Instrument Cluster Stopped Working..please Help

[kjrob87]

I am a new mustang owner, i have a 2000 mustang GT 4.6

what my problem is my instrument cluster when crazy this morning. i was almost to work and everything was fine i saw my battery light flickering but my gauges were saying the battery and everything else was fine. mind you i just bought the car about a week ago and it had a bad battery in it so i bought a new from the parts store.

So back to my problem my gauges just stopped working they went all to the bottom of each one and then my actual lights on met dash got brighter. so i turned them off and back on and my tach gauge worked for a second then nothing. car was still running nothing wrong there. i got to the parking lot of my job turned the car off popped the hood and checked the battery everything was still tight so no problems there. haven't had time to go out and look at the fuses yet.

So my illumination lights work but my gauges are not working.

Any help would be great this is my only vehicle to go back and forth to work in.

 

[kjrob87]

quick update i change my battery as it had vented and i figured was the cause of the instrument cluster failure. which it was not.

upon putting the new battery in and starting the car, the gauges still are intermittent so if its idling and the ac is on the gauges work also i can turn the ac off they will keep working. but if any rpms above 1500 they turn back off and take about 120 seconds to turn back on.

checked all fuses and nothing all fuses were just fine.

if anyone has any idea i could really use the help.

Thanks in advance

 

[Herb Butler]

Check the ground wire between the engine and the chassis

 

[kjrob87]

Where should I look for it?

 

[Herb Butler]

My 97gt is under cover. Will look tomorrow and will reply.

 

[wmburns]

Battery venting normally means that the alternator is over charging. Have you measured the battery voltage while the motor is running? Better yet. Have the alternator tested for correct output and excessive AC ripple (bad diode). No excuse to skip this step as almost all auto parts stores will test for free with the alternator on the car.

Have you recently installed a new radio? There's a ground behind the center console that is frequently messed up during a radio install?

Have you checked ALL of the grounds around the radiator core support? Are they clean and tight?

 

[Herb Butler]

I looked at my 97GT and did not see a ground strap between the engine and the firewall or frame. If there is one it might be on the bell housing. After checking the diagrams I see a lot of ground indications but not a specific engine to ground connection. The two most obvious grounds that I see on my 97GT are right next to the battery and are part of the negative cable bundle to the battery. One ground is from the negative battery post, the other comes from the other direction as part of the wire bundle. On your car look at those points.

 

[IIGood]

As stated previously, get the alternator checked. My GT would light up the "battery" light sporadically and ultimately over time, the alternator gave up and died. I got stranded on the side of the highway when it completely went out.

 

[kjrob87]

Okay thanks for all the advise turns out my alternator was out so after $180 I got a new and it works fine now all the dash components are working....

But now my headlights will not work the running lights in the first position work and the gauges light up...but my headlights wont work. You guys got any ideas I am checking the headlights switch tomorrow after work.

So glade I joined this forum ya'll have helped me out alot.

In fact I am taking my car to the shop for a tune up that way if they blow out a spark plug they have ever to replace it....hahahaha

 

[wmburns]

At the risk of stating the obvious, have you checked all of the fuses? There are separate fuses for left and right low beams as well as for the entire system.

After checking all fuses, need to know if the entire system is no-op or just the low beams.

Note. It's very common on older Mustangs for the headlight switch to over heat. If evidence of overheating is found, replacement is the recommended fix.

 

[kjrob87]

it was too cold today to check the fuses and the switch. but it has an appointment for a tune and oil change, fuel filter change on monday so i will have to wait for that to get finished then i will check all those fuses and switch.

yes i am taking it for a tune cause if the spark plug blows out and screws something up i would rather the shop replace it than me have to come up with the money.