truck electrical qu...
 
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truck electrical question

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vonnick52
Posts: 1028
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(@vonnick52)
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Joined: 16 years ago

Nothing major, but it seems that the dash gauges aren't properly grounded or something because when you turn the headlights on, the gauges go nuts, but fiddle with it, and they go back to normal, turn the lights off, they go back to normal. The back light for the dash is hit or miss, so I'd imagine that is playing a part in it. Sorta irritating as I habitually look at my gauges while driving, probably every 30 seconds, got that drilled into my head when I was workin with those big diesels on the boats.

The good news is, I ran the truck up to my lease and back (300 miles, round-trip) and the only issue I discovered was a leak in the radiator overflow reservoir and that it needed a new radiator cap and this mild electric issue.

Anyone dealt with something like this before?

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TimE1
Posts: 432
(@time1)
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Joined: 17 years ago

It's most likely your headlight switch, they usually have the dash light dimmer switch on them and if it goes bad can give you problems with your dash lights going off and on, had the same type of problem on my jeep.

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vonnick52
Posts: 1028
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Did ya replace it and it fixed the problem? Or just dealt with it?

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TimE1
Posts: 432
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Did ya replace it and it fixed the problem? Or just dealt with it?

I replaced the switch, i looked yours up and you should have 2 different switches dimmer & headlight check for a loose wire or corrossion on terminations before you get a new one, they are pretty cheap $15-20

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vonnick52
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Figured it out, it was like I originally thought, the ground didn't have a solid connection. I started tearing the dash out around the switch and noticed a loose black wire, "Hmm, I wonder if this is the ground?" I asked myself. Tightened her up, and now the gauges read right, lights on or off, dashlight on or off.

Thanks everybody!

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