Any insights into what caused my guages and misc to suddenly fail in my 95 EX?
Here is what quit:
-Speedometer
-Tach
-Fuel guage
-Temp guage
-Clock
-Check engine light (battery and SRS lights are OK)
-Oil light
-Turn signals (hazard flashers are OK)
-Cruise lights on switch but will not engage
ALL WERE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY, AND FAILED AFTER A START-UP. Previously, the speedometer occasionally dropped out.
-Radio also went into 'CODE" mode, but that may be a result of my checking fuses. I ALSO NEED TO RESET CODE AND DO NOT KNOW HOW.
Fuses, links appear OK. I suspect some connectivity issue, but am in over my head here. I know someone has encountered this somewhere before. What should I check into, in order. I must be missing something.

 

Blown fuse? One of the ones under the dash, (maybe #15), does the gauges and turn signals. To get the radio out of "CODE" mode you need to know the code or take the radio serial number to a dealer and have them look up the code.

 

I will check those again, but I don't think there are any blown fuses.

 

Find fuse #15 under the dash. It should be 10 amps. Turn the key on (no need to actually start engine though) and measure voltage from the test points on the top of the fuse to ground. If there's battery voltage on one but not the other, the fuse is blown. If there's no voltage, power is not reaching the fuse from the key switch, probably a bad fuse box (I think if that circuit in the key switch were bad, engine would not run).

If you have voltage on both points, pry the hazard switch out of the dash and test if the yellow wire is live (voltage to ground). No voltage there would mean the fuse box is bad (not touching the output end of the fuse) or there's a problem with the wiring under the dash. There is a junction connector where several of the yellow wires on that circuit join.

 

You were absolutely correct. Thank you VERY much for prompting me to look again. Now the only problem is that the speedometer (only) drops out intermittently. It was doing this prior to the blown back-up fuse. (Shorted out because lamp holder came out of tail light and went to ground) . The speedometer will SOMETIMES WORK on it's own OR sometimes when I HOLD IN THE TRIP RESET ROD. (Not always, though) QUITE BAFFLING. Any insights on this speedometer only problem?

 

bad VSS sensor?(speedometer sensor) or it is not getting enough power? (another fuse)

 

It works fine at times and then just dies. So it must have power -also cruise is fine, so VSS seems fine. Intermittent problems are the worst. I'm baffled.

 

I might look into a new cluster, but that would be because i want a new one anyway...

 

Thanks for the idea. I would hate to put in a new Speedometer, only to find that that was not the problem, though. Any idea what a working instrument cluster sells for? Might be worth the gamble, though there must be a way to troubleshoot the cluster on a bench. ??

 

If you're driving and the speed needle goes to zero but the odometer keeps rolling, it's definitely the speedometer head. It sounds like that's the case even if the odometer stops too, since you can make it work and not by wiggling the cluster. You could try taking your cluster apart and resolder the circuit board in the speedometer like you would a main relay.