Hot Rods Auto Meter Gauges Stopped Working

Seeking advise as Auto Meter Gauges stopped working. I have a 23 T bucked restomod with Auto Meter (Ford Silver) guage cluster that was working fine until I replaced the Painless Wiring Ignition Switch. The mechanical Speedo and the lights on the instruments light when I put the headlights on but everything else (Tack, fuel, and voltage) has stopped working. I disconnected the battery when installing the new ignition switch (ignition switch seems to work fine). All the fuses are fine but I replaced all of them just in case. I would appreciate your thoughts. Best Regards, Andy

 

Did you check to see if you have 12volt positive (key on) at the gauges first as a starting point?

 

sounds like you make a small wiring mistake when you replaced the wiring harness. It's really hard for us to see what you did wrong...we can't see the wiring on the back of the gauges....but you can, maybe you could take pictures, or describe what wires are connected to what terminals on the gauges? and like he said, check for 12v power at the gauge power connections, as well as the guage lights? and make sure that ground is still connected?

 

Sounds like "Semi Auto" Meter is more accurate.
I put gauges in a car decades ago, and somehow one of the light bulbs in one of the gauges was not seated correctly in the socket. I turned on the lights and blew the inline fuse as well as the fuse panel fuse. Go back over everything you last touched. The answer is there.

 

Like mentioned above,
& Multi Voltmeter and jumper leads

 

Thank you and yes there is 12V positive.

 

Then check ground with test light from IGN and GRD terminal (key on) at the gauges to see if ground is present.

 

Have you...say...contacted AutoMeter ????

Seems to me that they'll have MUCH more experience with...their equipment than most anyone on any web board, maybe ?

Mike

 

Sounds like the power wire to all guages are daisy chained together and that's your culprit. If you are using a common ground daisy chained in that shouldn't have been effected by changing the ignition switch. The illumination lights have their own ground separate from the gauge ground and the power wire for those lights comes off the headlight switch.

 

^^^^^ You never know what you’ll bump around doing electrical work. Lost the drivers headlight on the 57 doing a generator to alternator swap. No connection between either. But I managed to disconnect the pigtail at the fender well without know it.

 

Mechanical speedo does not use electricity.
Lights for gauges is a separate light switch circuit, not involved with gauges. It will ground thru the gauge body and probably a separate wire, since the dash is probably 'glass.
Tach uses an ACC or On circuit if done right, then a negative to coil.
Fuel uses an ACC or On circuit if done right, then sender grounds thru resistor.
Voltmeter uses an ACC or On circuit if done right, then to constant ground.

Notice all the issues are a circuit from the ACC or On of the switch? This probably goes thru an Inst fuse, then up to the gauges. That's where I'd start with checking power. Ignition off, no power at the gauges. Ignition On or ACC, gauges should have power.

BTW, welcome to the HAMB. These are your first posts. You should do an introduction and read the rules. Hope this helps!

 

You said you disconnected the battery while installing the new ignition switch. Check at the battery negative terminal connection. AutoMeter recommend a ground wire be run directly to the battery negative, which may have been via a ring terminal under the nut on the battery terminal clamp. You might not have this earth wire connected back up.

 

The temp, OP and fuel are measuring the resistance to ground thru the senders. A common ground should only be for the back lighting and the voltmeter. Probably an issue with the 12 v feed wire.

Gary