1981 C30 cluster issue

[ConnorD]

I've got a 1981 c30 that I bought a few months ago, very beautiful truck. But I seem be having cluster issues. I've tried a few different cluster and all the same things

Speedo isn't working (must be something other than the cluster I know what)

And all the gauges work, except the volt meter, but they ALL stop working once the lights are turned on, they all. Go to zero, including the fuel gauge, could this be as simple as a short in between the switch and the cluster bulbs? Any advice is appreciated. I'm very new to working on anything in the dash.

 

[mano]

Probably a short in the printed circuit.

 

[Max Headroom]

Wouldn't a short keep the guages off all of the time? Could it be a ground issue. My 60's and early 70's vehicles were real twitchy about grounding.

 

[75gmck25]

Did you make sure you connected the cluster ground? It’s usually a black wire connected to a post on the emergency brake mechanism, or on newer trucks they added a ground bar up under the dash.

 

[mano]

I had the same thing happened to mine, and when I unplugged the connector, I noticed that where the printed circuit bends down to where the plug goes two of the little tabs were overlapping. I straightened them all out and the problem went away. I don’t remember which tabs it was.