I need to remove the column anyway, but I am having a weird gauge, headlight/interior light issue. The problem is that if I turn the headlights on or brights everything is fine, but if I turn the headlight **** (with the headlights on) to turn on the interior lights, my oil pressure gauge and fuel pressure gauge drop to zero. Headlight switch is new, I even tried a gauge cluster out of a 1990 camaro (interesting side bit of knowledge, the 1990 camaro oil pressure gauge reads from 0-80 and the gauge cluster out of my 1991 camaro reads 0-60), but same issue occurs with both clusters. I am assuming it's a ground issue somewhere, but I wanted a little more input, so I know what to narrow in on when I take the steering column out to fix the tilt steering pins that are shot.

 

I agree, likely a ground issue. I would take some of the covers off and check the grounds. I believe there is one near where the fuse box (going to one of the supports and i had one to the metal behind the dash. I got to it w the dash pad off. You always can add grounds but its best to find the issue. Id specifically start w a schematic and find the ground for the dimmer and the gauges (its probably the same?)

 

I agree, likely a ground issue. I would take some of the covers off and check the grounds. I believe there is one near where the fuse box (going to one of the supports and i had one to the metal behind the dash. I got to it w the dash pad off. You always can add grounds but its best to find the issue. Id specifically start w a schematic and find the ground for the dimmer and the gauges (its probably the same?)

 

Yup, same as everybody else that posts this. Most likely where the circuit board on the back of the cluster plugs onto the connectors mounted on the main piece of the dash. Butt also as firechicken describes, where the wires that connect the pins in question of those connectors to the chassis, can break or corrode or whatever. Problem isn't the dimmer ground though; it's the light bulbs' ground, which is shared on that flex PCB with the gauges. When one of those grounds from the connectors to the chassis (there are 2, one for each connector, each of which serves about half of the cluster) loses its connection, the power supplied to the bulbs interferes with the gauges, because it tries to find its way back to ground through the gauges and their sending units.

 

FYI: The 90' Cluster is from a V6 car, while the 91' cluster is from a V8.