaly - thew lower RH corner had
somehow dig eared, i.e., bent up towards the back. This could only have happened years ago during a previous installation. Only half of the exposed copper at best couldhave been in contact with the washer integral to the lower attaching stud on that side. Don't know with what effect.
The only other option was to carefully clean up all the harness terminals and all the mating cluster terminals (copper) using the fine side of emory boards which were handy. For whatever reason all of my symptoms cleared including the "ticking" of the gauge needles when using the turn signals.
Thanks for sharing your problems (jermdm) and your solutions (jermdn, 84 1LE).
ps. since the tail and accy fuses both had 12V and no change when turning the cluster
lamps ****, and the dimmer sw. checked out ok, problem had to be the cluster
'89 IROC-Z, 62,5 orig mi., 5.7L