Instrument cluster, 2nd gen

[MrPaco]

My instrument cluster has a battery gauge which seems to operate normally, but then it flickers when using the turn signals.
Can anyone with a battery gauge tell me if yours does that too? I'm trying to figure out if this is normal, or if I have a grounding issue somewhere.
I recently checked out a friend's jeep to see if it did the same thing, but that one doesn't flicker at all (I know they are different, but I was trying to see if it was a normal thing with with these gauges)

Here's a video of it, it flickers the same way when either turn signal is on, and also when the hazards are on. I seems like the flicker is more subtle with the hazzards, but that could just be my imagination.
So what do you think? Normal, or not?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aovnDze68J4

BONUS QUESTION:
Anyone know the meaning of the two colors used on the gauge needles? Not very obvious on this video, but they are definitely different color. The speedometer, tach, and battery gauges are pale yellow; the fuel, oil, and temp are orange.

[Rahtid]

thats normal,nothing to worry about

[FMS88]

Mine does the same thing, too. Don’t know about the needle color difference. Could be due to how each gauge is illuminated, or simply because they didn’t want the speedo and tach needles to be too similar in color to other numbers on those gauges.

[StarquestMan]

As to the needles being different colors, they may have faded over the years. i have watched a promotional video on these trucks from 87' and all the needles were orange but it seems like on every tachless cluster i see at least they have faded to yellow and the speedometer one fading to white. i haven't came across a tach cluster before so i cant say for them. I repainted mine with some florescent orange spray paint and they look great, however i haven't done the speedometer one since it is harder to do.

[StarquestMan]

there should be a video on this page but its not loading for me anymore for some reason.

https://testdrivejunkie.com/1987-dodge-ram-50-manufacturer-promo/

[geezer101]

When you turn on a unit that has an oscillating draw on power, it will cause the voltage to jump up and down as the alternator won't be er to adjust to anything greater than whatever power it can push out. The more demand you put on the system, the lower the total power availability will be shown on the volt meter. The needles on the gauges always fade from daylight exposure. Go to a hobby shop and buy some signal orange paint and a fine brush to touch them up. If you haven't swapped the backlights and warning light globes for LED's yet, get onto ebay and buy some in bulk packs of T10 wedges (I've bought a couple of packs of 10 for $0.99 each). They really lift the instrument cluster lighting :)

[MrPaco]

Thanks for clarifying, everybody. The oscillating thing makes sense, was just wondering because the jeep I mentioned doest do it.
The color of the needles fading also makes sense, but I was curious because on my truck the battery gauge is the only one that decided to fade (out of the four small ones), the other ones are holding the color very well.
I will add the led cluster lighting upgrade to my list. Are the T10 wedges plug and play?

[Chargerx3]

Only 21,000 miles? I call BS!!

[MrPaco]

Only 21,000 miles? I call BS!!

Maybe? I can't know for sure. All I know is that I've put on about 1,200 miles since I bought it in January, but as far as I can tell the mileage seems to be correct. The truck is in very good shape, body and otherwise, especially the interior, which makes sense for the miles.
Here's the carfax I ran before I bought the truck because I couldn't believe it either, the service and history backs up the mileage number. As you can see on the report, the truck was totalled because of a front end collision, which is how I came to own it. I bought it from the guy who got it auction and fixed the body damage.
That's all I know, but I also know that these reports can be wrong. In any case, I wouldn't lose much sleep over it if I found out that the miles were wrong, still would love the little guy. :)

22708

[geezer101]

Thanks for clarifying, everybody. The oscillating thing makes sense, was just wondering because the jeep I mentioned doest do it.
The color of the needles fading also makes sense, but I was curious because on my truck the battery gauge is the only one that decided to fade (out of the four small ones), the other ones are holding the color very well.
I will add the led cluster lighting upgrade to my list. Are the T10 wedges plug and play?

