Turn signals dead / Gauge Cluster circuit board

[Deb]

Haven't been on the forum in a while. Had a lot going on this spring & summer, so I've just been lurking around. But... Did get the coach!! She
runs very well, and still sorting out a couple of things - Onan, temp gauge, steering box, sticky idler arm, windshield washers/wipers, seized parking
brake - all of which I can sort of work around and am in process of getting replaced/repaired. But one I am wanting to deal with before I take her
driving again is that the turn signals are intermittent (actually barely intermittent - mostly not working at all). PO told me this after I got her
home. And it has gotten worse. (Hard to tell sometimes if the darn things are blinking at the best of times!). He told me that the "It attaches to
the instrument panel PC board. It appears that the copper on the board is worn away" and isn't making good contact consistently. Before I go ripping
the dash apart, could someone point me in exactly the right direction? I am more than willing to play, but not interested in tearing down something
that I really don't have to. Can't really find the location in the maintenance manual unless I'm just missing it (more likely than not).

Next question of course is - can the connection be resurrected! Or would I need to get a new board?

Anyone have a picture of the board in the photos? So I actually have an idea what I'm looking at

Cheers.
--
Li'l Sister
'77 Kingsley, 403, with a few mods;
TZE167V101404
It's Bigger on the Inside!

 

[CGeils]

There is a flexible Mylar circuit "board" on the backside of the cluster. This can be repaired with a jumper wire or maybe you find a good used one.
Be forewarned! Getting to this circuit board requires removing the back cover of the IP that faces the windshield. This is very fragile plastic and
you will very likely break several pieces. A plastic welder is your friend!
--
Chris Geils - Twin Cities
1978 26' Kingsley w/ very few mods; Headers, Progressive Dynamics 9040, aux trans cooler, one repaint in stock colors, R134a, Al rad, 50k mi

 

[Deb]

Thanks Chris. That panel is already detached Looks like the PO may have been fiddling and either didn't reaffix it, or an even more previous PO
already pooched it up. There is a screw hole in it (no screw) which looks like that was the way it was kept firmly in place. I will try to take a
look at it later and see what's lurking back there!!
--
Li'l Sister
'77 Kingsley, 403, with a few mods;
TZE167V101404
It's Bigger on the Inside!

 

[jerry burt]

Before you dig into your dash, there are other, easier things to check first.

First, what exactly are the t/sigs doing/not doing?

Usually if you have a bad dash printed circuit trace, it either works or it doesn't.
Check these:
If the t/sigs work intermittently, I would suspect a dirty/corroded plug at the steering column, a bad flasher, or bad/corroded grounds.
Do your emergency flashers work?
Do all your front and rear bulbs work? The brake and T/signals use the same bulb filament in the back. Your emergency flasher will tell you if the
bulbs and wiring are good. (including the dash indicator lights)

There are other possibilities but lets start with a little more information.

> Haven't been on the forum in a while. Had a lot going on this spring & summer, so I've just been lurking around. But... Did get the coach!! She
> runs very well, and still sorting out a couple of things - Onan, temp gauge, steering box, sticky idler arm, windshield washers/wipers, seized
> parking brake - all of which I can sort of work around and am in process of getting replaced/repaired. But one I am wanting to deal with before I
> take her driving again is that the turn signals are intermittent (actually barely intermittent - mostly not working at all). PO told me this after
> I got her home. And it has gotten worse. (Hard to tell sometimes if the darn things are blinking at the best of times!). He told me that the "It
> attaches to the instrument panel PC board. It appears that the copper on the board is worn away" and isn't making good contact consistently.
> Before I go ripping the dash apart, could someone point me in exactly the right direction? I am more than willing to play, but not interested in
> tearing down something that I really don't have to. Can't really find the location in the maintenance manual unless I'm just missing it (more
> likely than not).
>
> Next question of course is - can the connection be resurrected! Or would I need to get a new board?
>
> Anyone have a picture of the board in the photos? So I actually have an idea what I'm looking at
>
> Cheers.

--
Patti & Jerry Burt
73 Gmc 26' Canyon Lands -
77 Palm Beach
Members: FMCA - GMCMI - GMCWS - Pacific Cruisers - 49ers

 

[Deb]

Thanks for the pointers. I was going by what the PO had said. But MORE than happy to start with something simpler and easier to access. The Brake
lights work and all bulbs front & back are working (or were a week or 2 ago when I had to change out a rear brake bulb).

Just went out to check the rest - and battery is dead I have put the trickle charger on her and will recheck when the juice is back up. PO told
me they were intermittent (again after I had taken her home) - he may have been trying to address that before I picked her up - hence the panel
detached - and never finished tracing the problem or fixing it. Seems to me I had checked the emergency flashers, and they were working, but that was
a while back, & could have been in a functional phase of "intermittency".

I'll be back once I have some juice in the battery.
--
Li'l Sister
'77 Kingsley, 403, with a few mods;
TZE167V101404
It's Bigger on the Inside!

 

[Ken B]

I totally agree with the above posting. The only think on the instrument cluster board to do with turn signals is the actual arrow lights.
Everything else is located elsewhere.

Forget the instrument cluster for the moment and see if the actual turn signals are working when the interior arrow lights are failing. If the
outsides are failing in any way we need to go fix those problems first.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

 

[Deb]

Signal lights DO work. Emerg & turn signals. It's just the R indicator light in the dash thats a dud. The L one works fine. I must have
misunderstood his message - I thought it meant that the signals weren't working. It's just that R indicator light in the cluster. So - I can change
lanes and turn corners without getting the finger flashed at me

Thank you both for stopping my headlong rush behind the dash! Later this week, or on the weekend I will take a look at the switch relay on the column
and see if I can resurrect that little blinker.. But at least I feel OK taking her out on the road.

Next task - checking out the coolant temperature sender. I am hoping it's just the sensor itself. That & continuing with the Onan. So far I know
the pump is OK, board seems OK, fuse is good, carb has been removed & cleaned and fuel is getting where it needs to be. Turns over but won't catch
(used to catch, but wouldn't run) Spark which was there, is no longer - so I will check the coil first and then go from there if that is OK. I am
taking it one small step at a time with that one.
--
Li'l Sister
'77 Kingsley, 403, with a few mods;
TZE167V101404
It's Bigger on the Inside!

 

[RF_Burns]

If it is just the Right turn indicator that is not working, have you checked the little light bulb for that function in the dash. Also the light bulb
holder could be loose and the circuit board it mounts into could be tarnished.
--
Bruce Hislop
ON Canada
77PB, 455 Dick P. rebuilt, DynamicEFI EBL EFI & ESC.
Hubler 1 ton front end
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=29001
My Staff says I never listen to them, or something like that

 

[john phillips]

Just switch the left and right bulbs and see if the problem moves. If it is
a contact problem they may both work. If the problem does not move check
the connector that runs across the back of the cluster. You can follow the
traces to see which pin is not working. For me, it was the bright light pin
broken off.

> If it is just the Right turn indicator that is not working, have you
> checked the little light bulb for that function in the dash. Also the light
> bulb
> holder could be loose and the circuit board it mounts into could be
> tarnished.
> --
> Bruce Hislop
> ON Canada
> 77PB, 455 Dick P. rebuilt, DynamicEFI EBL EFI & ESC.
> Hubler 1 ton front end
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=29001
> My Staff says I never listen to them, or something like that
>
> _______________________________________________
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--

*John Phillips*