I think I did something stupid when I removed the gauge cluster to repair the trip meter on my -86 IROC.

Many of the small 3W lightbulbs were broken and I found a lot of the small bulb sockets to be empty, so I stuffed bulbs in all of them.

Then I put the cluster back and gauges went haywire and flashlights lit each other and stuff like that. Oil pressure smacked top, tachometer smacked in the bottom and press against the stop, temp meter sometimes works, sometimes goes negative, and so on.

I must have either shorted something, or there was not supposed to be bulbs in all the sockets. Now I don't remember which were empty, and every time I try to reseat the gauge cluster it shows new and inventive ways to do wrong.

Can you enlighten me (pun!) on how to fix this mess?

Are there bulb sockets that are supposed to be empty?

 

From scrutinizing the cluster and comparing with the electric diagram, I suppose there are not supposed to be any dud sockets.

I used a multimeter to test the connectivity around the circuit sheet, and there were a few sockets that seemed erratic and might have cause something. I don't know.

I can't figure why the lamps and gauges behave like this. :[

 

my guess... you didn't have the cluster fully pressed into the sockets where it mates to the cars electrical system.

 

 

I did take great care to try to fit it on the connectors, but it is difficult as you don't get to see anything behind. I did probe and wiggle it around for the better part of ten minutes but it never felt like it "snapped" into place.

I'm wondering if this is a known and common problem or if I'm just being a klutz?

 

Blimey

Turned out to be a blown fuse that caused all my problems PLUS the fact that there was something awry with the new parklight/blinker bulbs I had put in the front.

Once I changed the fuse, half of my problems went away.

When I changed the blinker bulbs the other half went away.

Well, almost. I still have a problem where one park light don't lit and the other lightning when it should not.

Grumble

 

check your bulb sockets to make sure they arent bad my firebird just gave me problems i had the insturment pannel out to fix my speedo and when i put it back in none of the guages worked then my parking lights went out in the rear then the dash lights then my head lights wouldnt flip down and the turn signal wouldnt blink the turn signal was a bad socket and all the other stuff was two blown fuses talk about everything happening at once

 

Yes, it seems as if the sockets wear down the sheet they are connecting to, so that the copper gets torn off and the connectors rest on plastic rather than metal.

It doesn't look much as if it was designed for longevity.

I found this on Summit Racing and was intrigued :
http://store.summitracing.com/egnsea...922089&NeXID=5
But the digital gauges look like crap and the analogue are $750, so I'll pass for now. =/