dash electrics playing up

[Basil Brush]

Hi, the temp guage, fuel guage and battery lights have stopped working on my 1995 smiley face, have checked all the fuses and none are blown.

Any ideas or solutions please anybody? I am good with mechanics but electrical stuff just goes right over my head.

Cheers Basil

[sparkyjf]

Don't know how common this is but I've heard of the PCB tracks on the back of the instrument cluster burning out after a fault. It'd definitely be worth taking the instrument cluster out and first inspecting the two connectors on the back, and if they seem inspect the back of the instrument cluster for any signs of damage. Any burnt tracks should be easy to spot - I damaged a dashboard once by touching it against the metalwork (earth) whilst it was connected, and the tracks that touched ended up with a gap in them, and brown discolouration each side of the gap.

From what you've described it sounds like you've either lost the earth connection, or 12V connection to your instrument cluster, and if the fuses are ok that's the next place I'd check.

Hope that helps you out.....

sparkyjf

[MrMPuk]

Sounds like one of the tracks have burnt out on the instrument cluster.

[Basil Brush]

Thanks for the idea's chaps, will take the clocks out tommorow and let you know how i get on.

Basil

[Basil Brush]

Well guy's had to admit defeat in the end and get an auto sparky to have a look, turns out its a problem he has had before, one of the wire's on the sensor on the bottom of the diesel filter had chafed through and was shorting the dash out.
Ten minutes later all systems were operating again and he only charged me ten quid which i thought was pretty decent of him, as i left it with him to sort he could have told me anything and charged a lot more, restores your faith in people a bit dont it.

Basil