Guages
- Thread starter kosupply
- Start date
Empty Pockets
ex-GT Owner
Two at once?
I assume you did the standard "battery/circuit ground" testing/cleaning routine B4U concluded the guages were dead?
Ko,
That just doesn't sound right at all. The odds of this being your gauge(s) are, in my mind, nil.
As Pockets points out, the gauges are really picky on voltage. Low battery voltage and they just don't want to work.
Do you have your battery on some type of float charger or battery tender?
I'd be suspicious of low battery voltage (at start-up) because of a low battery (first suspect) or possibly a bad ground connection (secondary suspect).
I would recommend two things before getting too worried. Pop your front compartment tray out and then trace the battery ground to where it connects to the frame. Make sure this connection is tight. You may even choose to remove the bolt, scuff the area around it and re-attach firmly. (I think it is a 10mm if my memory is good.) Next, put your battery on a float charger (NOT a trickle charger) and let it sit overnight or more until the float charger indicates a full battery. THEN, start the car and see if you have a gauge problem. I'm betting not.
That just doesn't sound right at all. The odds of this being your gauge(s) are, in my mind, nil.
As Pockets points out, the gauges are really picky on voltage. Low battery voltage and they just don't want to work.
Do you have your battery on some type of float charger or battery tender?
I'd be suspicious of low battery voltage (at start-up) because of a low battery (first suspect) or possibly a bad ground connection (secondary suspect).
I would recommend two things before getting too worried. Pop your front compartment tray out and then trace the battery ground to where it connects to the frame. Make sure this connection is tight. You may even choose to remove the bolt, scuff the area around it and re-attach firmly. (I think it is a 10mm if my memory is good.) Next, put your battery on a float charger (NOT a trickle charger) and let it sit overnight or more until the float charger indicates a full battery. THEN, start the car and see if you have a gauge problem. I'm betting not.
- Aug 25, 2006
- 4,436
I agree that the number of failures is well beyond normal as such I would look for the culprit initially as Kendall suggested while also confirming that they in fact have failed and not simply gone off line.
If they have failed I would look not only at the ground issue but also at the charging system and confirm that it is not causing voltage spikes. The later is easy to do with a tester in place and then monitor the alternator and regulator's activity.
Please keep us in the loop
Takes care
Shadowman
If they have failed I would look not only at the ground issue but also at the charging system and confirm that it is not causing voltage spikes. The later is easy to do with a tester in place and then monitor the alternator and regulator's activity.
Please keep us in the loop
Takes care
Shadowman
soroush
Ford Gt Owner
- Aug 8, 2007
- 5,256
thats what you get for not driving it more often,:biggrin Im just teasing you, I believe you have very good advice here. my tach stoped working the first day I picked up my black car, turned out to be nothing but a low battery.
mardyn
GT Owner
My oil pressure gauge bailed out me too one time, and a simple battery charge fixed the problem. (and yet, the battery still had enough energy to easily crank the engine & start the car.... several times).
beats the heck outta' me.
mardyn
beats the heck outta' me.
mardyn
Software reset? Maybe a cold boot (by removing power and reapplying) did it? Did you ever go back to the 1st battery to see if it still caused the problem?
We've got some new Snowcats on the mountain that have a lot of new software (and corresponding bugs) - sometimes they lose various functions (blade control, tiller control, steering) and require the vehicle to be turned off and rebooted to regain the functions.
mardyn
GT Owner
Nope, tried it several times (starting the engine, letting it run a few seconds and turning it back off) everything else seemed fine, all other gauges were normal... jsut no reading on the oil pressure gauge.
Didn't disconnect the battery, didn't really do anything except worry my ass off. Plugged in the small OEM charger, let it charge overnight and presto, I was back in business.
mardyn
Didn't disconnect the battery, didn't really do anything except worry my ass off. Plugged in the small OEM charger, let it charge overnight and presto, I was back in business.
mardyn
you could be right about not getting her out enough...I think the battery needed charging but did not fix the guages
- Aug 25, 2006
- 4,436
I feel bad for the process that you are enduring; now that they have not come back to life my next issue would be to confirm that the charging system is no spiking and causing you/your gal a greater number of failures when compared to the norm.
Yes many gauges have been replaced and in the end you may simply have become the odd person out with a greater number to deal with however I would still confirm that no issues exist rather than simply replacing with new and hoping for the best
Takes care
Shadowman
Empty Pockets
ex-GT Owner
'Sorry for being so dense here, but I can't find where you gave a specific "yes or no" to this:
Did you sandpaper clean the area where the battery's ground cable itself attaches to the chassis... as WELL as cleaning the battery terminals? (If that fails, you might try the same thing where the gauge panel's ground itself is located...wherever that is.)
Did you sandpaper clean the area where the battery's ground cable itself attaches to the chassis... as WELL as cleaning the battery terminals? (If that fails, you might try the same thing where the gauge panel's ground itself is located...wherever that is.)
I disconnected the new battery and charged it overnite. I cleaned the connections and disconnected the ground and and sanded...the battery is new and there was no corrosion at all. Funny that all the oter guages work ok ?? Mac Haik Ford ordered a new seat for me andit has not come is yet. Last time in they noticed it was worn a little from me draggin my butt in and out and said they would replace under warranty...they noticed, I did not. But when I get it back to them, I will get the guages fixed. I hate to keep taking the dash panel off...worried about more rattles...