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Help, my meter is going crazy!

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Old Jan 13, 2026 | 08:14 PM
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bigjim08's Avatar
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Help, my meter is going crazy!

Bonjour à tous et bonne année ! Je vous écris de France en utilisant Google Traduction car mon anglais n'est pas très bon…
Je possède une Camaro iRoc-Z TPI 350Ci de 1988, et depuis hier, mon compteur kilométrique est complètement déréglé ; les aiguilles s'affolent, comme dans la vidéo… Mon alternateur charge correctement la batterie (14,6 V), et ma batterie est en bon état.
En même temps que les aiguilles bougent, mes phares perdent en luminosité…
En plus de ce dysfonctionnement, les aiguilles indiquent une température trop élevée, une tension trop basse, une pression d'huile quasi nulle, et un régime moteur anormalement élevé.
Il semblerait que j'aie un problème électrique ! Une mauvaise masse ? Un fil +12 V qui touche la masse ? Je ne sais pas…
Merci d'avance pour vos conseils, car ici en France, il n'est pas facile de trouver des informations, et encore moins un garage qui répare nos chères Camaro
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Old Jan 14, 2026 | 10:02 AM
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From: Milwaukee
Car: 92 Firebird, 77 Trans Am SE, 86 Z28
Engine: 5.7 HSR, T/A 6.6, empty
Transmission: T-5, TH350, T-5
Axle/Gears: 3.08 posi, 3.23 posi, 3.23
Re: Help, my meter is going crazy!

I can't open the video on my phone to get a better understanding of your problem. Given the information, I'd look at grounds first. All of them. And I would look for a short in a power wire somewhere. Maybe a rodent chewed on wiring. Best course of immediate action is to start looking under the dashboard and cleaning grounds in the engine compartment. I tried a quick search to find you a 1988 wiring diagram but found the earlier and later year diagrams. More time searching and you'll probably be able to find them on thirdgen.org in the amount of threads here. Good luck!
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Old Jan 14, 2026 | 10:46 AM
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From: MICHIGAN
Car: 1988 Trans Am
Engine: L03
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 10 Bolt 2.73 Open
Re: Help, my meter is going crazy!

"Hello everyone and Happy New Year! I am writing from France using Google Translation because my English is not very good...
I own a 1988 Camaro iRoc-Z TPI 350Ci, and since yesterday, my odometer is completely out of order; the hands are panicking, as in the video… My alternator correctly loads the battery (14.6 V), and my battery is in good condition.
At the same time as the hands move, my headlights lose brightness…
In addition to this malfunction, the needles indicate too high a temperature, too low a voltage, an almost zero oil pressure, and an abnormally high engine speed.
Looks like I have an electrical problem! A bad mass? A +12 V wire that touches the mass? I don't know…
Thank you in advance for your advice, because here in France, it is not easy to find information, and even less a garage that repairs our dear Camaro
"

Watched the video...curious behavior. But agree with aliceempire, I'd be looking for a common shared item between them, like a bad ground. I know some of my older cars have a voltage limiter for the gauges, but I'm not sure if an '88 3rd gen uses that sort of thing. With a bad limiter, I've seen them read high or low, but not twitch around like that.
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Old Jan 14, 2026 | 12:18 PM
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Car: 1986 IROC Z
Engine: 5.0 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.23 Posi
Re: Help, my meter is going crazy!

Originally Posted by DynoDave43
a common shared item between them, like a bad ground.
^^^^THIS.



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Old Jan 18, 2026 | 10:41 AM
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Re: Help, my meter is going crazy!

Hello everyone, thank you for your help. I checked all the ground connections (except the dashboard)... I redid the one from the battery to the right fender, and I was missing the one from the right cylinder head to the body... After 15 miles, everything is fine, no more problems... Thank you for your advice.
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