Ok, let's start from the beginning. Last Oct. i wrecked my 3.8L '98 Camero. I took it to a guy that my Stepfather had used a couple of times(BIG mistake!!!). It took that guy almost 5 months to get my car back to me and about $3100. Then i had to take it back to him a couple of times because things still weren't right(ex. cheap hood cracked, crappy paint job, AC Fan was clogged with junk.....). The last time i picked it up the Temp. gauge wasn't working. I didn't realize that until i was almost home and i didn't want to let that guy touch my car again. It seemed that every time i took it to him something else was wrong. Anyway, everything else with the gauges seemed fine for a few days. Then my Speedometer went out. Then about a couple of weeks later my Tachometer died, and then the fuel gauge went out a little bit after that. I believe that it is an electrical issue from somewhere between the connector to where ever it goes.

I have checked the fuses and they are all fine. I have changed out the cluster and still have the same issue. The Oil and voltmeter seem to be working fine, but i am not staking my life on it. The lights all come on the warning lights all come on so i know it's getting power from somewhere. I really don't want to take it in somewhere and spend 70 - 85 an hour trying to figure out it was something small that i can do myself.

My question is, are there any other methods that i can try to troubleshoot this problem myself, and diagnose exactly what and where the problem might be? Or can anyone tell just from the description some possibilities of what could be the issue or any other things to check?

I do appreciate any and all help on this matter,
Dennis

 

Were any of the wires in the wiring harness cut from the wreck? Did the guys working on it take any wiring loose during the repairs? Do you have a volt meter? Are the contacts in the wiring harness that attaches to the cluster making good contact? Is there enough room for you to wiggle the connection to see if anything changes? Just some thoughts.

 

Well the first time i picked up the car the gauges were working fine. I know that the last time i took it back there he had to pull the dash to get behind it to clean the a/c fan. Not sure if he pinched a wire or cut any on accident.

Yes i just bought a volt meter and was checking the contacts earlier. I am not sure what i am doing, but i did get some response from some of the contacts. I will try to find a diagram of the connector later tonight.

The cluster fits almost too close to have any wiggle room at all, but i might try that tonight before i put everything back together.

Thanks for the response.

 

the only thing other than a cluster connector i can think of that involves all of em would be a poor ground wire/s. have not found the location. the gauges all work off a ground so it could be that these particular ones are grounded at the same place or through the same wire.