1991 Truck questions

[LTZ71]

Just bought a well maintained 1991 truck. There are a few things I need to address. Any advice or direction will be appreciated.

 

1. Temp gauge does not register while truck is running. But, when I shut it off, it pops up to about 160? Go figure? Any ideas on this?

 

2. Power door locks will not lock driver door, but sometimes locks passenger side? It will also unlock passenger. Drivers door will not lock even with key?

 

3. Interior lights do not come on when door is opened? Also, you cannot turn them on using the dash brightness control. But, the lights over the back glass do work when you manually turn them on. I read that some trucks had courtesy light under the dash?

[kstruckcountry]

1. Mine was the same way. Just install a triple gauge holder, and add a temp gauge and whatever else. The factory gauges are junk.

 

2. I don't know, never had issues. But I would guess the locks and mechanism could use some lube.

 

3. You need to replace the sensor that detects when the door is open. It's the little pin that sticks out towards the door and is pushed in by the door. Take a look at it, it's a very easy fix. You might need a new bulb too. Mine didn't have lights under the dash. But they're easy to add.

[LTZ71]

Thanks. I found a reference elsewhere on this site about cleaning the door lock mechanism behinf the door panels. I will try that, too.

 

 

[Badass69]

You can dismantle the door switches and clean the contacts in them.... that's why your lights don't work. Or replace them. They just pop out of the side of the dash and are just a plastic clipped together switch with brass contacts inside.

 

The clusters are garbage but you can always replace the temp sending unit. Your truck has 2 of them and the one for the dash is in the head, the one in the intake is the CTS for the ECM.

 

And the door lock thing sounds like a lack of lubrication causing the linkage to bind up.