Electrical gauges and dash lights wacky!

[mkguitar]

I'm out of town working.

Wife starts truck last week, it hesitates when cranking then starts. I send her to Autozone, they load test..say bad battery. She's off to Sams club for an $80 quality battery.

 

1 week later while driving fgrom PHX to LA ( 110 degrees) she stops for gas.

When re-starting truck it seems to hesitate then starts.

ALL gauges start to sweep from "0" to full, the idiot lights and message centerflash.

 

She stops and checks underhood that cables are secure.

 

Truck then restarts and all is normal.

 

Any ideas?

Is it trying to give us a code?

 

We have had no problems with the truck, oil, filters and tires are all it's cost aside from the battery. 70,000 miles.

 

Thanks, Mike

[mkguitar]

Update:

After driving for about 100 miles, the same thing happened...while the truck was running ( no re-start).

She may have seen the battery icon on the message center and also "service engine soon".

 

Mike

[GM-Tech]

Have had our fair share of ignition switch problems. A temporary loss of ignition power would cause the cluster to go through its startup sequence in which lots of lights come on, gauge needles swing, etc.

[mkguitar]

Thanks, would such a thing throw out a code?

 

I get home next week and will have a look at that. In the meantime it's time to get all the crap off the keychain.

 

Mike

[GM-Tech]

Thanks, would such a thing throw out a code?

 

Maybe.

[mkguitar]

I will be home in a couple of days to investigate the problem which continues intermittantly.

 

 

This truck is stock EXCEPT I have wired in an XM radio reciever and FM modulator.

 

I will look at my installs and check for rubbed wires.

 

Follow up questions:

 

A.) If there are codes stored, how do I recall them ( such as jumper wire and flashing engine light etc.)

 

B.) Do all the gauges share a common circuit breaker which could be tripping and resetting?

 

and if so, is the radio on this circuit? ( back to my XM install)

 

Thanks, Mike

[GM-Tech]

A.) If there are codes stored, how do I recall them ( such as jumper wire and flashing engine light etc.)

 

B.) Do all the gauges share a common circuit breaker which could be tripping and resetting?

 

You can't flash codes unless you have a pre-1995 truck. No, there's no circuit breaker for the gauges. It's fused and once that goes, it's history.