I need instruments

[ernie]

Copied from my project diary 1uz ford capri I really need help on this one folks.


When I started the car after a few weeks standing due to the fuel tank being removed everything was normal.
I was taking measurements and letting the engine warm up when I noticed that the instruments were dead, shortly followed by smoke from behind the instrument cluster. I found that two earth connections were not attached to the body one behind the instruments and one near the passenger side.
I assumed that this was the problem and that I had fried the circuit board in the instrument cluster.
My problem is that I have sourced a replacement and still have the same fault (quickly switched off before any signs of smoke)
When I switch on I have a battery light which works as normal but absolutely nothing else. With the ignition on or the engine running a simple wire tester is showing that I have four live wires coming into the instruments, two for the grey plug and two for the blue plug.
If anyone has any ideas or even a shot in the dark please send me a message.
Would a diagnostic scan be of any help?
Wiring is full LS400 loom (95 model) possible problems include a broken wire from a welding spark or rain water as the project is stored outside under a tarp.

 

[scuba_diver]

Try plugging just the blue plug in on it's own with power to just the two red/blue wires and of course make sure the earths are 'earthed'. See if everything powers up like that, if it does then plug the others in one at a time until you lose it. I had a lot of trouble with my binnacle, which is the same year as yours and eventually bought another one which still didn't work, by plugging the plugs in indivually like that I manged to track it down to one of the wires picking up a live from somewhere.
Lee.

 

[ernie]

No luck i'm afraid.

Anyone know where I can get a wiring diagram

 

[sideshow]

could be a million things
get the correct diagrams and check to see which wires have power and do they match up to diagrams
sounds like u used the complete ls400 dash and body loom whihc makes it a pain in the butt to diagnose
but chase up some diags as u have a stray power or earth
maybe a stray earth which is stuffing up the gauges

 

[sideshow]

ive never seen toyota gauges run thru the diagnostic plug
unless they r after 2005 ish model

anyway the power wires are normally black/orange
and the earth wires are brown or a white/black

 

[ernie]

Got a real job on my hands I think

Just going to have to strip it all down and check each wire individually

Using the whole Lexus loom was supposed to make things easier

 

[scuba_diver]

Are the gauges definately not working? I found with mine that they were all working, it was just that they didn't light up. The binnacle should power up (or at least should illuminate) with the two power feeds and the earths to the blue plug.
1A and 7A are ignition feeds (definately red/blue on mine and the '95 wiring diagrams).
6A and 16A are both earths (brown and white/black)
Make sure these are all you have connected or that they're the only things providing power and earths when you connect just the blue plug.
If you pm me with your email address I can try and send you the wiring diagrams I have.
Lee.

 

[ernie]

Thanks for the offer will pm

As an update after much searching in the mess that i must call my car i found the internal fuse box.
Fuse marked gauge was blown and all working when changed. For a few minutes. Old fuse showed signs of slow overheating as does fuse marked panel but this one not blown.
Well at least now I have a starting point