1950-1966 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
[Main Vintage Models Bulletin Board | BBFAQ |
Prev by Date | Next by Date | Post Followup ]
Member Login / Signup - Members see fewer ads. - Latest Member Gallery Photos
Re: Instrument cluster ground point? Posted by eric in vermont [Email] (#2058) [Profile/Gallery] (more from eric in vermont) on Sun, 2 Nov 2008 19:15:50 In Reply to: Instrument cluster ground point?, David Brodbeck, Sun, 2 Nov 2008 16:13:09 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Hey David,
Underdash wiring problems are a pain!
There is a single point ground for most of the instruments that all comes together at the speedo, just like you said. The speedo has a chassis lug on the back of it. It's on the left hand side as you face the dash- opposite the 10mph mark- and is riveted or soldered to the clock case. Several black ground wires come to this lug, including one from the clock. There should be a black wire (#136 from the 1972 diagram I happen to have) that gets connected to the car's chassis. I don't know exactly WHERE it is tied however. It could be that when you removed the clock, you pulled the cluster of ground wires from the chassis lug on the back of the speedo. Or loosened it so it has a poor connection. That would explain the behavior of the rest of your instruments. Simple fix- press it back on.
If that's not the problem (ie, you can see the cluster of 3 or 4 black wires clipped onto the speedo chassis lug), then try connecting a short jumper from that lug to chassis and see if the restores your gauges. That would point to wire #136 being bad.
Finally, I haven't seen a VSaab yet that didn't have wiring issues due to changes made by previous owners. Wires get tacked on, re-routed, changed, bypassed, etc so sometimes it's hard to know what's original. In that case, you may have bigger problems.
Let us know what you find.
eric in vermont
posted by 68.142.46...
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.