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General TechGood at troubleshooting? Have a non-specific issue? Discuss general tech topics here. IF YOUR QUESTION IS SPECIFIC TO A CERTAIN MODEL, IT DOES NOT GO IN THIS SECTION.
I am new to the group and am having problems with the "low washer fluid" coming up on my dash. I have checked the sensor and it is good. I checked the voltage at the plug in from the wiring harness and no voltage. Washer pump has 12 volts but the 2 pin to the sensor is showing maybe .3-.6? Should this have 12 volts with the key on? Anyone else have a similar problem before? Just bought the truck and trying to fix all the minor problems.
2003 Silverado 2500 4 x 4 VORTEC 6000 V8 SFI
LS Crew Cab
180,000 miles
With the connector unplugged, key on, there should be battery voltage on the black/white wire at the connector. This is supplied by the instrument cluster from pin A3.
The plain black wire is a direct ground at G100, located on the lower left frame, directly behind the fog light (or where a fog light would be, if your truck doesn’t have them).
The switch is open when the fluid level is adequate and closed when it’s low.
There are multiple known issues with the clusters and electrical systems in these trucks, especially if it’s been neglected.
The easiest test to verify circuit integrity is to jumper the terminals together at the connector and see if the message goes away. If not, the next step is to backprobe pin A3 at the cluster and see if there’s battery voltage present. If not, you’ll need to verify power and ground feeds to the cluster to determine if the cluster is at fault.
Gumby22,
I checked and cleaned the ground wires they were rusty. Still no power to the plug to the sensor (maybe .3-5 volts) with meter. I am trying to find out if that sensor is on a separate fuse? The washer pump has 12 volts. I am going to dig into the wiring from the plug but I did find this plug tucked up in the hood on the firewall with a black/white wire that has 12 volts. Don't know what this plug is for or if it is the same circuit as it is black/white? Any feedback on this is appreciated. I have attached the plug for reference.
The sensor circuit is a direct feed from the instrument cluster, passing through connector 104 (or 119 depending on the RPO) but that is a 12 pin connector so it’s unlikely the one pictured is part of the circuit.
I’m not sure what the connector you found might be for.
As I said, back probing the circuit at the instrument cluster is the next step to determine if it’s the wiring or cluster. If you have battery voltage at the cluster, the wiring is the issue - if you have the same readings at the cluster as at the connector, the cluster is the issue.