Bad Afterthought?

[CaliDude76]

Just out of curiosity... I have a 84 C-10 with the "Check Engine" light placed in a little square deal of it's own.. in the middle top middle of the cluster.. between the Speedo and Fuel Gauge... Makes for a a pain if i wanted to replace the whole cluster cover... The new ones in the magazines I see, or the Billet ones dont have the hole for it. What was the deal with that? Did G.M. say oops, and forgot to add the "Check Engine" light? and decide to plug it in there? I notice very few of the pix posted here have this.. if any at all..... any comments on this? Thanks

I posted a pic.. and you can see the square I'm talking about.....

[78 Chevyrado]

That cluster bezel only came new In the diesel trucks. It ought to have a "glow plug" light in one side or the other.

[CaliDude76]

My truck isn't diesel though? Did they just cross over clusters?

[Prerunner1982]

Originally Posted by CaliDude76

My truck isn't diesel though? Did they just cross over clusters?

Either it was a diesel at one time or someone swapped out the cluster.

[Alias137]

It is not a diesel thing, as much as it is a California thing. I was asked by a few people here why my cluster plate has that square, and everyone thought it was a diesel (I wish it was, then I would never need to smog it). I have a 1986 gmc I bought from my moms boyfriend, and he bought it new back in 1986. Never changed a thing on it except the wheels and stereo. Anyway, one side is the check engine light, and the other side is blank. I think I'm gonna cover mine up, then get a new brushed aluminum sticker to go over the whole thing.

[Prerunner1982]

i did not think about it being a California thing. Only ever seen them in a diesel or ex-diesel vehicles.

[kelsfine69]

My 87 cluster has it in the speedo you could move it down there.

[CaliDude76]

Very Very Interesting!!! Now I know that when I turn the key to the "ON" position.. in the Speedo circle.. an orange "choke" lights up... The "check engine" lights up in the little square.... and when i turn the key to start the engine.. in the Fuel circle part... a red "brake" light comes on....other than that... nuthin else... I also see next to the 'choke'.. and 'brake' light sqaures.. there looks to be slots for other things... I know my Dad bought this truck in 89.. and was only 5 years old.. and had 70k on it... the cluster was the same.... The California thing is true.. because there's no way it would be allowed to smog if it was diesel.. or we wouldnt have to smog it anyway... This is a very interesting deal..... it seems that only a few of these trucks were set-up this way....

[CaliDude76]

Originally Posted by Alias137

It is not a diesel thing, as much as it is a California thing. I was asked by a few people here why my cluster plate has that square, and everyone thought it was a diesel (I wish it was, then I would never need to smog it). I have a 1986 gmc I bought from my moms boyfriend, and he bought it new back in 1986. Never changed a thing on it except the wheels and stereo. Anyway, one side is the check engine light, and the other side is blank. I think I'm gonna cover mine up, then get a new brushed aluminum sticker to go over the whole thing.

Alias.. i know this though... unless you relocate he 'check engine' ligh somewhere else... your gonna have a hard time with smog... they need to see that the light is operational.. in order to proceed with smog... I had a problem with my light turning off and on.. intermittantly after my dad put a new 350 in it.

[panelguy]

Did you put the tachometer in this truck? I always thought they stopped the tach back in 1980????

[CaliDude76]

Just another thought to this...... I've see a lot of differet trucks and engines from all across the states on this site, and all the modifications and such.... I'm guessing that not all of the states have heavy smog or emission regs, like we do here on California. the smog thing here is a nightmare.. especially to these square-bodies... I have very little room for any mods what so ever... i have to keep the smog pum on... smog tubes and such.. and keep the carb adjusted just so.. in order to pass smog. I guess they had to make em differently depending on where these trucks were going after the factory..

[kelsfine69]

Yea in the speedo Could pick one up at a wrecker.

