Topic: DASH LIGHTS WENT OUT (KINDA)
in Forum: C3 Electrical
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Copper attached with glue?? That would not be a good electrical contact.
It sounds like you have a bad ground connection on the dash. This causes feedback problems. The dash ground through the dash lights, until they are turned on, the the ground goes away. You can vary the power, thus varing the ground and make the dash lights do weird things.
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The saga continues --my problem is most definately the cluster ckt board. Ordered a new one from MID AMERICA. the board came in early last week two days later i started replacing ( i started with replacing the tabs that hold the tach and continued with the bulbs) quess what i have bulbs left over (just can't be). after a quick view of the new ckt board i realise that there is no hole for the turn indicator bulbs also no copper run for the bulb to make connection even if i went ahead and punched the hole.remove board and call MA (now waiting on return authorization so i can get it exchanged.
I really want to get the can up so sunday i am setting in the living room trying to remember where i laid the old ckt board (can only find the new one) wife ask whats wrong with the new one -- i explain (MISTAKE # ONE)
and lay it down one the table to show her (now i am confused) so i decide maybe i made a mistake. take new ckt board to garage and start replacing bulbs (MISTAKE # 2)( duh extra bulbs) now i remove the board again and mark it to show the wife. while explaining to the wife i remember where the old board is and lay the old board over the new one to prove there are no holes or copper ckt.
moral of the store if you want to increase your work ask for help.
Annicorvette
Lifetime member # 35 
Just FYI and maybe someone can help me but, at some time in the not to distant past didn't the DOT mandate dashlights be incorporated into the tail light circuit. The reason being one cannot see when the tail lights go out but, the dashlights are highly visible.
terntes
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[QUOTE=kstyer] Copper attached with glue?? That would not be a good electrical contact.[/QUOTE]
Yer right there, Ken, but....my understanding was that the tape/terminals had become un-laminated from the board, and just laying loose. In that case, the copper part of the circuit could be glued back down to the board, so the connector would make contact when plugged back in. I've done this a few times on circuit boards with that type of connection, and it werks pretty well. In fact, there's a couple of terminals on the dash circuit on my '85 that are glued down like that.
We might be thinking of different things here, but the description led me to that thought.
Howard, is it possible they sent you a board for a different year?
Yer right there, Ken, but....my understanding was that the tape/terminals had become un-laminated from the board, and just laying loose. In that case, the copper part of the circuit could be glued back down to the board, so the connector would make contact when plugged back in. I've done this a few times on circuit boards with that type of connection, and it werks pretty well. In fact, there's a couple of terminals on the dash circuit on my '85 that are glued down like that.
We might be thinking of different things here, but the description led me to that thought.
Howard, is it possible they sent you a board for a different year?
Joel Adams
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I have used the superglue method before to hold the copper tabs in place on the board foil (thin plastic) female plug connection. Just put it on the back of the copper tab and press into place. Make sure you have it aligned correctly and I used a small jewelers screwdriver to press in place so I would not glue my fingers to the board. Works well.
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in Forum: C3 Electrical
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