I recently lost the speedometer and the temp gauge. I am reading that it may just be a low charge battery. I s this a common problem? Thanks in advance.
Speedometer Failure
- Thread starter Dakota 1960
- Start date
twobjshelbys
GT Owner
Could be battery but replace it. Cheaper to do the battery first than replace gauges. Lots of topics on gauges.
Tomcat
GT Owner
PeteK
GT Owner
Before you throw a new battery at the problem: remove, clean and reinstall the battery terminals and loosen, wiggle and retighten the ground cable where it connects to the chassis near the battery. Then hook up another known good battery with jumper cables, then turn the key to ignition, wait until the odometer display activates, THEN start it. See if the problem goes way. If not, then a new battery will not fix it either.
Tomcat
GT Owner
100% AGREE....VERY important: "...then turn the key to ignition, wait until the odometer display activates, THEN start it."
twobjshelbys
GT Owner
Regardless of the vehicle I wait until all the dash lights cycle through their on to off. It's like logging in after a windows reboot..
As far as jumpering in a battery to do the gauge test don't jumper like you were starting a car with a dead battery by connecting the spare to the posts. Disconnect the cables from posts and connect to the cables to get the old battery from the circuit otherwise you're trying to charge the old one too.
I'd still consider replacing it if it is "old". Mine lasted over 7 years being on the battery tender most of its life but they eventually won't hold a charge (the tender told me so...)
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The GT has a gauge control module that attempts to establish communication with all of the gauges at each start-up. If the battery voltage is low, one or more gauges will not be able to successfully check-in. The gauge control module will NOT continue trying to communicate with the gauges that are not checked in and for that entire run cycle, any un-checked-in gauge will be ignored. Turn the car off and then re-start it and the gauge control module will once again try to establish communication with all of the gauges. Typically this re-start will work because the battery has been jolted alive by the alternator.
In contrast, if you have a gauge that does not function at all throughout several start/run cycles, then it is likely that the gauge itself is bad.
In summary, if/when you have a gauge failure, run the car for a bit and then re-start it. If the gauge comes back to life, then it is likely that the cause was a low battery. However, if you re-start the car several times and the same gauge is not functioning, then it is time to replace the gauge.
In contrast, if you have a gauge that does not function at all throughout several start/run cycles, then it is likely that the gauge itself is bad.
In summary, if/when you have a gauge failure, run the car for a bit and then re-start it. If the gauge comes back to life, then it is likely that the cause was a low battery. However, if you re-start the car several times and the same gauge is not functioning, then it is time to replace the gauge.