NEEDLES BOUNCE + low coolant ,low oil ,airbag ,check gauges, fuel dead
07-04-2014, 01:38 PM
#1
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NEEDLES BOUNCE + low coolant ,low oil ,airbag ,check gauges, fuel dead
New 383 LT1 installed. Runs great but my dash is lit up like a Xmas tree.
1. The RPM and MPH needles bounce and jump while cruising especially if I put my foot into the throttle hard. The "check gauges light flickers with the eractic bouncing of the needles also. The "check gauges" light, tach and speedo all malfunction together, like the are all getting the same signal from the throttle.
2. Air bag light - I removed the front a rear impact braces. Would this cause the air bag light to come on? I cant think of anything else I tinkered with that is air bag related. I would like to use the airbags and NOT delete them
3. Low oil / Low coolant - I have installed brand new level sensors in both the radiator and the oil pan and the dash light is still on. There is plenty of fluid in both systems according to the dipsticks.
4. The fuel gauge never gets above 1/8 of a tank even if its full. The guage needle does get lower as I consume the fuel which makes me think tthat it works but make something in the tank isnt right. I changed the in tank fuel filter and disconnected the EVAP cannister before I started the car for the first time.
What are the chances the whole gauge cluster is bad? I dont want to take the bulbs out but if I have to I suppose its better than looking at a lit up dash. Im just trying to get all this sorted and get a clean bill of health. Thanks fellas
1. The RPM and MPH needles bounce and jump while cruising especially if I put my foot into the throttle hard. The "check gauges light flickers with the eractic bouncing of the needles also. The "check gauges" light, tach and speedo all malfunction together, like the are all getting the same signal from the throttle.
2. Air bag light - I removed the front a rear impact braces. Would this cause the air bag light to come on? I cant think of anything else I tinkered with that is air bag related. I would like to use the airbags and NOT delete them
3. Low oil / Low coolant - I have installed brand new level sensors in both the radiator and the oil pan and the dash light is still on. There is plenty of fluid in both systems according to the dipsticks.
4. The fuel gauge never gets above 1/8 of a tank even if its full. The guage needle does get lower as I consume the fuel which makes me think tthat it works but make something in the tank isnt right. I changed the in tank fuel filter and disconnected the EVAP cannister before I started the car for the first time.
What are the chances the whole gauge cluster is bad? I dont want to take the bulbs out but if I have to I suppose its better than looking at a lit up dash. Im just trying to get all this sorted and get a clean bill of health. Thanks fellas
07-04-2014, 02:49 PM
#2
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Re: NEEDLES BOUNCE + low coolant ,low oil ,airbag ,check gauges, fuel dead
Did all of the above start only after, and immediately after the new engine install?
Appears you were working on the fuel sending assembly, and the float may be hung up on something. Use Shoebox's guide to determine it the problem is the float level sensor:
4th Gen LT1 F-body Tech Articles
Minor point, but the coolant level switch is checking the level in the radiator, not the reservoir, so you need to check the radiator, not the reservoir dipstick. Unplug the coolant level sensor. The dash light should go out. If it doesn't go out, you're homing in on the wiring for the cluster.
There is an airbag sensor on a bracket right above the windshield washer tank, behind the front bumper. Is it possible you have knocked the connector off or damaged the wiring for the sensor? I think Scan9495 can read the airbag codes.
Appears you were working on the fuel sending assembly, and the float may be hung up on something. Use Shoebox's guide to determine it the problem is the float level sensor:
4th Gen LT1 F-body Tech Articles
Minor point, but the coolant level switch is checking the level in the radiator, not the reservoir, so you need to check the radiator, not the reservoir dipstick. Unplug the coolant level sensor. The dash light should go out. If it doesn't go out, you're homing in on the wiring for the cluster.
There is an airbag sensor on a bracket right above the windshield washer tank, behind the front bumper. Is it possible you have knocked the connector off or damaged the wiring for the sensor? I think Scan9495 can read the airbag codes.
07-07-2014, 07:29 AM
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Re: NEEDLES BOUNCE + low coolant ,low oil ,airbag ,check gauges, fuel dead
Gauge lights were NOT on before the 383 install.
I will check to see if the float is hung up.
Why does the coolant reservoir have a dipstick? Does it hurt anything if the reservoir is low since the level is measured by a sensor at the radiator?
What does the airbag connector plug into? What do I need to do to make my airbags work? Does removing the impact braces compromise the functionality of the airbag?
Thanks for the info
I will check to see if the float is hung up.
Why does the coolant reservoir have a dipstick? Does it hurt anything if the reservoir is low since the level is measured by a sensor at the radiator?
What does the airbag connector plug into? What do I need to do to make my airbags work? Does removing the impact braces compromise the functionality of the airbag?
Thanks for the info
07-07-2014, 11:42 AM
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Location: Hell was full so they sent me to NJ
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Re: NEEDLES BOUNCE + low coolant ,low oil ,airbag ,check gauges, fuel dead
You need to know two things about the coolant level - most important, the radiator needs to be full, with absolutely no air in it. That's why the sensor is there. To keep the radiator full, the reservoir has to have the coolant within the range marked on the dipstick. As the radiator heats up, the coolant expands, pressure builds in the radiator, and a pressure relief in the cap allows some coolant to leave the radiator, to maintain the pressure at 18psi.
When the radiator cools down, the coolant contracts, creating a vacuum in the radiator. A vacuum relief valve in the cap allows the vacuum to pull coolant out of the reservoir, to keep the radiator full of coolant. Too much coolant in the reservoir, and it will overflow from the container as the radiator heats up. Too little coolant in the reservoir, and the vacuum pulls air back into the system instead of coolant.
One of the airbag G-sensors is mounted on a bracket right above the windshield washer reservoir. There had to be a connector attached. I can't say whether removing the bumper support/crash pad would affect the operation of the air bags. Logically, if you remove all resistance between the bumper and the chassis, in a crash it's going to take a fraction of a second more before the G-level reaches the level required to trigger the sensor.
But removing the crash pad will not cause the airbag light on the dash to come on.
When the radiator cools down, the coolant contracts, creating a vacuum in the radiator. A vacuum relief valve in the cap allows the vacuum to pull coolant out of the reservoir, to keep the radiator full of coolant. Too much coolant in the reservoir, and it will overflow from the container as the radiator heats up. Too little coolant in the reservoir, and the vacuum pulls air back into the system instead of coolant.
One of the airbag G-sensors is mounted on a bracket right above the windshield washer reservoir. There had to be a connector attached. I can't say whether removing the bumper support/crash pad would affect the operation of the air bags. Logically, if you remove all resistance between the bumper and the chassis, in a crash it's going to take a fraction of a second more before the G-level reaches the level required to trigger the sensor.
But removing the crash pad will not cause the airbag light on the dash to come on.
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