This is strange!? help

[Sir Hiss RT10]

The saga started two years ago the day before i put the car into winter storage. I was driving and turned on the headlights, and the speedo needle immediately dropped like it was dead. I turn the lights off and it jumps back up. Car goes into storage and then runs fine the ENTIRE next season without ever doing this once. NOw this year it started doing it again about a week ago, but now it seems to do it every time i use my headlights. Headlights go on, speedo drops ant some point and periodically jumps back up and dies again. If it dies and I use a directional it jumps back up to speed, but dies short after. What is the deal with my car???

 

[Bumbles]

Sounds like a short in the fuse box to me. Take it to a Viper Tech and get them to test your electrical system.

 

[99 R/T 10]

It's a common problem with the Gen I cars. The headlight switch is shorting out, when you take it apart to replace it, you'll see the center where it plugs into the harness is going to be melted. Call Chuck Tator (914)763-3136.

 

[Sir Hiss RT10]

Its actually on a 98 gts, but is it the same problem none the less?

 

[Randy]

Its actually on a 98 gts, but is it the same problem none the less?

I don't recall the Gen II switches having the same problem. For that matter, from what I can see in the wiring diagrams, a melting headlight switch connector wouldn't affect the speedo. (I agree that melting headlight switches was a common Gen I problem - I had to splice in a new connector on my Gen I when it melted and took part of the wiring harness with it).

I'd agree that it sounds like something in the under-dash fuse box - perhaps something has fallen into it from above? Still at a bit of a loss as to how it would get over to the speedo wiring, which isn't close to the headlight wiring.

Does it affect anything else in the dash? You might want to trace the dash wiring as best you can to see if something in the harness has rubbed insulation off alongside the headlight wiring.

 

[SNKEBIT]

It's junk. I'll give ya two-fiddy for scrap price.

 

[Silver_Snake]

Shucks - don' rip da lad off !!! I'll gives ya tree hunnert......

 

[Viper Wizard]

Bad ground or connection under the dash. Good luck finding it!

 

[JacksViper]

It's possessed, find a priest quickly.

 

[Whoaa]

I don't recall the Gen II switches having the same problem. For that matter, from what I can see in the wiring diagrams, a melting headlight switch connector wouldn't affect the speedo. (I agree that melting headlight switches was a common Gen I problem - I had to splice in a new connector on my Gen I when it melted and took part of the wiring harness with it).

I'd agree that it sounds like something in the under-dash fuse box - perhaps something has fallen into it from above? Still at a bit of a loss as to how it would get over to the speedo wiring, which isn't close to the headlight wiring.

Does it affect anything else in the dash? You might want to trace the dash wiring as best you can to see if something in the harness has rubbed insulation off alongside the headlight wiring.

NO, nothing else on the dash seems to be affected. When the speedo dies with the headlights on, i blip the turn signal and it pops back up for a brief time. On a couple occasions the tach acted a little whacky too, but its 99 percent of the time the speedo.

 

[Whoaa]

It's junk. I'll give ya two-fiddy for scrap price.

hhaha don't laugh to much Uncle Mitchie, you unfortunately might be the one to end up working on this "scrap" car ahahaha

 

[99 R/T 10]

Do you have a spare PCM? Try switching it out..................

 

[SNKEBIT]

hhaha don't laugh to much Uncle Mitchie, you unfortunately might be the one to end up working on this "scrap" car ahahaha

That's allright, I like working on scrap, It pays twice as much!

 

[Whoaa]

Do you have a spare PCM? Try switching it out..................

Only got the 99 PCM I bought from you lol. Could it be the pcm? never thought of that

Ohh and SNACKBITE i mean SNKBITE working on this piece doenst pay that well ahahah

 

[Randy]

NO, nothing else on the dash seems to be affected. When the speedo dies with the headlights on, i blip the turn signal and it pops back up for a brief time. On a couple occasions the tach acted a little whacky too, but its 99 percent of the time the speedo.

Tator's suggestion of a bad ground fits the symptoms very well - the extra current from the headlight activation could cause a capacitance-effect block, until, as you say, you do something else to break the current block. I've never searched for the dash ground connection (and I would hope there is more than one), but that sounds like the best initial use of your time - to find and fix it (tighten it down, clean it up, whatever).