Weird Electrical Gremlins- Help!

[FOMOCOTOSHO]

Hey Everyone,
Last night I drove my '95 ATX (bone stock, but recently completely rebuilt) to dinner with a friend & everything was working fine. When I came back out to leave, I had a whole bunch of weird things happen:
1) My automatic headlights don't work. I can manually turn on the headlights just fine though.
2) My coolant temp & fuel gauges both spiked way up beyond the max readings.
3) My tachometer quit working. (Speedometer is working fine)
4) My O/D on-off button doesn't work. It's stuck with it in the on position (No Lights on dash)

Everything listed was working fine before last night. Anyone have any ideas what the problem could be or how to check it? Thanks for your help!

 

[SHO_DOODmorrris]

im guessing there is a short somwhere or you have a blown fuse somwhere along the line. if you have a sneeking suspicion on where it may be let me know and i can eamil you some wiring diagrams

 

[FOMOCOTOSHO]

Thanks for the response. I have access to all the wiring diagrams I need ( I work at an automotive repair shop) I was just hoping someone had an idea of where to start looking.

 

[SHOZ123]

The temp gage going all the way up sounds like it is grounded.

 

[FOMOCOTOSHO]

**UPDATE**
I traced down the problem to fuse # 18 in the inside fuse panel box. However when I replaced it, it blew the new fuse immediately. Now what?!?

 

[SHO_DOODmorrris]

hmmm. well, if i were you i would take a look at your schematics you have and look were you are most likley having a short (a switch usually. maybe you pinched a wire against a ground and it finnaly rubbed thorugh and it blew the fuse and is not letting the guages get 12 their voltage.

 

[SHO_DOODmorrris]

hey i think i foudn your problem.. try the dimmer module, pull it out and unplug it then throw that fuse in

 

[SHO_DOODmorrris]

1 more thing, if its not that its your headlight switch, not only will you od light not go on all of your dash lights (idiot lights that is) shouldent come on

 

[FOMOCOTOSHO]

I have a new cluster coming next week (long story, but the gauges are off because I removed them to install new gauge faces & they did not get back in the same place.. and they are way too dark to see anything-----> FYI I do NOT recommend SHO Source's gauge faces) so when I get the new cluster I will disconnect everything, install the new fuse.. then start plugging things back in 1 by 1 and see which connector (if any) causes it to blow again. Maybe it's just the stupid cluster.

 

[FOMOCOTOSHO]

Hey everyone, just so you know I solved the problem with a new cluster. I installed the new cluster last night, put in a new fuse on #18, and everything works now. I don't know if it was still a pinched wire (nothing looked pinched or exposed) or if it was just the cluster but it's all working now. Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[Vnuk1]

The dimmer switch can heat up since so much stuff is running through and cook it. I believe it has to do with the wiring not being large enough to carry the current running through. Just what I have gathered so far from reading up on it.