In the process of doing my LED swap on my Brat I discovered that the wire leading to the low fuel gauge light was burnt in two. There was wire connected to the bottom bolt with the nut ie..alternator gauge.

 

I figured that I could hook a wire from the alternator bolt down to the screw next to the low fuel gauge light to give that power. Well that was DUMB......, NOW my gauges -fuel, alternator, oil pressure, temp?? Maybe & possibly tach not sure though, don't work and the idiot/indicator lights don't work as well. Most all of the back lighting does work though.

 

Thoughts, did I possibly fry something serious, still starts and runs though.

Well I confirmed tonight that the tach is not moving either. Did not drive it to see if I got the speedometer cable on right or not. :0

I bought a bunch of LED bulbs...only to find that they are polarity specific...If I install them "backwards" they don't light up...unlike incandecent bulbs.

 

I didn't see and easy way to know which way it correct until I put the dash back in and try it...then taking it all apart again to try over...

 

I just decided to stick with the old style bulbs...

Led Bulbs are  "Light Emitting Diodes" so just like diodes in an alternator they are basically a one way gate and emitter allowing voltage to flow in one direction while blocking it in the opposite direction that is why they are polarity sensitive.

As for the dash operations there should be a voltage regulator somewhere on the back of the circuit board see if that is blown.

Edited November 21, 201312 yr by coxy

I bought a bunch of LED bulbs...only to find that they are polarity specific...If I install them "backwards" they don't light up...unlike incandecent bulbs.

 

I didn't see and easy way to know which way it correct until I put the dash back in and try it...then taking it all apart again to try over...

 

I just decided to stick with the old style bulbs...

Yes I did manage to figure that much out with the polarity issue, I may need to reverse one in relation to that, and I did see the T5s are exactly like the T10s in the polarity aspect. That being said, I had all of my T5s working before I tried the jumper wire thing, then all the T5s in my info center deal with the high beam, 4WD, LO, and something else can't remember now, at any rate they are dead. As well as the ECS idiot light being out. Apparently I did NOT get the speedo cable hooked up correctly cause it along with the odometer do not move. Tonight my fuel gauge needle creeped up slightly from nothing on my way home, not sure what that is about. I figured dead was dead as far as gauges go.

 

What does work though are the blinkers/hazards, most of the back lighting, the clock and words under, and all the car light indicators right to the left of the clock.