apexwarrior

This is what happend..
a few days ago my '85 gls (stock 12A)decided to stand me up. It was 10 pm and I just got out of work. I started the car and nothing.. only carnked at 250 to 450 rpms. I got some fuel and some jumper cables,, same thing.. nothing. I checked the spark plugs and they were dry.. well all except one trailing(the upper back one). i towed the car home and the next morning the car started with no problems.

One thing I did noticed was that my instument panel was dead. the illumination lights still worked. and when it started it started like crap.. but once it got warm it ran smoothly but with a studder every now and then. I checked all the fuses and checked for burned wires under the hood. everythings ok.

I bought a digital tester to check if the ignitors are good. only thing is, I am not sure at what setting I should put the tester at, the check the ignitors.

heres a pic..

darkfrost

iTrader: (1)

I don't think you can check the ignitors with only a multimeter. There is a test method illustrated in the Haynes manual though using a lightbulb and some simple wiring. You can however check the voltage to the coils with that tester and make sure they are good.

apexwarrior

I can understand why the main cluster is not working? It lights up,, but none of the tachs work. Could that be tied up to the ignitors. When I say they are not working.. I mean all of them not just the tech.

side note.. I have also been haveing issues with my headlights. they go up and only one of them comes down. I thought it was the ground so what I did was sand the area and all contacts with a dremel tool. that still doens't work.

Useing my above mutimeter, what setting do I use to test the coils? anyone?

gsl-se addict

iTrader: (3)

The coils you test the resistance across the + and - terminal. Switch the meter to the 200 Ohms (the greek symbol on the lower left section) range. The black test wire goes to the COM on the meter. There should be a plugs that says something like volts, ohms, etc. The red test lead plugs into there for voltage and resistance testing. I believe the coils are suppose to be like 2 ohms across the terminals. You test the resistance with the power off.

One the instrument cluster, do the warning lights come on when you turn the key on? Check the fuse under the dash. It is 15A I believe. Should be labeled meter-back. If it is blown, the cluster will not work.

jayroc

Why did you have to replace your fusable links? Did they burn out or something? If so maybe they damaged something else when they did.
Sounds like you have a short somewhere draining current.. Maybe your alternator wire is grounding out someplace..
You may also get a timing light and make sure your coils are firing all the time like they should. Sounds silly, but check your spark plug wiring too..

RotorMotorDriver

iTrader: (1)

With the headlight problem he was having in a pervious thread, I had suggested he replace the fusable links, its a cheap item to check. It sounds like youre having some electrical issues somewhere else however with the gauge problems. Have you checked the headlight linkages under the hood for any binding?

~T.J.

apexwarrior

this just in guys.. the 'no' progress report.

I checked the fuses. there ok.
I checked the coils..at 200 one reads 1.7 to 1.8 and the other reads steady at 1.8. Does that mean there bad?

I traced the harness for the headlights and found no binding, theres a place where it seems as if they cut all the wires and replaced the plug. I checked the colors on the wires nd there all the same, I also cleaned up there mess and used connectors rather than electical tape. major bummer.

Well the good news. I will soon buy my engine lift and soon I will have either 13Bt or a 13BREW. It seems I am going to go with the 13BT.. just because its more reliable. I can live with the headlights like that for now. I really need to get those tachs working. I haven't replaced the ignitors and have read in another thread that sometimes thats the problem. I hope to get some better results soon. I don't want to have to take the steering wheel off and replace the cluster.

RotorMotorDriver

iTrader: (1)

By binding I mean mechanical binding in the linkages that move the lights up and down, not electrical. The motor may be trying to move the headlight, but if the linkage is binding, it couldnt, get it?

Also, youre correct. A dead trailing ignitor could cause the tach to stop working. However, I wouldnt worry too much about that since NONE of the gauges work. I would try and fix that first. Carefully recheck your fuses, Ive been through stuff like this a few times. Check every fuse twice and think theyre all ok, run out of ideas and start checking fuses again. Whaddaya know, I find a dead one. Sometimes a volt meter will help with that too, more than once Ive blown a fuse in the part you cant really see through and missed it. Set it to continuity (7 spaces to the right of where it is in the pic, the little arrow looking thing), and put one probe on each terminal of the fuse. If the meter reads "0" or something fairly low, its conducting and the fuse is good. If it stays the same as when the probes are connected to nothing, then you have no continuity and the fuse is blown.

~T.J.

apexwarrior

I pulled and replaced all the fuses with freash ones. I also have a fuse tester. It came withthe fuse selection that I bought. It uses an led and is adjustable to various widths. All the fuses I pulled where good. Some had some corrosion so I replaced them. I will check them again in the morning just to be sure.

in reguards to the head lights:
I can manually move it with little force, up and down. For the time being this is what I do. I disconnect the linnk then manually move it down. Then I connect it they stay down. When I need them to come up I just flick the switch... humm I wonder if the relay is sticking.

on tap for tomorrow: check fuses and find a way to test the head light relay.

Kentetsu

Better check your main ground wires. Clean all the connections at the battery and starter. This is a good thing to do anyway, so even if it doesn't fix this particular issue you will still be ahead of the game.....

jayroc

Time to bust out the wiring diagram.. Check the connector where the gauges are grounded.
Good luck!