Help Please!! Issues with cluster lights & fuel gauge

[Beau89]

Sorry for starting a new thread - I know this info is likely out there, but I'm tired & grumpy and not in a mood to do more searching :cry_smile:!

My "Meter" fuse kept blowing, so I started the fun of finding the issue. None of my cluster lights were working, nor was my fuel gage or turn signals. I studied the diagrams in my service manual and did some testing and was certain I'd figured out the problem. The black wire with a yellow strip that ran from the "Meter" fuse to the plug on the turn signal control mechanism is shorted. So, in my infinite wisdom I bypassed it and made a new jumper to run from the fuse to the plug. Now that I've put everything back together I have functioning turn signals, but none of the cluster lights or gages work.

Does the wire I jumped somehow provide power to the large round cluster plug? I can't find anything that shows this in the service manual, but after the six hours I've spent working I may very well be a combination of blind & cross-eyed!

Any help or advice would be very much appreciated!!!!

Thanks.

[bravekozak]

Meter stands for "instrument cluster".
The Pride wiring schematic is almost the same as our Festivas.
Section D is what you are after.

Do you think your cooling fan relay or cooling fan were blowing your meter fuse?
Disconnect your cooling fan relay and hook everything back up the way it was and see if the fuse blows.

Now you know why I love to collect fuses every time I visit a junkyard.

[bravekozak]

The circuit goes to the dimmer switch before it goes to the lights in the instrument cluster. Was your dimmer switch working fine before the fuse blew?

[Beau89]

The circuit goes to the dimmer switch before it goes to the lights in the instrument cluster. Was your dimmer switch working fine before the fuse blew?

I can't say I know that for sure - I never really used it? I want to say that it would spin infinitely up or down without making a difference...

[Beau89]

I was just out there messing around with it some more and here's where I'm at:

- Signals and hazard work fine
- cluster illumination lights work
- low and hi- beam lights work
- high beam indicator light on dash works
- temperature & gas gages do not work
- no other warning/indicator lights on cluster work (only illumination lights & hi-beam indicator)

[bravekozak]

Replace your dimmer switch first. It shouldn't spin infinitely. Your gages should get brighter or dimmer instantly. When you say the lights work, is that with the engine running? Does the fuse blow when the cooling fan comes on?

[Beau89]

The headlights work whether the engine is running or not. The cooling fan comes on as soon as I turn the ignition, which seems odd as well.

Before I jumped/bypassed the wire from the fuse box to the steering column plug the fuse would blow as soon as I turned the ignition most of the time. Occasionally it would let me do a minute or two's worth of driving before blowing. Prior to making the jumper all of the dash lights and fuel gage worked until the fuse blew.

How is it possible that the signals and hi-beam dash lights works, but none of the other indicator lights or fuel gage?!?!?

[bravekozak]

The fan relay sounds like it's shot.

It's a full page troubleshooting process.27-10-1
I have a new scanner, but I haven't used it yet to create a pdf.
I will try.

I only got this jpeg.

I have to try with CutePDF next time.

[Beau89]

The fan relay sounds like it's shot.

Where exactly is it located? I haven't looked for it, but will be first thing in the morning.

Any idea on the mix-match cluster indicators that are working?

[bravekozak]

Please test according to the jpeg in post #8. The cooling fan relay is located in front of the battery.

Possible causes for cooling fan always runs:

cooling fan relay
coolant temperature switch
harness
fan motor
A/C relay

Don't forget to replace your infinitely turning dimmer switch. It should not turn infinitely. Good luck.