Gauges maxed out after removing cluster

[zfinger]

I painted my cab floor and did some interior cleaning. Once I put my gauge cluster back in and turned the truck on, my gauges maxed out and won't read.

 

Oil pressure was maxed and not working before this.

Now my fuel gauge and coolent temp gauges are maxed. Volts still reads correctly.

 

I tried pulling the clucter back out, didn't work.

I tried disconnecting the battery (only long enough to remove/reintall the cluster again), didn't work.

I even tried taking off the clear plastic and turning them back by hand. Turned the key and they went back to max.

 

WTF is going on here?

 

[thejim42]

Just kind of a shot in the dark but the connector can't be in upside down can it?

[Strokermjcomanche]

Check where the connectors go into the cluster . Sounds like a ground / power issue IMO .

[88ComancheMitch]

I know oil and temp run off resistance. I'm assuming gas does also. You have a wire grounded somewhere.

[zfinger]

I tried flipping the plug, only goes in one way.

 

I found in the cherokee forums it could be a bad ground down by the parking break, which I just removed.

[thejim42]

Sounds like you found a good place to start looking

[zfinger]

Well, I found no ground wires down by the parking brake. I cleaned all the contacts on the back of the cluster, cleaned where the harness plugs in too. Got the fuel gauge working for a minute but not the temp gauge. Then the fuel gauge went back to max and temp gauge still did nothing. Grounds at the cluster tested good too. I'm stumped and getting pissed.

 

Time for a new gauge cluster?

[thejim42]

Check your fuses. Something somewhere is open. Everything is resistance based and youre gauges are all reading zero resistance. Check all the plugs under the dash.

[kook911]

I also am having the same problem but mine is just the oil pressure gauge. My question is can I just cut the wire to the send run a new wire to the back of the gauge? As this seems the easiest way and I think it would be a little hard to trace the wore all the way.

[Fernando87mj]

I also am having the same problem but mine is just the oil pressure gauge. My question is can I just cut the wire to the send run a new wire to the back of the gauge? As this seems the easiest way and I think it would be a little hard to trace the wore all the way.

My 88 does the same but out of curiosity I slightly hit the oil pressure sender with a small wrench and it went back to normal :/

[zfinger]

It seems like the issue is somewhere on the back of the cluster. I wedged little cuts of wire behind the tabs on the plug and plugged the cluster back in. Oil pressure now works, volts still works, coolant temp is at the bottom of the gauge (not maxed anymore), but also doesn't appear to be reading. And the fuel gauge is still maxed out.

 

I picked up http://www.jegs.com/i/Auto-Meter/105/2397/10002/-1 these gauges from Jegs, but I'm not sure where the best place is to put the coolant temp sensor. Any advise?

 

Got this http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS+Performance+Products/555/10561/10002/-1 too because my aux fan still isn't kicking on. Did a dual kit with these on my 240sx to run the electric fans.

[ParadiseMJ]

I had this problem intermittently...it was the gauge fuse socket...it had a bit of corrosion and got tweaked so the fuse was sometimes loose in the slot.  I put a dab of solder on the fuse tabs to thicken them up...bingo, problem gone. 10A fuse upper right of the box.