Digital dash question

[MrHeat]

Hey out there in vette land i just bought a 1986 coupe 30,000 miles ,a really clean car,,was kept in a garage here in florida.The only thing that bothers me is the dashboard lightining,it flickers bright to dim never out all the way, if there is a problem i would like to catch it early anyone out there have any ideas ?.Also the top has a little leak in the rain is the weatherstrip easy to replace,and do i have to replace all the weatherstrip on the whole car .
thanks
ED

 

[Roguewave]

Just ran across this site today so if this has been beaten to death in past posts, forgive me. I had a similar problem with my '85 back in '89 or 90'. Mine initially would do as yours occasionally but would also occasionally turn completely off and then back on again instantaneously which was only noticed at night. Though I was imagining things at first but then it got progressively worse, to the point that the cluster looked like a video game with individual segments on the display flashing at random and the speedo showing speeds between 60 and 220(I wish). I did check all the grounds as well as bypassed some grounds to be more direct. I finally gave up on that problem on day after all of the above and decided to go after a radio noise that had recently developed. Going after the radio noise, I immediately found that the capacitor (condensor) in the distributor was loose. Tightened up the screw and my radio noise disappeared as well as all problems with the display. Just a possibility I wanted to mention in case it could be something similar.


-JimL

 

[Ken]

Welcome To The Corvette Action Center, both of you!

We're glad to have you with us. I hope your stay is a pleasant one.

Now to the dash question. In all honesty, I'm not trying to be a wise-acre or anything, but I typed in the words "digital dash" in the search block and came up with these results of the search. Good luck, I just sold my digital cluster (for an '87) that was almost brand-spanking new. I changed out to analog gauges - call me a dinosaur but I like the old style better.

 

[Roguewave]

Ken,

No, not thinking you're a wise-acre. :^) I ran across the post and the admittedly did only a quick cursory search and mostly netted suggestions for grounds and cleaning contacts. It was a q&d (quick and dirty) reply, but again, I admittedly didn't do a thorough search. I was more concerned with searching for a possible fuel pump problem with mine which I've had no luck with so far. I'll search more and post when I'm more awake/coherent. :^) Glad to find this site and will hopefully be able to help a few folks. Overall, I don't think anyone should become so 'intimate' with their car as I have with all the problems I had in the first 100k miles. The past 121k miles have been pretty good to me. :^)

-JimL

 

[Ken]

:L "Intimate"?? You shoulda seen me with mine after I first got it - I had more problems... :eyerole

_ken

 

[Roguewave]

>>"Intimate"?? You shoulda seen me with mine after I first got it - I had more problems...


When I got mine, I was at the dealership so often that the guy at the parts counter put me on the 'dealer' list. I was able to get GM parts far cheaper than your typical generic auto parts store. However, I never faulted the car. I always felt that they pushed the technology with vettes and that it was the price for having the latest and greatest.

Regarding your digital dash comment in a previous post, I agree. I felt that the digital guages were a cute novelty for a while, but really appreciate analog guages. Even if the analogs are now digitally driven.

-JimL

 

[Ken]

Even if the analogs are now digitally driven.

Not mine Jim; I use mechanical, that's how much of a dinosaur I am! :L

The oil pressure, oil temperature, water temperature, and except for the interior portion of course, the fuel pressure gauges are all mechanical. Capillary tubing, we don't need no stinking wiring! :L

 

[taegdh]

Analog Dash

Ken,
I followed some of your work a year and a half ago about the rebuild on the 87, and I wuz a wondering, about a few things. First a qualifier, your 87 project seemed more performance oriented than street.
Does it still interface with the computers?
Is it still smog legal?
How difficult was it fabricating a dash panel?

See I've got this 85 and have problems keeping the Tach and Speedo both working at the same time. I left it up north a couple of months ago with a friendly mechanic, who did what he could but he claims that the problem is so transitory and he can't track it down.

So I was thinking about an analog set up, but then I get these thoughts in the back of my mind, about the other things plus dirveability and whether the Electrical system would keep working properly etc...

Do you have any notes or a site where I could go over what you did.

I should have the 85 down south by mid January.

 

[RedRagTop]

I dunno. I kind of like my "star trek by Fisher Price" digital cockpit. I haven't had probs yet and it makes me feel like I'm piloting a jet fighter...

 

[Ken]

Re: Analog Dash

Does it still interface with the computers?

No.

Is it still smog legal?

No.

How difficult was it fabricating a dash panel?

I didn't perform the work, but it's just a piece of aluminum inserted where the old stuff was. I had to cut the plastic away from the speedo/tach area, but the information center wasn't hacked at all.

_ken