What is this (dash wire?)

[kevinr1970]

I pulled my gauge cluster from my truck over the weekend and am going to do the light upgrade (paint chrome on backside).
On the back of the cluster on the upper right side (looking at the front) is a black wire that has a little brass (?) fitting that goes in to the wire ribbon. It is taped up in a bundle and doesn't go anywhere.
I'll post a picture later but was wondering what it was for?

Also, I remember reading somewhere (not here) about cleaning the clear lense over the gauges. It said you could use a certain polish or something and it would remove any light scratches or scuffs. Anybody familiar with this?

[383drvr]

If that brass fitting attaches to the base of a light bulb, then its a fiber optic line that illuminates the ashtray. Otherwise, I think a picture will be needed to clarify.

[beaterC10]

That black wire sounds like the fibre optic to light the ash tray. The ash tray should have a place to attach the cable. I used plastic cleaner when I painted my cluster. I found one that said it was safe with clear plastics. Worked with no problem.

[383drvr]

If you want to clear up and polish the lense, you can do what I did that yielded great results. If its really nasty, start by sanding the lense with 2000 paper (1500 will also work), and then polish it with Mothers brand plastic polish. Otherwise, just polish it. This works on all lenses on the car btw.

[kevinr1970]

I'll look at the ashtray when I get home and see if that is the one.

My lense is pretty scuffed from a wire that hung down over the lense and swung around wearing an "arch" in it. I have another one that is perfect over the speedo and fuel, but is scuffed on the smaller gauges. I'll try this on the bad one and see if I can perfect it before trying my good one. Thanks!!!

[kevinr1970]

Ok, the wire does go to the frame around the ashtray (I have a glove box and ashtray from an '83 to compare it with. Does the end of the cable (fiber?) light up some how, or does in refract light from the bulb that gets plugged into the dash?
Also, the ashtray from the '83 (the truck I'm working on is an '86) has a lighter that appears to never been used. Is there any way to remove the lighter element? The '83 is out of a GMC and the door and frame are dark blue, the '86 are from a chev and are light blue so I can't just swap them with out painting them.

[8t5Silverado]

The fiber optic doesn't light up itself, it just reflects the light from the gauges down to the ashtray.

[MylilBowTie]

http://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/show...threadid=87154

Most of the 3M products are very good.

I couldnt find the thread I wanted to show you but that one is close. There is alot of stuff and posts about polishing plastics over there. Just do a search there.

[TIMSPEED]

I have a mystery wire under the dash also. It's actually on the firewall. It goes from the Junction Box to the Fuseblock Bulkhead. It doesn't look like it should be there though...it's black with a white stripe, and it has a small fuse on it. Any ideas?

[MidnightBlues]

I got that same wire,it's for the seatbelt warning.

[SanitysBane]

i unplugged my seat belt warning but the light on the dash still comes on...

[383drvr]

I believe that seatbelt light has to ground itself to turn the light off, but dont go shorting anything out just 'cause I said to :p

[TIMSPEED]

Originally Posted by MidnightBlues

I got that same wire,it's for the seatbelt warning.

I don't have a seatbelt warning...hell, I barely have seatbelts! Haha, so I can cut that wire??

[MidnightBlues]

Same here,don't have the seatbelt warning.The seatbelts had to be replaced when my truck came over to Europe (government rules and regulations ).I now have BMW seatbelts.
I think it's save to cut the wire. But to be sure ,'cause you never know what previous owners did to the wiring, I would first remove the fuse and check if nothing strange happens before removing the wire.

And yes, the wire wich goes to the seatbelts is supposed to be grounded for the warning light to go out.
But in Timspeeds case I think that particular wire is the positive lead to the warning light.

Good luck.

[TIMSPEED]

Originally Posted by MidnightBlues

But to be sure ,'cause you never know what previous owners did to the wiring, I would first remove the fuse and check if nothing strange happens before removing the wire. But in Timspeeds case I think that particular wire is the positive lead to the warning light.