The Jeep will have a big output alternator so it'll handle the current draw (Ram/D-50's are meant to be work horses but Mitsubishi thought the 45 amp alternators were ok :rolleyes:)

As for the T10 LED wedges - yes they are plug'n'play...BUT the buggers are polarity sensitive so you need to look at how you're installing them for them to work (don't worry if you install them the wrong way - it won't cook them) I've swapped all of the stock wedge bulbs in my Hung Dog wagon and they tick the boxes all round. Less current draw and are brighter.
I've done the cluster in my Gen 1 as well - now the idiot lights scream at me :lmao:The instrument night illumination is blue and looks good (there's a pic of it somewhere in my spam posts)

[MrPaco]

The instrument night illumination is blue and looks good (there's a pic of it somewhere in my spam posts)

Will switching to the led's change the color of the cluster? Currently it "glows" green, is that because the bulbs on it are green (sorry, haven't looked back there yet), or is there some type of lens in front of them that gives out that color?
I'd like to get more brightness, but not a big fan of that blue/white LED look. Ideally it would look like it does now, just brighter. I looked for your photo, but couldn't find it.

[Chargerx3]

Maybe? I can't know for sure. All I know is that I've put on about 1,200 miles since I bought it in January, but as far as I can tell the mileage seems to be correct. The truck is in very good shape, body and otherwise, especially the interior, which makes sense for the miles.
Here's the carfax I ran before I bought the truck because I couldn't believe it either, the service and history backs up the mileage number. As you can see on the report, the truck was totalled because of a front end collision, which is how I came to own it. I bought it from the guy who got it auction and fixed the body damage.
That's all I know, but I also know that these reports can be wrong. In any case, I wouldn't lose much sleep over it if I found out that the miles were wrong, still would love the little guy. :)

22708
You might be onto something. Wow, that low of miles, thats a keeper. Was the damage to the vehicle pretty bad?

[MrPaco]

You might be onto something. Wow, that low of miles, that's a keeper. Was the damage to the vehicle pretty bad?

It was not nothing, but not too bad either. But I guess the cost of repair was more than what the insurance company wanted to pay.
The left fender, hood, front bumper, wheel, and grille were all replaced. No damage inside the engine bay, or to the frame. I finally had the frame checked at a proper frame shop and got an alignment, they said it was straight and not compromised. It drives straight.

2271222713

[geezer101]

Will switching to the led's change the color of the cluster? Currently it "glows" green, is that because the bulbs on it are green (sorry, haven't looked back there yet), or is there some type of lens in front of them that gives out that color?
I'd like to get more brightness, but not a big fan of that blue/white LED look. Ideally it would look like it does now, just brighter. I looked for your photo, but couldn't find it.

There are sheaths over the wedge bulbs that give the backlighting it's colour. You could buy the clear/white LED's and put the sheaths back over them (that'll work). Even swapping all of the old bulbs for new replacements will be a little better as the filaments lose output from use over time. One of the problems with the instrument backlighting on Gen 1's is the lack of reflecting surfaces in the bulb recesses. It's like they've used a candle to light up the display. Add 30 years of dust and they might as well not be working at all...

[WarStryker13]

The little sheaths are made of really thin rubber, and tear pretty easily (at least mine started to tear when I pulled them off the old bulbs).

I was looking on superbrightleds (https://www.superbrightleds.com/), they've got a pretty decent selection.

[MrPaco]

There are sheaths over the wedge bulbs that give the backlighting it's colour. You could buy the clear/white LED's and put the sheaths back over them (that'll work). Even swapping all of the old bulbs for new replacements will be a little better as the filaments lose output from use over time. One of the problems with the instrument backlighting on Gen 1's is the lack of reflecting surfaces in the bulb recesses. It's like they've used a candle to light up the display. Add 30 years of dust and they might as well not be working at all...

I'll give this a try at some point. Do you know if the LEDs will work with the dimmer for the interior lighting? I never use it now because the lights aren't very bright, but with the brighter lights I might want to use it.

[geezer101]

I've tested the dimmer in my Gen 1 after the LED swap and they 'appear' to be fine and function normally. Same goes for my Hyundai wagon. The T10 LED's have a resistor soldered into the wedge bases to drop the voltage and load on them down to a point where they won't get roasted from having 12v + pushed through them.