dash lights - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

krazy_texan · 01-16-2003, 10:17 PM

i have a 71 c/20 and when i am driving afterdark when i am driving with my lights on the dash lights will work until i turn on my brights and then the dash lights go out and also when i turn on my blinkers my hole dash flashes. Anybody help me please

DARK OLIVE 72CHEYENNE · 01-17-2003, 10:28 AM

sounds like you have a short somewhere or a naked wire somewhere.mabe just need to trace wires down.

Longhorn Man · 01-17-2003, 10:40 AM

Does your fuel guage go crazy when you use the high beams or turn signal? If so, try grounding your inst panel.

Lippyp · 01-17-2003, 11:53 AM

Check the floor mounted dimmer switch, they get a lot of hammer and damp and mine casued me very similar problems.

SWINGSAX68 · 01-17-2003, 02:03 PM

Sorry to butt in:
Hey Longhorn mail....how do I ground my Cluster????? My gas gauge goes crazy when I accelerate sometimes and also I think when I do other things.....let me know soon before I go out of town for today friday. How would I ground my Sending unit??? I noticed that some new sending units have like a ground wire on them.

lukecp · 01-17-2003, 04:02 PM

I had similiar problems, and it turned out to be a bad ground. To ground the panel, go behind the dash and remove one of the little sheetmetal screws somewhere on the back of the insturment panel. Put ring terminal hooked up to a wire around the screw, and put it back in. Make sure to scrape all the old paint off the screw and the panel where the screw goes in. Then hook the other end of the wire up to a ground somewhere. I hooked up mine to the screw on the braket that supports the steering collumn. If the problem stops, you have a bad ground.

Longhorn Man · 01-17-2003, 04:04 PM

Well, if it goes nuts when you accelarate, it may just be your fuel sloshing around (do you have an in cab tank, or blazer style?).
To ground the dash, just run a piece of wire (of decent guage..not little sissy speaker wire) and bolt it to the metal on the back of the panel, and then just ground it someplace on the dash.

SWINGSAX68 · 01-17-2003, 11:50 PM

Thanks Longhorn...I am now with my truck...in San Antonio TX, and my truck "talk buddies" are comeing tommorow, so we have a few things to do to all our trucks!!!!!
Looking to get a Bumper from a 93 chevy pkup to get it straightened out, and looking to install a port-n-polished manifold, some sort of mustang throttle body, and starting to install a nitrous kit on a 91 ford ranger, and a few things to my Rusty.

01-16-2003, 10:17 PM	#1
krazy_texan Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: West Des Moines, Ia Posts: 3,233	dash lights i have a 71 c/20 and when i am driving afterdark when i am driving with my lights on the dash lights will work until i turn on my brights and then the dash lights go out and also when i turn on my blinkers my hole dash flashes. Anybody help me please __________________ Krazy Texan My Trucks are made with Wrenches not Chop Sticks 1967 GMC 3/4 ton "Johnny Cash" 1990 v1500 suburban 1967 Ford f100 Swb 4x4 "green bean" GOD BLESS JESUS, JOHN WAYNE, AND THE ALAMO

01-17-2003, 11:53 AM	#4
Lippyp English Chevy Owner Join Date: May 2002 Location: Shropshire, UK/ Lot, France Posts: 1,848	Check the floor mounted dimmer switch, they get a lot of hammer and damp and mine casued me very similar problems. __________________ Phil '67 C10 long fleet. 350/TH350, 4 bbl Carter, K&N, Dual exhaust, loads of stuff coming soon 2001 S10 Blazer Daily Driver, bone stock 4 door 4x4 with manual transmission

