Ok my digital dash system is intermittent. My car is a 305 v8 automatic transmission carbureted car. It is the 86 berlinetta dashboard. Now sometimes the system monitor ok light come on and sometimes not. It is intermittent. No burned out bulbs either. What would ca use an intermittent issue on an 86 camaro berlinetta dashboard?

 

Each time a ' Digital Camaro ' is started the SYSTEMS MONITOR section of the dash cluster will perform a self-test. At the start the self-test ALL of the indicator lights in the SYSTEM MONITOR section of the dash will illuminate and 1-by-1 they will shut off as each circuit is checked. If a fault is found, that indicator light will remain lit and the self test will continue. At the end of the self-test:

1) If any of the SYSTEM MONITOR indicator lights are still illuminated,.... the OK light will NOT flash.
2) If none of the SYSTEM MONITOR indicator lights are still illuminated,.... the OK light will flash ON/OFF telling you the cluster passed the self-test.

** Indicator lights that are not part of the SYSTEM MONITOR ( Seat-belt, High beam, ect... ) are not part of the self-test.

Edit: Better way to explain it ?!?

Each time that you turn the key from OFF to RUN the dash cluster SYSTEM MONITOR will perform a self test. All the SYSTEM MONITOR lamps should light up to prove that they are working properly and will shut off 1 by 1. The OK light will not flash during the a "non-Start" self check,......this is because with the key in RUN & the car not started a couple of the warning lights will be ON normally. ( Oil Pressure warning light for example ). Once the key is turned all the way to START the SYSTEM MONITOR will perform another self check. With the car running all the warning lights should shut off 1-by-1 again,... and if they all shut off properly the OK light should flash.

If you are seeing the SYSTEM MONITOR warning lights turning ON & OFF while driving the car in a weird & unexpected way,... you might have a failing dash cluster.

 

the car is not throwing any codes. There are no vacuum issues at all. door ajar light will sometimes work when the door is open sometimes not. Green "ok" light will come on car is running smoothly. Green "ok" light will NOT come on car is running smoothly. Like I said the green ok light is intermittent. What would cause the intermittent light issue?

 

Either it is:

failing the self check but not illuminating the specific indicator light for the 'failure' fault

or it is passing the self check but failing to illuminate the 'OK' light

Unfortunately intermittent issues with the berlinetta electronics are fairly common place now. With the age of the system I suspect it's an order of magnitude (or higher) more common for one to have failed or intermittent operation than for one to be working perfectly.

Many of the 'faults' that the system monitors will have little effect on the operation of the motor. Like wiper fluid low.

 

First thing I'd check with such a problem would be the grounding for the instrument panel.

 

Codes mean nothing here.

Vacuum means nothing here.

Door Ajar is not a SYSTEM MONITOR tell-tale. ( unscrew it from the door jam and screw it back in, probably bad ground at the door jam switch. Door switch is at the back door jam in 84 and could be on the back door jam or on the internal door latch itself from 85-86. )

Green OK light doesn't stay on,... it only flashes after the start-up self check.