No previous owners, we're the original's. All you guys responding have 80's trucks, which would have a seatbelt warning light. I have a 75, NO WARNING LIGHT! Also, the wire connects to the 12v+ Hot At All times Junction Box. I was thinking it was for the BRAKE warning light.

[cliffsta]

What's up with this fiber optic to the ashtray? I don't got one. Is that a higher trim level option, or just like after 80?

[TIMSPEED]

Originally Posted by cliffsta

What's up with this fiber optic to the ashtray? I don't got one. Is that a higher trim level option, or just like after 80?

Nope, I had it on my 75, long been broken, but it's there.

[cliffsta]

Huh, ill have to ask the old man about that when he gets home from work. If the fiber optic comes off of a light on the A/C controls, then it might be off the one that's burnt out (I'm don't remeber if it was the left or right, and i'm a lazy prick and won't go look)

[MidnightBlues]

Hey Timspeed, I found your wire in my Haynes manual.
It goes from the junction block to a 4 amp fuse, then to the firewall connector, from there in the cabin to the connector on the printed circuit for de dashboard.This last part is a dotted line in the manual wich means it's optional. It is either the positive lead for the temp warning light or one of the leads voor an ammeter.The manual is not very clear on this.I think it's for an optional ammeter.I would remove the fuse and check if everything still works on the dash.If so, you safely can remove this wire.

[MylilBowTie]

My silverado does. The fiber optic is on the very top right hand corner of the gauge pod. I just looks like a white plastic zip tie. The HAVC controls have a sperate bulb.

[TIMSPEED]

Originally Posted by MidnightBlues

Hey Timspeed, I found your wire in my Haynes manual.
It goes from the junction block to a 4 amp fuse, then to the firewall connector, from there in the cabin to the connector on the printed circuit for de dashboard.This last part is a dotted line in the manual wich means it's optional. It is either the positive lead for the temp warning light or one of the leads voor an ammeter.

Hey, thanks for checking that! I think it's for the BRAKE warning light though, because that's the only warning light I have, and it works now, haha.

[MidnightBlues]

Well, I digged in my manual again and according to this the brakewarning light wire is tan/white unto the firewall connector, and from there it's twice tan/black inside the cabin.One goes to the warning light,the other goes to the ignitionswitch. So, I think your black/white wire is for the optional ammeter.Thus removable.
Yeah I know I'm a wirefreak :p

Some info for SanitysBane: On top of the fusebox there's a black box.This is plugged into the top of the fusebox.This box is the circuitry for the seatbeltbuzzer en warninglight. You can pull the box from the fuse box.Then your warninglight won't come on again.

[mckpaul]

Hey Cliff, all my dash bulb sockets were black (the little twist out jobs that have no wires connected that hold the bulb and make contact when you snap them in) That one on the upper right corner of the dash on mine is white, made a little different than the rest, has a hole and a metal clip like thing that the fiber cable snaps into. The fiber cable looks like a wire, but stiffer, almost like a black weedeater string. It has a metal end on it, but it's not electrical, just crimped on the cable to give it a workable end. The fiber cable snaps into that one oddball light socket. That socket twists out like the rest of them do. That bulb was one of the burned out bulbs in my dash and I didn't have light in the ashtray. Trust me, it ain't much light in the ashtray even with a fresh bulb. The other end of the fiber cable has a spot it snaps into in the top of the ash tray housing. The little fiber just dumps a little light into the ashtray bay so at night you can tell where it is in the dark. At least that's how mine is.

There's only one bulb in the AC/heat controls, but that one doesn't have ash tray duty.

[TIMSPEED]

Originally Posted by MidnightBlues

So, I think your black/white wire is for the optional ammeter.Thus removable.

Well, I like my optional ammeter, thank you very much. But if that's for the ammeter, then what's the BLACK wire with the 4amp minifuse on it, for?