Gauge cluster lights question

[62lwbc10]

Sorry if its a silly question but do the gauge cluster lights need to be plugged into the back of the housing to work? That is, do they need to be grounded by being plugged into the back of the housing to work? Just trying to diagnose some issues and this would help.

THanks,
Mark

[Tims37chevy]

Yes needs to be grounded you can hook a allegator clip to it and then to ground if you wanna be able to see if it is working

[spinned]

yes. on mine they are all grey wires. Before you fiddle with it disconnect the battery. Sometimes the socket to the back of the gauge cluster housing can get corroded or the little clips on the bulb housing get bent in too much. Just bend them out slightly, but enough so they POP in.. you can pull them out and carefully steel wool the back of the housing too. The entire housing will come out with just 3 screws that hold the bezel in front. If it doesn't want to pull right out and feels like it is hitting a lip or something, then push a thin and narrow (1 1/2 -2") putty knife above the top of the bezel about an inch or two to the left of the top of the bezel. If you can get the putty knife to push through then just push the cluster from behind right below where the knife is and that corner of the cluster should slide right out. then push a little more and the whole thing will come out. Dont use anything thicker then the thinest putty knife or you could bend the dash. No problem pushing it back it.

The speedo can just be unscrewed and the oil gauge needs to be un-screwed. You can pull cluster out a little to do this.