Weird ghost in the dash instruments after rebuild

[BigRAWesty]

Well the car is back together and working.. Nearly almost 100%...

The dash cluster is doing something weird.
The Fuel gauge is sitting at 3/4 full with maybe 5 liters in the tank, and volts, oil pressure and temp are off the top.
Speedo responds to speed changes so is working in my eyes, but tachometer is slightly high, showing 1200rpm at
Idle..

It was working fine before the strip down, and no wiring was fiddled with while doing the insulation install so unsure where to start..

I have pulled the cluster out again to ensure all plugged in correctly and they are, so any suggestions as to where from here??

[TPC]

Is t possible that it had a separate earth wire that you have missed connecting back up.

[threedogs]

yeah sounds like an earth issue for sure, spray all connectors with some CRC or similar.
Don't think its a big problem just a frustrating one

[Yendor]

What is the voltage reading across the back of the alternator with the engine running?

[BigRAWesty]

Um, yea.
Don't have a multi meter. Think the father in-law has one.
Batteries were flat last night and Its been in charge all day.

[lhurley]

Um, yea.
Don't have a multi meter. Think the father in-law has one.
Batteries were flat last night and Its been in charge all day.

Go to jaycar. You can get a decent multi meter for $30. they have cheaper options too.

[TPC]

Go to jaycar. You can get a decent multi meter for $30. they have cheaper options too.

Agree, everybody should have a multimeter as part of their toolkit.

[megatexture]

may as well get a good one with clamp on multimeter for reading amps .. comes in handy

[macca]

Didn't Cuppa have this problem, maybe not so bad. Has he fixed it yet?

In this thread
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?24875-Fuel-Guages&p=453100#post453100

[megatexture]

Yea but cuppa didn’t pull his apart and not know how to put it back together again lol

Kallen You said the batteries were flat? That prob would do it everything plays up on a dud battery

[BigRAWesty]

Yep. I'll try disconnecting over night..
I grabbed the in-laws multimeter.

[BigRAWesty]

Ok, so I left battery disconnected over night and still no good..

I have also noticed drivers window doesn't work and the central locking doesn't operate unless the lights are on...

Lol


What is the voltage reading across the back of the alternator with the engine running?

Have go a multimeter so will check this soon.. Any rpm I should aim for, or idle ok??

[93patrol]

idle should be fine westy it should be reading about 13.5v

[Yendor]

Bring it up to a fast idle. Make sure it's not over charging.

Is there any chance you may have joined the wrong connectors?, especially ones for the drivers door?

[threedogs]

Would think idle is 750rpm, cant see how that would have changed.
Give the connectors a squirt with CRC or similar, check terminals for loose or broken wires

[BigRAWesty]

Bring it up to a fast idle. Make sure it's not over charging.

Is there any chance you may have joined the wrong connectors?, especially ones for the drivers door?

Yea what I was thinking. So was going to be first point of checking..

I did do some electrical while guts was out. I rewired the rear speakers into the middle doors. But they seem to work fine, it's the front passenger side one which is brand new and crackling.. So possible invoked with the whole issue??

[Cuppa]

Didn't Cuppa have this problem, maybe not so bad. Has he fixed it yet?

In this thread
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?24875-Fuel-Guages&p=453100#post453100

My symptoms not quite the same. Only the fuel gauges affected. As it is, I have followed yendor’s advice & added another earth direct from crank battery to earth, but have not yet used the car for long enough to see if the gauge problem is fixed. (the car can sit for weeks at a time unused). I will feedback once I’ve used a reasonable amount of fuel (could be a while).

[BigRAWesty]

We'll fark me I must have walked under a Chinese man On a ladder smashing mirrors...

Apart from all the other shoit going down atm in my life now I have nothing with this farking car.. Not even a light..
So I'm guessing check fuses tomorrow, will go over connections in door and check alternator..

Anyone got anything else to check??

[mudnut]

What circuits did you rewire, Kallen? Believe it or not, we had the same sort of trouble with our yota van, and it turned out that rats had chewed some wires together.

[BigRAWesty]

The only wires I changed between working and not were the rear speaker wires. I've removed them from rear doors and put them in the middle doors.

[mudnut]

Didn't you run wires using metal conduits recently?

[Yendor]

You going to need a calm head and start with the basics.

Start at the battery, check and clean the terminals. Hows the main earth lead to the body? the one just under the battery. Didn't you just replace the body mounts? do you have anything earthed to the chassis?

