Instrument cluster not working?

[calebstaments]

Hey, sorry to hear about your gauges. I had a similar problem with my 78 J10 and I couldn't figure it out either. I don't think the LEDs are the issue, maybe something else got messed up when you took the cluster out. Have you tried instrumentclusterstore.com? They have some good deals on refurbished clusters and they can also repair yours if you send it to them. I got mine fixed there and it works great now. Maybe you can give them a try and see if they can help you out. Good luck!

[letank]

check these posts, all you ever wanted to know about gauges... all the pict are gone, but I can find them if needed

viewtopic.php?t=8334

[Gnmtl72]

What does the ammeter do? What does the oil pressure gauge do? The fuel gauge and temperature gauge use the "voltage regulator" that's inside the temperature gauge. Improper grounding can make these two gauges peg.

Have you read the TSM? Section 1L in the TSM, free to read and download on the Tom Collins site. Excellent coverage in that section.

If Im reading the TSM correctly the voltage regulator you’re talking about is inside the fuel gauge? Not the temp gauge. (Please correct me if Im reading this wrong)

My problem there is that the truck fuel system, tank, sending unit, everything has been bypassed to run from a “spare” tank in the toolbox. Im not sure if the tank itself is bad, what’s going on there. That was another project that I was going to get to later. Many of the tests for the gauges seem to use the fuel gauge as an indicator for what is going on with the entire cluster. Can I even test/ figure out what the problem is if the fuel gauge doesn’t have gas?

[tgreese]

Yeah, read better. Wagoneer and J-truck put the CVR in the temperature gauge. CJ puts it in the fuel gauge.

How savvy are your wrt electricity? If you go stepwise through the manual's diagnosis, they will get around the bad fuel gauge.
You can substitute resistors for the fuel sender and test the gauge. Lots of coverage of this in old posts, both here and at IFSJA. Search.

There is not very much you can do without the Jeep in front of you. You may need to learn something about basic circuits. Plenty of tutorials online, or buy a "car electrical" book for some study. It will also help to learn about your multimeter. Also, I would point out, this is work. You can't just ask uninformed questions online and expect a solution. Not being harsh about this, but you need to decide whether you will acquire the skill needed and how much it's worth to you.

[tgreese]

I would also point out - the TSM is intended as a reference for professional mechanics and service managers working at the Jeep dealerships. It will not teach you basic skills they are expected to have already. That is up to you; obsolete used books are cheap and a great resource if you are willing to learn and have the discipline to teach yourself. Check Alibris or Amazon for titles in automotive repair or similar.