All my electrical woes.

So got all the wired unwrapped and started tracing wires. Looks a lot more logical and a lot less intimidating when the tape came off. Didn't find any wires that were broke, but did find two that looked like they had been hot. One was the black wire in the fuse box that comes from the ignition to the connector in the fuse box Redfish had mentioned earlier, the other was the red hot wire going to the ignition at the pin hooking into the steering column. Although both looked like they had been hot at those spots, they both had good connections and the wire itself looked good.

Checked connections I could find between plastic connector that goes to steering column and pins in back of gauges. All seemed good. Looked at all the wires from the pins behind the gauges and they looked good as far as I could trace them.

Found red wire with tracer for radio on fuse box. Followed that wire and found a connector tucked up in all the wiring. Had the red wire with tracer to fuse box and a white wire in the connector together with it, and on orange wire that ran to the fuse box, position F in the service manual wiring diagram. Seems to me F would be hot, with the red wire switched with the ignition and the white going someplace else but just needed to be switched power. can't test it with the radio until I get things back together but seems like that makes sense

Moved tach wire to spade in middle of fuse box, should be switched connection now.

Is it possible to test the steering column wires other than just look at them? Steering column in on my bench, can I just turn the key to run and see if there is connectivity between the proper pins without shorting out? If that checks out, I think the voltage limiter is the culprit for the gauges unless someone comes up with something else. And as that is inside the gauge UPS here I come.

Haven't looked at the heater fan issue yet. But as I haven't seen any wires anywhere bad I am guessing burned out fan. Is there a way to jump that an check it?