Left side of instrument panel dying

[Braz]

I'm posting this info for a friend who's having problems with his 96 Silverado. He said the instrument panel keeps dying. As in the gauges not working, for tach and what not. Then once this happens the auto transmission won't shift and the truck will become stuck in 3rd gear. The truck was taken to a shop and they replaced the instrument panel 3 times. Never solving the problem.

Any help would be appreciated.

Travis

[Jeremy WI]

It's the electrical part of the ignition switch that needs replacement unless you find a loose connection at the fuse box at trans fuse or a problem at the transmission electrical connector. There is a TSB that covers 98 and newer trucks with the 4L60E but it happens on the older ones too. Find the white wire at the ignition switch harness(pink/white on some early models) and put 12v to it and see if things work. I have wired up relays to fix it using the pink wire from the ignition harness as the trigger-only wire that gets power during the same ignition switch positions as white, but the relay is needed because the wire and fuse will not handle the extra load

 

all work done under the dash. Bare a spot on one of the red wires(12v constant) and bare a spot on the pink, all wires are part of the ignition switch harness, cut the white wire in two. For the relay post 86 goes to ground, post 85 gets connected to the bared pink wire, post 30 gets connected to the cut white wire running away from the ignition switch, post 87a(if its not on relay just tape up the white wire on the switch side of the cut)to the white wire ignition side, and post 87 gets connected to a 10 amp fuse and then to the bared red wire

[02 Silverado Z71]

100% agreement with Jeremy...

 

Ignition Switch in steering column.

 

Don't even have to take the steering wheel off to replace it.

 

Jeremy added a way to fix it without R&R the switch. If you don't like his way, just R&R the ignition switch.

[FreshFish]

What is the correlation between the transmission not shifting properly and the speedo or dash indicators not working ???

[sonjaab]

GUYS....Also remember there is a fuse (#15 or 17? sorta forgot)

that controls the trans. shift and speedo and odo operation.

It is in the dash side fuse box in the OBS trucks.

It is clearly marked speedo/odo .................................

 

If this fuse blows you have NO odo/speedo and no 1st

gear only 2nd and 3rd and it won't shift either !

[Rolandd]

What is the correlation between the transmission not shifting properly and the speedo or dash indicators not working ???

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

The sensors that drive the tranny logic and the guages are both fed from the same circuit. Putting the truck in third is a limp home mode for when the ECM cannot figure out what else to do.

[FreshFish]

My 98' Z-71, 50Kmiles, won't shift out of 1st gear, after I start up...and the speedo won't work. This has happened 2X, then works fine afterward ?? Is this the same problem (VSS)except I'm not driving down the road (3rd gear)? Fuses OK...Thanks.

[Higgsy]

I don't mean to steal your post Braz but I am having the same problems. I have a 1994 K2500 that won't shift pass 2nd and the gauges are acting up. It doesn't do it all the time but I did buy an ignition starter switch to install in the colomn. 02 Silverado Z71 you said that you don't need to remove the steering wheel to replace this switch. Where is the switch located and how do I go about replacing it?

[Higgsy]

Well I located the switch. Does anybody know the trick to removing it from the colmn?

[Higgsy]

Well I located the switch. Does anybody know the trick to removing it from the colmn?

 

 

I got it out and replaced the switch. It fixed my transmission and gauge problems. Thanks Jeremy!

[redvett]

Safe mode is second gear not third. When transmission is working correctly you can start out in second by shifting to 2nd before starting to move. Works real well on snow or ice.