Check fusible links. Check that's the alternator is not overcharging. Check all fuses. From memory there are earth connections in each kick panel, did you reconnect these?.

Have a look at the drivers door connectors just incase they are connected incorrectly, I'm not even sure if that's possible, still worth checking.

It's going to be something simple, go over it in your mind, think about the work you carried out and what possibly could of gone wrong.

[Clunk]

Hey Kallen, can you remember replacing any of the bolts in the cargo floor area, in particular the passenger side? Only reason I ask, is I replaced the Dicky seat bolts and didn't realise they were slightly too long and managed to pinch the cables that run along the top of the chassis between the bolt and the chassis, causing the fuel gauge to read over the full line (when I knew there was only 1/4 tank left. Indicators and hazards wouldn't work and unfortunately I can't remember what else was affected.

[BigRAWesty]

You going to need a calm head and start with the basics.

Start at the battery, check and clean the terminals. Hows the main earth lead to the body? the one just under the battery. Didn't you just replace the body mounts? do you have anything earthed to the chassis?

Check fusible links. Check that's the alternator is not overcharging. Check all fuses. From memory there are earth connections in each kick panel, did you reconnect these?.

Have a look at the drivers door connectors just incase they are connected incorrectly, I'm not even sure if that's possible, still worth checking.

It's going to be something simple, go over it in your mind, think about the work you carried out and what possibly could of gone wrong.

You raise a point with body mounts.
All body mounts were replaced.

And I'll start the search tomorrow..


Hey Kallen, can you remember replacing any of the bolts in the cargo floor area, in particular the passenger side? Only reason I ask, is I replaced the Dicky seat bolts and didn't realise they were slightly too long and managed to pinch the cables that run along the top of the chassis between the bolt and the chassis, causing the fuel gauge to read over the full line (when I knew there was only 1/4 tank left. Indicators and hazards wouldn't work and unfortunately I can't remember what else was affected.

Haven't fitted 3rd row, but did remove the 1" body lift so the possibility of a pinch is there for sure..
Ill check that to..

[BigRAWesty]

Have checked the main fuses under bonnet with multi meter and all good.

Earth to body is showing 3 ohms (think it's ohms, multimeter set to resistance buzzer).
Currently checking relays under dash and fuses..

[BigRAWesty]

Ok.
Have checked key barrel, have connections via different pins in different positions, so I'd say that's working.

Have checked all visible simple relays under bonnet and foot well and all tested good. And all fuses tested good.

Both batteries have charge.
Main showing 8.5v, I know, farked but should show dash lights still
And secondary showing 12.5v.

All wires along chassis look good and free so I think we can rule a pinch out also..

And this is weird. Have opened up drivers side door again and all connections are good, correct and solid..
All other Windows work but the drivers, and central locking only opens when I turn the lights on..

So. Anything.

[BigRAWesty]

So I decided to see if I had power at the key barrel plug...
2v... Hmmmm.. Check battery again..
2v..

Ok, battery has shat itself with the 40+ day we had yesterday..
Ill jump it Off the second.. Flick On and ow lights are on...
Ow for fark sake the lights are on!!!:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::bang head::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::bang head::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::bang head::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::bang head::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::bang head::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::bang head::banghead::banghead::banghead:

Bloody night shift, driving home on sunrise and dint turn the lights off when home...
So first up, new crank battery as this one I think is finished. It doesn't hold charge for longer than 3 days..

Would a poor battery be a cause for shotty dash gauges??

[threedogs]

Need 12v Kallen wouldn't think 8 volts would help your cause.
great time of year to be lashing out on a main battery, are you
buying one with high CCA. Sealed/ wetcell etc

[BigRAWesty]

Need 12v Kallen wouldn't think 8 volts would help your cause.
great time of year to be lashing out on a main battery, are you
buying one with high CCA. Sealed/ wetcell etc

Dunno how I got the 8v the first time. Newbie On the multi... Lol

It's dead. Currently On the charge so I can get it in the drive and pull the dash back out again..

[Cuppa]

I reckon you should fit a new battery before pulling out the dash again, or at least put the the good (assuming it is good) aux in as the crank battery. At least that way you would be able to take one known quantity out of the equation.

Cuppa

[BigRAWesty]

I reckon you should fit a new battery before pulling out the dash again, or at least put the the good (assuming it is good) aux in as the crank battery. At least that way you would be able to take one known quantity out of the equation.

