professor229

I bought a 1995 Chevy half ton C1500 WT to pull my larger trailer and also my boat. It only had about 80,000 miles on it and has a 4.3 motor. Over the years, I have been restoring it and that has gone well. Last year, I had an electrical starter issue with it and wound up having it towed to my mechanic's shop from a gas station when the starter refused to turn. I knew something was wrong with the starter when it was having intermittent problems and hesitation when turning the key etc.... I suspected a bad solenoid but it didn't get worse so I just ignored it and got caught.... I have all the faith in the world in the mechanic I found eight years ago.... He has always been fair priced and knows what he is doing but he struggled with this starter problem.... He installed a new starter and there were still problems.... all electrical in nature so he finally made a call to the mechanics hotline for GM vehicles and has said he has only needed to call this helpline a couple times in his decades as a mechanic.... They said that the electrical gremlins he was describing could not possibly be happening but they were happening... backing up in time.. at the gas station when the starter ultimately failed, I noticed something strange/unusual..... This truck has, I believe, four gauges.... located in the dash.... When this problem started... you turned the key to start the Chevy and the gauges all seemed to "go the wrong way"...... and when you shut off the key, there was also something odd happening... fast forward... the problem turned out to be a faulty ground wire from the battery to the frame. It was replaced and all??? of the gremlins disappeared... but... I still think there is something odd and I just don't know if I have this right or not so thought I would ask others who own a 1995 Chevy pickup... and compare.... When I now shut off the ignition two of the needles of the four gauges so back/drop to zero.... two of the gauge needles don't and stay more less vertical.... are they supposed to? Should all four gauges drop down to zero when the key is shut off? or are a couple of the gauges hanging up or still have current running through them???? Now... thinking out loud... I think if this is normal I will just skip it... but I do have one plan/intervention and that is to have the truck ignition off... and monitor those two vertical gauges while pulling the gauge package/dash gauges fuse..... and see if they move down to zero..... Any other ideas???? or am I just being paranoid? Thanks.... Dennis.

Gumby22

If you’re still needing an answer….

The weakest point of the electrical systems on these trucks is the battery connections (assuming yours is still a side post). I’ve seen some really weird issues with these trucks that had me chasing my tail and in the end it was battery connections that just wouldn’t stay tight.

Make sure the battery and alternator are good, the battery connections are clean, and if there’s any question about the battery bolt threads being stripped, either replace them with new or use a 3/8 x 1 hex bolt and nut to secure them (you’ll have to remove the insulation if you do this).

If that all checks out, the clusters are also known for problems - bad stepper motors and cold solder joints are 2 of the most common. You’ll have to test for adequate power and ground at the cluster connector and if it’s good, the cluster likely needs repair or replacement.

professor229

Good morning and yes, all those interventions are important and have been addressed. I did pull the fuse to prove that no electricity was going to any of those gauges when the ignition was turned off..... but Chevys of this model also had one more electrical issue and that was the stereo that has two fuses. One I call the main fuse that allows the radio to work.... the other fuse to that radio controls the memory for stations and I believe also the clock embedded in the display? When I bought the truck, the guy said he pulled the fuse on the memory because if he did not drive the truck daily, and let it sit for a few days, the memory part of the radio would drain the battery.... After he pulled that memory fuse, the problem went away, the radio still functioned but would revert back to all the preset defaults and the clock would "restart" at 12:00...... but that was a small price to pay and I don't listen the radio very often.... but, I wonder if that wasn't part of the issue on this all along and have never tried to put that second radio fuse back... and maybe should.... As for the truck starter, etc..... it's all good now.... I just need to drive this truck more. I restored a 2004 Ranger over the course of two years and it does better pulling my small fishing boat.... but ironically, it has a 3.0 V6 and is harder on gas than the Chevy C1500 with a 4.3....... It's not a great difference.... but I tend to drive the Ranger more than the C1500.... especially in the summer... the Ranger has A/C and the C1500 has window cranks.... enough..... thanks again..... PS.... I also installed battery lockouts on both the Ranger and the C1500..... security reasons.... and if I don't drive a particular truck for a long time I do like to have that ability.... and another irony.... ever try to change the oil filter on a 2004 Ranger 3.0 with a metal oil filter wrench? Hint... it's located very near to a solenoid post.....

Gumby22

You’re correct about the radio fuses - one is a battery feed for the memory and clock - the other is an ignition feed for the on/off, volume and other functions.

It’s unlikely the battery fuse for the radio is related to the cluster issues. The only scenario I can think of where that could be the case is a short between the cluster and radio circuits, but since it’s only a couple of gauges that are malfunctioning, it’s even less likely.

If the battery and alternator are good, the next step will be to verify the power and ground circuits for the cluster. Use an incandescent test light connected directly to battery ground to test the power circuits - then connect it to battery positive to test the grounds. If the bulb glows brightly, those circuits are good and the cluster needs repair.

PS: I don’t think I’ve ever had issues on a Ranger, but I’ve serviced plenty of vehicles that have the filter way too close to the starter, so I know what you mean.