[Goldfinger]

I'm surprised you have a check engine light. I've never seen one on my 85 however i don't have and ecm or obd. California has some crazy laws regarding emission(cut out last on the 2nd rebuild). if i didn't live in Florida my truck would be deemed a hazard to the environment and crushed. i haven't seen a cluster such as that but i'm sure you could replace the circuit behind it and achieve full functionality. I just saw the picture of that light their under the speedo i was wondering what those cut wires were to. i guess if i had one working it would say check engine or self destruction sequence will begin in 10-9-8...

[Alias137]

Panelguy, If you were asking about the tach in my truck- yeah, it's from the wreckers. It is out of an '80- that's why the font matches.

[CaliDude76]

Originally Posted by kelsfine69

Yea in the speedo Could pick one up at a wrecker.

yeah Kelsfine... where your 'service engine soon' light.. theres a 'choke' light in my truck.... you have a Canadian Set-Up.. i suppose one's in the U.S. would have the service engine in the same place....

[Alias137]

So here it is as I remember it. In the cali. trucks, the little square above the speedo has a check engine light. In the diesels, it is probably for the wait to start (or glowplug) light. One side is left blank though- I don't know why. The lower lights below the fuel and speedo gauges are (as I remember) choke, brake, and 4wd. One of these is also left blank, and I don't know why there either. There is no s.e.s. (service engine soon) light to the best of my kowledge. I don't think that was available with the obd1- I think that came out with the obd2. If you really want to know what those other places are that don't light- take it apart and hols the little plastic inserts up to a light, and you'll see what they do. I do know that the check engine light was part of the California trucks. As was the carbureator. It has to be the worst carb ever built. It is 1/2 mechanical and 1/2 controlled by the ecm. The ecm monitors the fuel and adjusts the mainjet. A real pain in the ass. It can't be adjusted without some minor modification to the carb, and to a screwdriver. Thanks to the c.a.r.b. (California air resources board) for that one. I think that the carb I'm talking about was manufactured for 1986 only, as 1987 went to the tbi setup. Anyway, that's about all I know about it. I am sure someone around here knows way way way more about it than I do, and that's why I like this board so much- it oozes knowledge. I hope this may have cleared up some of your questions.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by panelguy

Did you put the tachometer in this truck? I always thought they stopped the tach back in 1980????

No - my '87 has the tach.

K

[CaliDude76]

Originally Posted by Alias137

So here it is as I remember it. In the cali. trucks, the little square above the speedo has a check engine light. In the diesels, it is probably for the wait to start (or glowplug) light. One side is left blank though- I don't know why. The lower lights below the fuel and speedo gauges are (as I remember) choke, brake, and 4wd. One of these is also left blank, and I don't know why there either. There is no s.e.s. (service engine soon) light to the best of my kowledge. I don't think that was available with the obd1- I think that came out with the obd2. If you really want to know what those other places are that don't light- take it apart and hols the little plastic inserts up to a light, and you'll see what they do. I do know that the check engine light was part of the California trucks. As was the carbureator. It has to be the worst carb ever built. It is 1/2 mechanical and 1/2 controlled by the ecm. The ecm monitors the fuel and adjusts the mainjet. A real pain in the ass. It can't be adjusted without some minor modification to the carb, and to a screwdriver. Thanks to the c.a.r.b. (California air resources board) for that one. I think that the carb I'm talking about was manufactured for 1986 only, as 1987 went to the tbi setup. Anyway, that's about all I know about it. I am sure someone around here knows way way way more about it than I do, and that's why I like this board so much- it oozes knowledge. I hope this may have cleared up some of your questions.

Thanks Alias!.. no doubt about the knowledge on this site!! Im greatful for it!.. I had a sneaking suspicion that it was a California Emissions thing... and I know all to well about the finicky Carbs these trucks came out of the factory with... My smog guy takes a whole day just to fuss with it to get it to pass... but once it's all dialed in... runs like a champ. Took me FOREVER.. but i finally got the electronic choke an cold starts dialed in... sheesh. talk about adjustments.... Thanks again for the 411...