Cuppa

Yea, same old issue this time of year. Lack of $$$...
I'll be bolting the aux battery in for the mean time.

[Gecko17]

The only wires I changed between working and not were the rear speaker wires. I've removed them from rear doors and put them in the middle doors.

Is it possible Kallen, that you have inadvertently created another circuit in conflict with the original?


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[BigRAWesty]

Is it possible Kallen, that you have inadvertently created another circuit in conflict with the original?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Not sure how as I removed the old wire and attached the New.
Rear speakers work fine so I think that's no the issue..
But, Maybe. I hope not lol.

Also alternator is making 13.78v at 1000ish rpm..

[BigRAWesty]

Have pulled dash apart, no loose wires, all visible earths are solid..
Also stuck buzzer On all earth wires in plugs to body and all showed 2 ohms.

[Robo]

Try subsitute the aux (good) battery for the (dud) starter and see if your dash problems go away like a holden factory !!.
opps, see you already are trying that, how did it go?.

[mudnut]

Hey, Kallen, are you still having probs with your Q? I am hoping to get to The Mount, to see The Hobbit in the next few days. I could spend a few hours and try and do a bit of trouble shooting on the electrics, with you.

[BigRAWesty]

Hey, Kallen, are you still having probs with your Q? I am hoping to get to The Mount, to see The Hobbit in the next few days. I could spend a few hours and try and do a bit of trouble shooting on the electrics, with you.

Haven't done a thing bud. In Adelaide and yorkes till New year..
Thanks for the offer though

[BigRAWesty]

Ffs..
40864
Why o why did I leave it out...

So now the million dollar question..
Does it matter which ones I connect it to??

[mudnut]

Black wire with a white stripe behind the cluster? Or is it just black, which according to the wiring diagrams, is an earth?

[BigRAWesty]

Black wire with a white stripe behind the cluster? Or is it just black, which according to the wiring diagrams, is an earth?

Pretty sure it's just black.. Shot was with the flash.

[BigRAWesty]

Ok. Disconnected rear lights, no change.
Disconnected the whole rear circuit. No change.

Does this eliminate my wiring??

If so could it be body mounts?? It's the only other thing I've changed.

I'm trying to find a dash to try but everyone wants me to buy em.

[BigRAWesty]

Wish I'd seen this earlier.
40918

So this confirms my speaker wiring is good.

[BigRAWesty]

Ok just had my mate come around.. Just as I was putting the last bolt back in...
:rolleyes:

Anyway he thinks these cars run an earth control module..
And seeing my rear door central locking actuator works when I turn the lights on he thinks I've wired it into the wrong circuit and may have fried it with a full hit..

So first up, do they run such module??

And if they do, where will I find it??

[BigRAWesty]

Have I got ya all stumped??

[TPC]

Have I got ya all stumped??
Yep, might need Yendor for this one.

[BigRAWesty]

Ok now this is starting to shit me.
Today lost all power to all Windows.
Been using window lock as the eldest can now reach the button with her foot!!
Been good all weekend and of course went to leave and put the Windows up, no go!!!

I am so close to ripping every electric thing out. Central locking, power Windows.

[mudnut]

Try taking out each fuse, to see what circuit or circuits are affected. You may have to trace each circuit individually. It will be time consuming, but worth it.

[BigRAWesty]

So an update. My electric windows have started working again... All bar the drivers as before, but they do seem sluggish...

[mudnut]

All I can suggest is visit me one day and we can have a squiz at the wiring. To me it sounds like some bad connections, and faulty earths.

[BigRAWesty]

All I can suggest is visit me one day and we can have a squiz at the wiring. To me it sounds like some bad connections, and faulty earths.

Care for a day trip.. I'll strip it again and buy a box... ;-)

[mudnut]

I would but I'm broke and the Old Trol is still losing water after a new head gasket. Try the knockometer method, (tapping the wiring with a screw driver handle).

[BigRAWesty]

Ain't we all. Still probably a month till its down again.
What's the chance of the master controller on its way out? Or do they just die??

[mudnut]

I have no idea with electric windows, other than pulling it out and checking its switch and connections, maybe Yendor can help.

[BigRAWesty]

Yendor has been helping me work threw the dash issues, and has given me a list if things to check.
Unfortunately being my daily it's been hard to get off the road again..