Electrics gone Mad

[budd]

Started the Griff up yesterday and the guages went crazy, no reading from the volt meter, ditto oil pressure, water temp off the scale and the tacho dies if you put the lights on! it's not run for a couple of weeks due to the crap weather, but is kept in a dry garage with an optimate charger looking after the battery, Any suggestions on possible causes would be welcome before I pull the dash apart.

[beano500]

Wow - that sounds like a new one!

You say it's started? Is it running OK?

Now, what you describe about the gauges would be a symptom of poor contact at the sensor - but to have a range of them playing up....

[GreenV8S]

Quite a few of those things would be powered by the switched ignition supply. On mine there are two switched supplies from the ignition switch that go through the alarm, back to the fuse box and then split into eight separate wires that feed ten separate fused supplies. One of these covers most of the dash instrumentation, others supply the heater fan etc etc. You can recognise these because they're the only white wires going in to the fuse box. Assuming yours is simmilar (hey, that's a safe bet on a TVR?) these wires may have become disconnected/corroded/broken at the ignition switch end, or on the way to/from the alarm, or you could have a duff fuse socket or blown fuse. You should be able to work out which it is by checking for voltage on each of the white wires when the ignition is on.

If in doubt check the fusible link to the alternator and clean the stepper motor! (just kidding)

[budd]

Thanks for the help, I've also had a thought, last week I removed the CD player, leaving the multi plug hanging out of the dash, maybe I disturbed the earth, does this sound like an earthing problem?

[GreenV8S]

Abso-bleedin-lutely. :nod:

[budd]

Cheers Guys

[zippy500]

I recently changed my stereo and blew the fuse in the process. None of my instruments would work after but the car would run no problem. have you checked all fuses. Somethings are wired very strangely i.e if my headlight fuse goes I cant start the car. Just a thought.