Gauge Issues on'82 SX4.

[RYNOEagle]

1982 Eagle SX4 5-speed. It has the gauge package at the cluster with the clock, vacuum, voltage, and oil pressure.

When I first started driving this thing, I had repaired it from sitting for about 14 years or so. I got all of the gauges working except for the turn signal lights, and the clock, which I didn't care about anyways. The turn signals worked, but didn't light on the dash.

Well, I drove it for a week or two and the oil pressure gauge went, but all others remained. And my left turn signal light light started working.

Long story short, my left turn signal still works. My right turn signal worked for about two days but stopped again. My oil pressure is still gone, my voltage gauge went from about halfway up where it was supposed to be gradually sinking lower until it just stopped working. My tach stopped going above 2grand, then just very low, then just stopped working altogether.

Now my gas gauge continues to work, as well as the radio, but all my other electrical gauges are shot. I've redone the headlight ground, and the ground that is in the engine bay, coming from the dash side. Also, my passenger low beam headlight got replaced when I got it on the road, but became very dim after just a couple weeks.

Are there any grounds I am missing?

[RYNOEagle]

Oh, right. I believe the horn works, I'll have to check the high beams tonight. Wipers work, as well as the fluid sprayer. Rear defrost didn't work at first, but magically started working at some point. 

[byrdock]

My oil pressure light quit working and a new sender fixed that. And turn signals worked when they wanted to until I replaced the bulbs. One had a broken filament and the other had a little corrosion on the tabs, so far they work all the time.

[IowaEagle]

Sometimes a wearing out TS flasher will cause intermittent issues.  IIRC the OP sender is different on the gauge package models.  Do you have a volt meter or an amp meter.  I was thinking the gauge package was amps.

[vangremlin]

Yes, the gauge package Eagles have a sending unit for the oil  gauge and the oil idiot light.  For the gauge, the resistance changes based on the oil pressure.

[RYNOEagle]

I'll try new bulbs for the turn signals. My Tach started working again, but it still doesnt read properly. It'll probably be spring before I worry about anything else, it drives perfectly fine, I just have to be a little more careful.

I have another issue of my transfer case. I did the hose clamp lock on my front axle, and did a simplified vacuum line setup for the T-case, just two vacuum lines going to that, and one going to manifold vacuum. I looked and saw the T-case fully engaged under the car, and it seemed to be working when I dropped the clutch in snow, but when I was stuck on some really slippery ice a couple minutes ago, the rears were spinning freely without touching the gas even, and the fronts were doing nothing at all. Is this normal?

[RYNOEagle]

Eh, nevermind about that. I did some reading, and It's very likely my viscous coupler is trashed, I read it works like an open differential if that happens, which is pretty much what it feels like.

So back to the gauges, Ill just have to get a new sending unit, and I've read the Eagle Tach's go often, so I'll probably just wait it out and do the Ford Truck Tach swap when the weather is more cooperative.

I can't imagine it's a bad ground, seeing as I can only find 2 and they both look and feel just as they did when I first got the car going and everything worked.

I know there's a 3rd under the dash that I havent checked out because it's covered by plastic, but what is that meant to ground?

It's worthing mentioning btw, that I did a computer delete, so that whole harness is gone, except for the temp gauge, I have just the couple wires from the old harness running from the sensors to the gauge. I learned that doesnt even really work though. It's always below the C at the very bottom.

[carnuck]

Where are you at? I have at least one NP129for sale still, but that's in Seattle.

[RYNOEagle]

Massachusetts, Haha. I won't bother swapping a T-case until it's spring and all of this cold air and ice is gone.

[RYNOEagle]

I figured out a couple issues.

It seems the plastic piece going into the fuse panel for the gauges was broken, so it looked like it was making contact, but it wasnt. It fixed the tach, and although it's still only reading 10, and I know it's more like 13, the battery gauge is also working again. The flasher was a problem of it being at the end of 3 long wires without really have a proper place. it got wedged in between the clutch pedal and the firewall, causing it to get all dented. I'm assuming, since it's acting erratic, if I change the flasher, I'll fix the issue.

So I assume I may have a bad light I got from the store, or I have an issue with the harness leading to the headlight bulb. And the oil pressure gauge must just be a bad sending unit. I dunno about the inaccuracy of the battery gauge though, although it was doing that a little while before it completely went. It was working just fine for about a week after getting it on the road though.