Instrument cluster ground 87

I have an 87 R20 Suburban, 454. None of my electrical gauges work on the dash, but my dash lights work fine. Does the ground for the cluster ground for both the gauges and the lights or is there a separate ground for each? Trying to narrow down this issue.i will add that my check engine light doesn’t light up but that could be the bulb. The brake warning light works and so do the turn signal indicators. And I do have power at the gauge /idle fuse and the fuse is good.

Yo, on those square bodies, the gauges and dash lights actually use different paths. The illumination lights usually ground through the cluster housing to the metal dash frame, while the electrical gauges share a specific ground wire in the main cluster plug that often connects to the steering column support or the engine block. Since your lights and signals are working but the gauges are dead despite the fuse being good, I'd bet on a bad ground wire in that cluster connector or a crusty printed circuit board on the back of the housing.

Fixed mine with a paper clip, finally swapped out the plastic printed circuit board and replaced all the bulbs at the same time

Grounds wires (blk-150s) coming from cluster should splice together and run to the ground bus bar located on driver side kick panel. (sort of behind the lower left A/C vent) I would start by looking at the circuit board connector and making sure it is seated properly. -you could also check the grounds there (continuity to ground) and the pink/blk- 39 wires- for voltage. Also like mentioned- make sure your circuit board looks good.

(AI is a good tool- but is wrong a lot of times)

Jgonick said:

Grounds wires (blk-150s) coming from cluster should splice together and run to the ground bus bar located on driver side kick panel. (sort of behind the lower left A/C vent) I would start by looking at the circuit board connector and making sure it is seated properly. -you could also check the grounds there (continuity to ground) and the pink/blk- 39 wires- for voltage. Also like mentioned- make sure your circuit board looks good.

(AI is a good tool- but is wrong a lot of times)

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AI told me if my dog looks at antifreeze to take him to the vet immediately,it also told me the blonde woman on the car shield commercials is Vivica Fox. That's been about a year ago. I asked the same questions before posting this,and got better answers.

Yep, It can be useful- but it tends to over-rely on generalization & responds over confidentially. The information it finds goes back to the old saying -garbage in garbage out.

A 1980 is probably like my ‘75, where there is a single black panel ground wire connected to a post on the emergency brake bracket. However, by 1980 they also had power windows and locks, so they may also ground to the same post. Later trucks eventually added a specific grounding bar with multiple terminals.

What did you replace it with?

Finkaire said:

Fixed mine with a paper clip, finally swapped out the plastic printed circuit board and replaced all the bulbs at the same time

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Bad ground at the circuit board. Temporary fix was the paper clip, circuit board had an open near where it plugged in. New board and a box of bulbs as I recall, it’s been a while back