Instrument Cluster Connector
 

I found this connector on a bulb on the back of the instrument cluster, does anybody know what it is for? It is not connected to anything, it's just there.

Re: Instrument Cluster Connector
 

That sends light up to your gear selector on the column with an auto trans.

Re: Instrument Cluster Connector
 

It is one of the dash lamps for the speedo or fuel guage. The line attached to it is a fiber optic cable that illuminates the gear selector on the steering column.

Re: Instrument Cluster Connector
 

Well I'll be! :) I didn't think they had Fiber Optics in our trucks. Thanks for the answers! :metal:

Re: Instrument Cluster Connector
 

see Leon's post #5 in this thread, shows location on the back of the cluster where this ties in.

so question for the electrical gurus.. since the stinger that runs up the column is just to illuminate the shift indicator when the cluster gauges are also illuminated, does it matter at all into which hole this bulb w/stinger is placed?

asking because I just removed my cluster and this was the only item not connected to anything - and the only open hole on the back of the cluster was one of the indicator lights on the fuel gauge (brake, etc) - which is not what Leon showed in his pic in the link above. I'm wondering if it matters at all which bulb hole on the printed circuit is used.

thoughts?

Re: Instrument Cluster Connector
 

There's only 4 illumination bulb holes in the instrument cluster. They turn on with parking lights and headlights and are dimmable. So you would want to use one of those 4 holes for the shift indicator fiber optic. Probably one of the middle 2 would be easiest to route the fiber to.

Re: Instrument Cluster Connector
 

thanks djmlambert - it was one of your other posts (post #6) in another thread that helped me figure this out once you noted there were only 4 illum holes (the expanded instrument cluster wiring pic) - thank you! I think my truck's PO may have had this wired up wrong.. i might have never noticed had it not been for this thread popping up today, until after I reinstalled the cluster, of course. for those interested, the lower 4 "x" indicators in djmlambert's post #6 in the link I pasted here are the 4 instrument illum holes (i.e. not the turn signal "x" indicators, the remaining x's).