So, a funny thing happened in the Bronco yesterday to and from work. As I am pulling out from the house to head to work, I notice the gauges in my dash are not working. Fuel level, oil pressure, everything. Turn signal indicators were also not coming on. I jiggle the key a little bit and they come back on, but over the course of the drive they continue to lose signal and regain it. Fuel level was at/below 1/4 tank during this. After work, I prudently decide to stop off and fill the tank up. 12.82 gallons later, I'm back on the road with ZERO issues in the gauges. 15 miles later I'm at home and I have noticed no issues whatsoever.
Now, since I did the rewire earlier this year, I have noticed no issue with any of the gauges. However, during that time I have never let the tank get below 1/2 tank. Yesterday was the first time. My initial inclinations are a bad ignition switch causing a lack of continuity in the system, hence the jiggling of the key solving the problem. But I'm curious. Think there is any way a bad/going bad sending unit could cause the entire gauge cluster to lose all signals? Maybe a bad ground? Resistance getting too high as the tank level lowers?
Thoughts?
Coincidence or bad wiring?
- akaFrankCastle
- Official CCB Member

- Posts: 4901
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Coincidence or bad wiring?
Stroppe'd
1972 Sport, 302, 3 speed with old school Duff floor shifter, T shift Dana 20 with JB Fab twin stick, 4.11 gears with Trac-loc, Lincoln hydroboost, Chevy disc conversion, WH gas lift gate shock kit, 33" Duratrac tires on slots and about 2.5" of lift, Stroppe installed: bumper braces, dual shocks on all four corners, GM power steering, trans cooler mount, auto shift column, rollbar.
The Terrible One
1972 Sport uncut, 302, C4 with 1974 column , T shift Dana 20, 3.50 gears w/ limited slip, 1966 U13 Roadster kick panel, and factory power steering.
1973 Stroppe Baja project
1972 Sport, 302, 3 speed with old school Duff floor shifter, T shift Dana 20 with JB Fab twin stick, 4.11 gears with Trac-loc, Lincoln hydroboost, Chevy disc conversion, WH gas lift gate shock kit, 33" Duratrac tires on slots and about 2.5" of lift, Stroppe installed: bumper braces, dual shocks on all four corners, GM power steering, trans cooler mount, auto shift column, rollbar.
The Terrible One
1972 Sport uncut, 302, C4 with 1974 column , T shift Dana 20, 3.50 gears w/ limited slip, 1966 U13 Roadster kick panel, and factory power steering.
1973 Stroppe Baja project
- cwin74
- Official CCB Member

- Posts: 139
- Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2012 6:37 am
Re: Coincidence or bad wiring?
You have my vote on the ignition switch or a bad ground. Can you jiggle the keys to make the gauges go dark again?
- akaFrankCastle
- Official CCB Member

- Posts: 4901
- Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2010 5:25 pm
Re: Coincidence or bad wiring?
cwin74 wrote:You have my vote on the ignition switch or a bad ground. Can you jiggle the keys to make the gauges go dark again?
Actually, no. When I jiggled the keys, the gauges came on. Continued jiggling did not result in them going off again.

Stroppe'd
1972 Sport, 302, 3 speed with old school Duff floor shifter, T shift Dana 20 with JB Fab twin stick, 4.11 gears with Trac-loc, Lincoln hydroboost, Chevy disc conversion, WH gas lift gate shock kit, 33" Duratrac tires on slots and about 2.5" of lift, Stroppe installed: bumper braces, dual shocks on all four corners, GM power steering, trans cooler mount, auto shift column, rollbar.
The Terrible One
1972 Sport uncut, 302, C4 with 1974 column , T shift Dana 20, 3.50 gears w/ limited slip, 1966 U13 Roadster kick panel, and factory power steering.
1973 Stroppe Baja project
1972 Sport, 302, 3 speed with old school Duff floor shifter, T shift Dana 20 with JB Fab twin stick, 4.11 gears with Trac-loc, Lincoln hydroboost, Chevy disc conversion, WH gas lift gate shock kit, 33" Duratrac tires on slots and about 2.5" of lift, Stroppe installed: bumper braces, dual shocks on all four corners, GM power steering, trans cooler mount, auto shift column, rollbar.
The Terrible One
1972 Sport uncut, 302, C4 with 1974 column , T shift Dana 20, 3.50 gears w/ limited slip, 1966 U13 Roadster kick panel, and factory power steering.
1973 Stroppe Baja project
-
Viperwolf1
Re: Coincidence or bad wiring?
It's the switch. A bad ground can not cause those symtoms.
- Gregg
- Official CCB Member

- Posts: 1060
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2010 10:08 am
Re: Coincidence or bad wiring?
I have to jiggle a lot of things to make them work.
Definition of cool.
- sbolt19
- Official CCB Member

- Posts: 740
- Joined: Wed Oct 06, 2010 9:04 am
Re: Coincidence or bad wiring?
Remember mine Zac? I was having intermittent power and it was you that told me the switch after I looked everywhere. I'm gonna vote switch too.
- akaFrankCastle
- Official CCB Member

- Posts: 4901
- Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2010 5:25 pm
Re: Coincidence or bad wiring?
Yeah. Your Bronco gave my Bronco the cooties. Thanks. Seems like as fine a time as any for me to get that F150 switch with the dual sided keys installed.
Stroppe'd
1972 Sport, 302, 3 speed with old school Duff floor shifter, T shift Dana 20 with JB Fab twin stick, 4.11 gears with Trac-loc, Lincoln hydroboost, Chevy disc conversion, WH gas lift gate shock kit, 33" Duratrac tires on slots and about 2.5" of lift, Stroppe installed: bumper braces, dual shocks on all four corners, GM power steering, trans cooler mount, auto shift column, rollbar.
The Terrible One
1972 Sport uncut, 302, C4 with 1974 column , T shift Dana 20, 3.50 gears w/ limited slip, 1966 U13 Roadster kick panel, and factory power steering.
1973 Stroppe Baja project
1972 Sport, 302, 3 speed with old school Duff floor shifter, T shift Dana 20 with JB Fab twin stick, 4.11 gears with Trac-loc, Lincoln hydroboost, Chevy disc conversion, WH gas lift gate shock kit, 33" Duratrac tires on slots and about 2.5" of lift, Stroppe installed: bumper braces, dual shocks on all four corners, GM power steering, trans cooler mount, auto shift column, rollbar.
The Terrible One
1972 Sport uncut, 302, C4 with 1974 column , T shift Dana 20, 3.50 gears w/ limited slip, 1966 U13 Roadster kick panel, and factory power steering.
1973 Stroppe Baja project