kkmecham88

i just bought an s13, most of the gauge cluster doesnt work so i decided to use a simple circuit tester and test all the plugs hardly any of them lit up. idk if im doing something wrong or if my car is having some really bad wiring issues

brndck

ok, so bust out the wiring diagrams and start tracing power. the PCB (printed circuit board) does break on s13 clusters from what I've seen, but its easy to repair the breaks
list out exactly what DOES and what DOESN'T work on your cluster. if you're just talking about the illumination for the cluster, its a very different story than if the speedo or tach or temp gauge don't work

is it HUD or regular?

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kkmecham88

It’s a regular cluster

The tach and the temp don’t work, I’m pretty sure the gas gauge is reading wrong and I’m not sure about the speedometer. All the lights light up as well.

I traced the wires all the way to the ecu and checked it and they still weren’t lighting up

brndck

https://nicoclub.com/FSM/240sx/1991-1994_general/
this is the FSM for s13 1991-1994
it has the answers you seek

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kkmecham88

Checked every plug on the cluster with an volt checker nothing is getting power except for the indicator lights I’m not sure were to go from here I’m not good with wiring at all

kkmecham88

I can’t read the diagram very well I don’t know where to trace the wires

brndck

It’s just a drawing with lines. Trace it from one end of the line to the other and it will tell you where the circuit begins and ends.

We can’t really read it FOR you, I mean unless you wanna come over and sit on my lap, I’ll read it to you before bedtime. Would you like a warm glass of milk and a goodnight kiss on the forehead too?

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Mikester

Reading wiring diagrams seems really hard at first, but like mentioned above, it’s just lines. For more complex diagrams: Print them & get some different color highlighters. Trace each line from connection to connection in a different color. Maybe do some research on how read them. With an older car, these things are good to learn. Also note, only certain lines will have power on them, others will be grounds. Others yet will only show power when the right conditions are met.

My $.02: S-chassis clusters are old & crap out, but they are cheap and easy to replace. If testing each connection from point to point is too daunting, just swap a different cluster in and see what happens. Worse case scenario, the problem will be the same.

Mike

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kkmecham88

can a bad ground make it so the wires dont have power

brndck

If you have no ground you can’t complete a circuit.

That’s why there are multiple grounds throughout the car.

Generally speaking, the more grounds, the better.

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