01-17-2003, 02:03 PM	#5
SWINGSAX68 Now the others dig........ Join Date: May 2002 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 1,520	Hmmmm Sorry to butt in: Hey Longhorn mail....how do I ground my Cluster????? My gas gauge goes crazy when I accelerate sometimes and also I think when I do other things.....let me know soon before I go out of town for today friday. How would I ground my Sending unit??? I noticed that some new sending units have like a ground wire on them. __________________ 68 Chevy C10 Stepside Black Primer 78 GMC Longbed White 09 Chevy Silverado Shortbed Granite Blue *LOOKING FOR A 67 4 DOOR IMPALA!!!Just like Sam and Dean Winchester!! 'Cause Mustangs are for p^#$ and you can fit a body in the trunk of a 67 Impala* MEMBER OF THE DRUM BRAKE CLUB Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies Texas State University-San Marcos, TX Certified Music Educator I hope Mom is up there watching and being my Guardian Angel "I've got a fever.....and the only prescription.....IS MORE COW BELL" -The Legendary: Bruce Dickenson "F#$@ 'em up!!!!!!" -The Legendary: Rogelio Escobar TRUCKY LINKS** http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=457750 http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=461184 http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=472848 http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=417541 http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=477788 Last edited by SWINGSAX68; 01-17-2003 at 02:08 PM.

01-17-2003, 04:02 PM	#6
lukecp Formerly yellow72custom Join Date: May 2001 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 7,531	I had similiar problems, and it turned out to be a bad ground. To ground the panel, go behind the dash and remove one of the little sheetmetal screws somewhere on the back of the insturment panel. Put ring terminal hooked up to a wire around the screw, and put it back in. Make sure to scrape all the old paint off the screw and the panel where the screw goes in. Then hook the other end of the wire up to a ground somewhere. I hooked up mine to the screw on the braket that supports the steering collumn. If the problem stops, you have a bad ground. __________________ '72 Chevy C10 Mild 350/TH350/3.07. Ochre/White. Old high school ride. '70 GMC C2500 '62 327 4bbl/SM465/4.56-geared Dana 60. White/White. Project or parts truck. '97 Saturn SL DD. 1.9/5-speed. 40+ highway mpg

01-17-2003, 11:50 PM	#8
SWINGSAX68 Now the others dig........ Join Date: May 2002 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 1,520	Thanks Longhorn...I am now with my truck...in San Antonio TX, and my truck "talk buddies" are comeing tommorow, so we have a few things to do to all our trucks!!!!! Looking to get a Bumper from a 93 chevy pkup to get it straightened out, and looking to install a port-n-polished manifold, some sort of mustang throttle body, and starting to install a nitrous kit on a 91 ford ranger, and a few things to my Rusty. __________________ 68 Chevy C10 Stepside Black Primer 78 GMC Longbed White 09 Chevy Silverado Shortbed Granite Blue *LOOKING FOR A 67 4 DOOR IMPALA!!!Just like Sam and Dean Winchester!! 'Cause Mustangs are for p^#$ and you can fit a body in the trunk of a 67 Impala* MEMBER OF THE DRUM BRAKE CLUB Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies Texas State University-San Marcos, TX Certified Music Educator I hope Mom is up there watching and being my Guardian Angel "I've got a fever.....and the only prescription.....IS MORE COW BELL" -The Legendary: Bruce Dickenson "F#$@ 'em up!!!!!!" -The Legendary: Rogelio Escobar TRUCKY LINKS** http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=457750 http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=461184 http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=472848 http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=417541 http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=477788

01-17-2003, 10:28 AM	#2
DARK OLIVE 72CHEYENNE Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: East,,Tennessee Posts: 211	sounds like you have a short somewhere or a naked wire somewhere.mabe just need to trace wires down.

01-17-2003, 10:40 AM	#3
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,693	Does your fuel guage go crazy when you use the high beams or turn signal? If so, try grounding your inst panel.

01-17-2003, 04:04 PM	#7
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,693	Well, if it goes nuts when you accelarate, it may just be your fuel sloshing around (do you have an in cab tank, or blazer style?). To ground the dash, just run a piece of wire (of decent guage..not little sissy speaker wire) and bolt it to the metal on the back of the panel, and then just ground it someplace on the dash.

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