'87 LeSabre - Speedometer sticks when headlights on?
TrueLyFE
08-06-2005, 12:25 AM
This thing has been through weird electrical problem after another. I will explain the current situation.
As it is right now, the car works fine (electrically, everything else is..so-so) when the headlights are off. When on, the speedometer will stick in position since the headlights were on. Other gagues stick as well (fuel, odometer).
Turning off the headlights resolves the issue.
Contact is fine - I had removed the cluster to fix a problem with the lights, put it back several times with clean contacts, and this is still occuring.
Also, another thing that has happened sometimes (as is right now) is when headlights are on, the flasher and high-beam is inversed (highbeam light is on when hi is off, and off when on). I did a search, but could find nothing on these issues...
Other than some electrical problem localized to that area, I really don't know what the problem could be... maybe someone else knows :)
As it is right now, the car works fine (electrically, everything else is..so-so) when the headlights are off. When on, the speedometer will stick in position since the headlights were on. Other gagues stick as well (fuel, odometer).
Turning off the headlights resolves the issue.
Contact is fine - I had removed the cluster to fix a problem with the lights, put it back several times with clean contacts, and this is still occuring.
Also, another thing that has happened sometimes (as is right now) is when headlights are on, the flasher and high-beam is inversed (highbeam light is on when hi is off, and off when on). I did a search, but could find nothing on these issues...
Other than some electrical problem localized to that area, I really don't know what the problem could be... maybe someone else knows :)
LeSabre97mint
08-06-2005, 12:47 AM
This thing has been through weird electrical problem after another. I will explain the current situation.
As it is right now, the car works fine (electrically, everything else is..so-so) when the headlights are off. When on, the speedometer will stick in position since the headlights were on. Other gagues stick as well (fuel, odometer).
Turning off the headlights resolves the issue.
Contact is fine - I had removed the cluster to fix a problem with the lights, put it back several times with clean contacts, and this is still occuring.
Also, another thing that has happened sometimes (as is right now) is when headlights are on, the flasher and high-beam is inversed (highbeam light is on when hi is off, and off when on). I did a search, but could find nothing on these issues...
Other than some electrical problem localized to that area, I really don't know what the problem could be... maybe someone else knows :)
It sounds like your gauges are getting their ground through the headlights. That is when the lights are off...... when the lights are on, the gauges have two positive connections. I would look for a bad ground for the gauges. Goto your library and get a wire diagram and see where the gauages get their ground. Possibly under the hood somewhere near the firewall on the left side. (just a guess)
Dan
As it is right now, the car works fine (electrically, everything else is..so-so) when the headlights are off. When on, the speedometer will stick in position since the headlights were on. Other gagues stick as well (fuel, odometer).
Turning off the headlights resolves the issue.
Contact is fine - I had removed the cluster to fix a problem with the lights, put it back several times with clean contacts, and this is still occuring.
Also, another thing that has happened sometimes (as is right now) is when headlights are on, the flasher and high-beam is inversed (highbeam light is on when hi is off, and off when on). I did a search, but could find nothing on these issues...
Other than some electrical problem localized to that area, I really don't know what the problem could be... maybe someone else knows :)
It sounds like your gauges are getting their ground through the headlights. That is when the lights are off...... when the lights are on, the gauges have two positive connections. I would look for a bad ground for the gauges. Goto your library and get a wire diagram and see where the gauages get their ground. Possibly under the hood somewhere near the firewall on the left side. (just a guess)
Dan
Automotive Network, Inc., Copyright ©2026