dash is not working right :( HELP!!!

[charlie_91]

so over the last couple of months my dash has been starting to play up.

2 months ago.. When i would turn the ignition on but not crank it the warning lights would come on.. They do not work however when im driving.

2 weeks ago.. My oil pressure guage starts going haywire. I checked the sender and that seems fine, switched the cluster over and that didnt help.
By haywire i mean giving me inaccurate readings and when i slow to a slow at for e.g traffic lights the guage drops down to 0.

This week.. The warning lights no longer show up at all.

I need help.. suggestions ? Im thinking maybe its the wiring from the dash thats playing up ?

Cheers guys

[AJ]

probable culprit would be a bad earth somewhere.

[charlie_91]

Would that cause all these weird problems?

Also I went to get in the car this morning and the dash lights came on but then when I stopped and started it up again it didn't..

[Juffa]

Try the easy stuff first.

Under the windscreen washer bottle there is a bunch of earth wires that come together in one place. A 10mm spanner or socket will undo the bolt. Clean the area around the bolt hole for a good contact. Also check that the battery connections are good and tight. Do you know if any work has been done under the dash, such a wiring in an alarm, or a new stereo....it is possible a plug for the dash lights is loose?

With regards to the oil gauge. Did you clean the single electrical connection point on the sender? A small piece of sandpaper is perfect for this. Many others have found cleaning the contact usually fixes this problem.

[Mr Morlock]

your probably need to start off my looking at a Haynes or other manual for the car. You also might get some info on automotive electrical fault finding . Of course you can also go to an auto elect.

[charlie_91]

Yeah I'm gonna have a poke around to see if I can find anything and if I don't I'll get get an auto electrician to have I look.. Just wanted to see what people thought it could be..

Cheers