Electrical problems
 

ok, so you jumped the car, and got it started?....... then you put a new battery in, and electrical things happen? was there any electrical problems before? when you jumped the car, were connections right? give the forum a little more info..

so was the problem there when you bought it, or was the car and electrics in good working order? how many miles on the car?.... do you know how to pull codes....

by the way.....welcome to the Forum.... hope we can help, but need more information...
rickyd

I don't know if they were present before, we just bought the car and it needed a jump to be put on a trailer. I noticed the problems after I jumped it but before I put in the new battery. The car runs fine, other power features like the windows, locks, heated seats, dome lights, headlight, all that stuff works fine. Its just the whole dash area is dead when the car runs. No tachometer, speedometer, temp guage, I actually don't know if the gas gauge works it just seems to, the information center is dead, there is no light illumination when the headlights are on, and the gear indicator between the gauges also does not indicate what gear you are in. It boggles me, I need some advice.

You need to get FSM both books. It could be a ground problem, it sounds like a "flood car". Check car for flood damage - rust and staining, also check condition of electrical componets under black cover on left fender well.

It was not a flood car.

sounds like you bought a problem... do you have any recourse with the seller?
2nd, i think if it were i, id probobly start checking fuses, and relays. 3rd , can you see any signs that someone was in the dash, ie: dash not fitting right, or marks of prying in corners of dash, etc? i know that the cluster you are talking about is aprox $1000. to replace, if that is truely the prob...... gee, too bad.... keep us in the loop, we'll try and assist.
try any give us some more history of the car.... ie: where,and from whom did you buy it from? you had to jump it, and flat bed it out of there?
rickyd

It was previously titled in new jersey and i bought it from a guy in wisconsin. I hauled away on a uhaul car trailer. The guy i bought it from said all it needed was a head gasket and he said everything else worked fine. I dont think it does need a head gasket the car runs great. The dash does look like it might of been pulled aprt and the drivers door panel is loose at the bottom, and i went to check the fuses in the trunk and it looks like someone already did. i checked all fuses but dont know how to check relays. (how do you tell if there bad) The cluster is only the begining of the problem, The security light and service engine soon light work and the gauges do illuminate but they dont work. Plus the heat doesnt work, there is nothing on the dash that works except the radio and it only works when the car is off. Please help this is annoying me.

Have you check fuse boxes and relays in the engine compartment?

I have already said twice that i checked all the fuses. I have not checked the relays, HOW DO YOU TELL RELAYS ARE BAD? Im thinking it might be the alternator.

You could unplug it and look for corrosion. To test/check relay you will need wiring diagram of relay you want to check, and jump 12v or ground to leg that triggers it and check for 12v on output wire. Alternator is unlikely to correct your concern. If alternator is cause everything would work when battery is fully charged. Then stop working as battery discharged.

And you bought it anyways ??? Wow !!!!
If it is just an instrument cluster then you got off lucky.

But then again....you have no idea if its running hot or not do you. Seein as all the gauges are out. Park it till you get your gauges and DIC working.

Well if you knew how much i paid for it you would of bought it too. It isnt just the instrument cluster, theres more to it then that. But im slowly eliminating things it could be.

Well i did some work to it today. We changed the battery termianl bolts and put brand new ones in, We checked 3 grounds under the hood, one to the fuse box and the two main battery grounds, we wire brushed them and put dielector grease on them. We also did the same for the two grounds under the back seat.

When we were checking the grounds under the back seat we noticed that a green wire seemed like it had burned and was no longer connected to anything, and an orange with white wire had been cut. Any ideas what they go to? Where could i get an interior wiring diagram? Could the problems be because of an ignition switch?

DUDE.... orange and white wire????? is that two wires, or one wire?
if you are excited with how little you paid for the car, then spand a little and maybe have it looked at... wee will try and help as much as possible. can you tell where any of the wires go?
im sure that they are affecting something.....
rickyd

I really need to know if i can get the wiring diagram online somewhere, anyone know?

Yesterday I found and fixed the problem. Apparently someone who previously owned this car put too big of a fuse in the IGN O-BODY slot in the back fuse block and it partially burned a wire out of the insulation. Once I hooked a jumper wire from the fuse block the the good part of the wire everything turned on and the car works like new. I appreciate everyone's input on helping me solve this problem. I was really excited when I found it was just a burnt wire and not a bad computer or cluster.

good going dude!!!!!!!!!

Congrads you really did a fine job finding the problem. You da man!!!