95 GMC gauge problem

[G-reg]

Hey, I'm new to this board and looking for some help. I've got a 95 GMC Sierra that all the sudden has had some weird guage problems. When I started it up today the only gauges that moved were the temp, batt, and oil pressure. The speedo, tach, odometer, and shifter position are dead in the water. I did a search and didn't really pull up anything speciffically like this. I don't know what to do short of poking stuff with a volt meter and checking connections. The truck had a brake controller installed about half a year ago that is the only thing electrical that has been done to it. I read about similar things happening with a bad ignition switch, short of that a bad ground, or other bad wiring. Thanks ahead of time

[G-reg]

Uhhh, my bad on the double post. I'm having a good day....except not. How do you del. a post. Mod. a little help.

[AUTOPRO]

G-REG Currently have a 96 c1500 Suburban in our shop- exact symptoms. We are in the process of changing out ignition switch. This is a very intermittent problem on this one but we were able to duplicate customer complaint once when ignition was played with. I'm not sure how long it will take until we know if the problem was the switch or not because it is very rare that it acts up for customer. Hope this helps. Darren

[G-reg]

Hey thanks, what does an ignition switch cost? can you just replace the electronics part, or is it the whole cylinder assembly. I don't know where I read about the ignition thing, but I guess it makes sense.

[AUTOPRO]

G-REG Just bought one from local Auto Parts Plus Bluestreak#US276 This is electrical part only not lock tumbler and key. Retail at about $275.00 Canadian so what's that $10.00 US?...

[Wingnut]

Uhhh, my bad on the double post. I'm having a good day....except not. How do you del. a post. Mod. a little help.

Deleted the old one.

 

[99-2door]

G-REG Currently have a 96 c1500 Suburban in our shop- exact symptoms. We are in the process of changing out ignition switch. This is a very intermittent problem on this one but we were able to duplicate customer complaint once when ignition was played with. I'm not sure how long it will take until we know if the problem was the switch or not because it is very rare that it acts up for customer. Hope this helps. Darren

Very well could be the ignition switch. They have a plastic tumbler type thingy that makes the contacts inside, common problem is for one contact to make intermittantly. I just worked on a 98 S-10 that would only engage the starter intermittantly. Turned out to be the switch.

If that doesn't fix the 96 burb, check the connection behind the glove-box. There is a harness that runs from the firewall to a connector there. If there is a loose connection there it can cause the gauges to not work also. This only applies to trucks with Vortec engines, the connector is not present on a 95.

[citydriver]

Ignition switch gets my vote......try wigglin the key to see if anything changes

[Jeremy WI]

There is a TSB out on ignition switches going bad on 97 and newer trucks. It should almost apply to any truck with the electronic automatic transmissions in them at least back to 95 or whenever they started using the junk switch. Symptoms are usually no transmission shifting, no prndl, no tach or speedo, SES light with transmission electrical codes