Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Couple of problems

[proskeeterman]

Ok so tonite I notice no Dash lights. Ok I look in fuse box, viola, blown fuse. I replace it, still no dash lites. Would the headlight switch be bad? Any suggestions are welcomed.



Second problem, this one tends to burn my toast a bit. Have had my DiPricol guages for about 4-5months and just got around to installing them over the last couple of days. Everything went smoothe til I got to the point of bringing all wires and boost hose thru firewall. Theres no way I've got enough to reach where the boost hose goes into intake manifold. Now I did it the way Genos Garages instructions told me too so this has me confused not to mention perturbed. I even put the boost gauge on the bottom of the pod (which is a pillar mount), still not enough. Can anyone help me or should I just call Genos garage and ask them. Oh I never modified anything they sent either. My sincere thanks to all that reply. Rattle On!!

 

[Joe G.]

Have you had all the recalls done for your truck?



If you have an automatic transmission route your wires thru the rubber plug where the clutch pedal would be if it was a stick. If manual maybe someone knows a good place.

 

[Woodenhead]

I had a similar deal with my boost hose (autometer guage). I had to put my boost guage at the bottom of the pillar, make a bit of a short cut rounting hose under the hood and it just made it.



I ran it through the rubber plug with the harness.



Mike

 

[illflem]

Most auto parts have 1/8'' boost tubing in bulk by the foot for cheap, $5 will get much more than enough. Leave a loop of extra at one end or another. Stretching the tubing tight is like a string between two cans and will transmit engine noise into the cab.



I always thread the boost line though larger tubing (1/4''), protects it from cuts and kinks and makes it tremendously easier to work with.

 

[Howard Durand]

If you recently installed new gauges and now have a blown fuse and no dash lights, check your new wiring.

I make a tool for running wire or tubing through the big rubber plugs in the firewall. Find a short piece of hard plastic tubing of whatever size needed that will let you run your wires or boost tubing through, cut one end of it at an angle so it will have a sharp point, shove it through the rubber then run your wires through it. Once the wires are through, pull it out leaving the wires in place.

 

[proskeeterman]

Thanks to you all. I will just go buy more 1/8" tubing for the boost, I've tried everything else. As far as my dashlight s, we never had any electrical hooked up before we saw that the dash lites were out. I thought it mite be the rheostat on the headlight switch. If that went bad, wouldnt it cause the same problem, No dash lites?

 

[Dbonzi]

Have you checked to see if you have tail lights?

I had that happen to me. I didn't have dash lights, shortly after that I got pulled over for not having tail lights. checked the conection under the box plugged it back in and I had dash lights again.

Dennis

 

[Howard Durand]

If your park lights and headlights work, and the rheostat is not broken, the dash lights should work.

According to the wiring diagram in the Haynes Manual for 94 to 96 trucks, the dash lights are fed from the headlight switch through the rheostat.

From there the feed goes to fuse #13 which is a 5 amp fuse.

From there it goes to Joint connector "C" near the instrument panel which connects it to the instrument cluster itself.



A single ground connects all of the circuits in the dash so if it was broken, I wouldn't think anything in the dash would work.



Pull fuse #13 and connect a voltmeter between the hot side and ground and with the headlight switch on you should have 12 volts at the fuse which will change as you turn the headlight switch rheostat.

If you don't have voltage there, you probably have an open rheostat.

If you do have voltage there, try another fuse.

If that doesn't work, you probably have a broken wire somewhere or all of the dash lights are burned out which is doubtful.

If you have an ohm meter, with the light switch turned off, connect the ohm meter between the load side of fuse #13 and ground. You should indicate nearly full deflection of the meter showing that you have a circuit through the lights to ground.



Good Luck!