Slick 60's

Alright heres a real dilemma I can't figure out. Hopefully someone has some ideas of here to look.
First dash lights didn't work. Got a new headlight switch from NAPA and installed great and the lights work. (If the instrument panel is not installed)
As soon as I install the panel on the dash the lights go out. Now even weirder is now the two blinkers and the bright light (red indicator) are lit up when I turn the light switch on. If I take the instrument panel off the dash the lights come on again (including the blinker) but as soon as I set it back in place the lights go off.
That is one issue that I think will just take some rooting around behind the dash.
Potentially bigger problem but hopefully easier to fix. When the battery is hooked up the truck keeps shocking anyone that touches it. I don't know if the battery should be grounded differently or if there is something else.
Any ideas would be appreciated.

Make sure you have a good ground on the back? Could be a connection problem with the plug at the switch, too.

Dakotakid wrote:When the battery is hooked up the truck keeps shocking anyone that touches it.

A built in theft deterrent system, keep it!

Your motor is not properly grounded Chased this issue for 2 days on a 77 f-150

ground the bat to the engine block- scrape the paint away, ground the block to the chassis. Make sure the bat isn't hooked up backward!!! Pos should go to starter relay.

MMM, and it seems that if you have pulled the bulbs out of the inst cluster, you may have gotten them mixed up? I think there are 3 illum lights in the cluster.
Or that may have nothing to do with it. Just a pondering.

Dont forget the run a ground strap from the frame too the cab as well. Use the large braided type rather than just a 16 guage piece of wire.

Dakotakid
Grounds are the #1 reason for electrical problems. I worked for Boeing and many other aircraft companys and the Air Force as a air frame mechanic.
The reason I bring up Aircraft is because of the lengths that Aircraft Manufactures go to to establish and protect the grounding of their electrical systems. Each point of ground on an aircraft is made after all traces of paint or coatings of any kind are removed. The ground bond is electricaly verified and then sealed with a very high quality sealant.
None of us, me included will go these extreams on our vehicles mainly because it is really not necessary. None the less grounding of electrical systems is important and along with that the placement of these grounding points are important to provide a complete electrical path.
Case in point is the shock one receives when the electrical path isn't complete. Battery to engine, engine to frame, frame to body and body back to engine.

A quick story to illistrate the importance of electrical system grounding. A friend of mine has a fleet of trucks that run coast to coast and when each tractor is at home base they are serviced. One of the most important service these trucks get is the servicing of all electrical ground points. Since this has become a regular service issue his electrical problems have pretty well gone away.
Hope this helps.

One other thing that might have something to do with this as it started happening about the same time.
I installed a new speedometer cable. I don't have the retainer bolt tight yet because I went out of town before I finished. Could that have been a ground between the transmission and back of cluster and possibly a bad ground until I tighten it?

Just brainstorming before I get a chance to check it.

definitely sounds like a ground issue and those can be a pain sometimes

Z

Dakotakid wrote:One other thing that might have something to do with this as it started happening about the same time.
I installed a new speedometer cable. I don't have the retainer bolt tight yet because I went out of town before I finished. Could that have been a ground between the transmission and back of cluster and possibly a bad ground until I tighten it?

Just brainstorming before I get a chance to check it.

the speedo cable does not ground anything.

oldtrucks wrote:Dakotakid
Grounds are the #1 reason for electrical problems. I worked for Boeing and many other aircraft companys and the Air Force as a air frame mechanic.
The reason I bring up Aircraft is because of the lengths that Aircraft Manufactures go to to establish and protect the grounding of their electrical systems. Each point of ground on an aircraft is made after all traces of paint or coatings of any kind are removed. The ground bond is electricaly verified and then sealed with a very high quality sealant.
None of us, me included will go these extreams on our vehicles mainly because it is really not necessary. None the less grounding of electrical systems is important and along with that the placement of these grounding points are important to provide a complete electrical path.
Case in point is the shock one receives when the electrical path isn't complete. Battery to engine, engine to frame, frame to body and body back to engine.

A quick story to illistrate the importance of electrical system grounding. A friend of mine has a fleet of trucks that run coast to coast and when each tractor is at home base they are serviced. One of the most important service these trucks get is the servicing of all electrical ground points. Since this has become a regular service issue his electrical problems have pretty well gone away.
Hope this helps.

Absolutely Correct! I spent 10 of my 23 years in the USAF as an Aircraft Electrical troop. We spent as much time grounding and bonding as we did hooking up power leads! Bad grounds will drive you nuts. If you're lucky you just get gremlins like we see here...If you're not lucky you can get a very nasty fire!
By the way, I had the exact same problem with my slick. A new cab to frame ground wire fixed it. Haven't had any trouble since!

with Iceman! sounds like your problem is the earth, cause when
you move the dash / speedo cable the trouble starts .

Alan,