Electrical short after re-installing instrument cluster

-
A

artfulldodger

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2017
Messages
92
Reaction score
18
Location
Saint Maries, Idaho
Removed the instrument cluster and carefully repaired some small issues with the board and put in a diff/used fuel gauge. Carefully re-installed cluster/dash and now I have a short in the system. When I hook up the battery it sparks and sizzles, no lights no ign. I loosened the dash/cluster and with everything disconnected in the cluster EXCEPT the Red and Black wires I still have a short. I grounded the cluster and still a short. With the Red and Black wires disconnected the battery does not spark and the Red wire has power. Was fine before and this makes no sense. Any ideas?
 
artfulldodger said:
Removed the instrument cluster and carefully repaired some small issues with the board and put in a diff/used fuel gauge. Carefully re-installed cluster/dash and now I have a short in the system. When I hook up the battery it sparks and sizzles, no lights no ign. I loosened the dash/cluster and with everything disconnected in the cluster EXCEPT the Red and Black wires I still have a short. I grounded the cluster and still a short. With the Red and Black wires disconnected the battery does not spark and the Red wire has power. Was fine before and this makes no sense. Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Is the fuel gauge also the 5 volt limiter on your car?
And when you say Red and Black wires, is that the wires that attach to the amp meter?
Perhaps the short is in one of the accessory feed. Try pulling all the fuses, then re installing one by one.
 
Agree with Slantsix64.
If you did not reinstall the insulating washers on the Gage studs it will cause lots of issues.
You can check the studs to cluster ground with a OHM meter.
Happy Mopar:)
Arron.
 
Last edited:
If everything except the amp gauge is disconnected the amp gauge or its wiring is the problem. The rest of inst' panel is not hot before ign' switch turned to on. So if short is present at switch off, again the amp gauge or its wiring has to be the problem.
 
RedFish said:
If everything except the amp gauge is disconnected the amp gauge or its wiring is the problem. The rest of inst' panel is not hot before ign' switch turned to on. So if short is present at switch off, again the amp gauge or its wiring has to be the problem.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the responses. Yes, insulating washers are present. I have power into amp meter with Red wire, when I connect the Black I have sparks at battery post and no power to fuse block. There is no logical reason why a problem could have developed with the ammeter but I will replace it with an extra I have to check it. I did this exact same procedure on a friends 66 Dart with no issues so I am a little perplexed. I do feel it is in the ammeter though. Thanks again.
 
Tie the ampmeter wires together with a bolt while disconnected from the dash & see if it is still shorted. That should tell you if it is the amp meter or something else.
 
Mike69cuda said:
Tie the ampmeter wires together with a bolt while disconnected from the dash & see if it is still shorted. That should tell you if it is the amp meter or something else.
Click to expand...

This!!
I had exactly this problem. Converted the amp gauge to voltmeter but forgot to insulate the terminals on the gauge from the cluster.
 
A question I need to ask everyone. Do you have a proper set of schematics for your vehicle?

If not, what do you expect?
 
Pawned said:
A question I need to ask everyone. Do you have a proper set of schematics for your vehicle?

If not, what do you expect?
Click to expand...

Yes, I did have the manuals and the CD with all the diagrams... Still managed to f#ck it up!! My fault though. Oh well, live and learn!
 
artfulldodger said:
I have power into amp meter with Red wire, when I connect the Black I have sparks at battery post and no power to fuse block.
Click to expand...

Are you saying when the
Red battery feed was hooked to ammeter stud, there were no sparks when you went to connect at the battery?
and
When the black lead to the main splice was attached to the other ammeter stud, there were sparks when you went to connect the battery?

If both of those are true, then the short is downstream of the ammeter.
If the something in the ammeter was grounding out, you should have had sparks when just the red battery feed was connected.
You could snug up the other ammeter stud nut (without the wire attached) just to be sure.
 
Mattax said:
Are you saying when the
Red battery feed was hooked to ammeter stud, there were no sparks when you went to connect at the battery?
and
When the black lead to the main splice was attached to the other ammeter stud, there were sparks when you went to connect the battery?

If both of those are true, then the short is downstream of the ammeter.
If the something in the ammeter was grounding out, you should have had sparks when just the red battery feed was connected.
You could snug up the other ammeter stud nut (without the wire attached) just to be sure.

PROBLEM SOLVED!! When I hooked up the extra ammeter I had, the problem went away, I didn't think these simple ammeters could go bad but that one did. Thanks everyone!
Click to expand...
 
Some of the amp gauges are pretty well built while others are not. Some can be replaced with a volts gauge in the same location but in some inst' panels there isn't enough space, no way you'll place a different gauge in there. Good luck with it.
 
Curious whether you can see what was shorting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top