Car is Broken Down. Not Charging.

[Ikeaboy1]

The volt meter steadily dropped until the car wouldn't start. Manged to pop start it and get to where I could work on it.

The battery bulb never came on. I recall it did illuminate previously upon start up. Now... nothing. I have the car on charge, but the battery light doesn't come on at all. My wife is bringing me wrenches to take the binnacle off, but I managed to get my fingers behind the cluster and pull/swap the bulbs. They're fine. Test fine on a multimeter and are the correct 161 bulb. Swapped with other good 161's and different sockets. Nothing.

I just got done reinstalling my cluster. Could it be the big connector? If so, it's weird that all other instruments still work.

Thanks.

[sdg3205]

Are all connections including the indicator lamp wire all properly connected at the alternator?

[DMCMW Dave]

Could it be the big connector? If so, it's weird that all other instruments still work.

Thanks.

Yes, if you didn't seat it all the way or bent one of the fingers on the circuit board.

[Ron]

To eliminate everything else, see if you have 12v on the Main wire and Brown/Yellow wire at the alternator (disconnected) when the key is on. If so, have the alternator load tested.
(You can simply disconnect and ground the Brown/Yellow wire and confirm the light comes on)

Which alternator?

[DMC5180]

Are all connections including the indicator lamp wire all properly connected at the alternator?

+1


Verify your LOW OIL light comes ON or parking brake ON with the key in the Run position engine NOT running. If YES you have confirmed 12V to the instrument cluster INPUT side of the Bulbs (Oil,BATT, Low fuel,BRAKE) which share the same contact trace (pin 9). The then back probe (pin 7) to ground you should have voltage.

[DMC5180]

To eliminate everything else, see if you have 12v on the Main wire and Brown/Yellow wire at the alternator (disconnected) when the key is on. If so, have the alternator load tested.
(You can simply disconnect and ground the Brown/Yellow wire and confirm the light comes on)

Which alternator?

GREAT POINT! assuming the OIL or BRAKE light are confirmed with the key ON.

[Jonathan]

When I had my cluster out recently, I noticed some of the bulb holders were pretty sensitive to being in just so. For example, if you turned the bulb holder all the way tight and it clicks sort of, it had gone past the point where the bulb would come on. Not sure how common this is or what the exact issue is with why the good contact was lost, but when I took it out the second time, I tried to test as many bulbs as I could before it was all bolted back in place and I could still get my hand in there to fiddle with the bulbs. Almost like the copper contacting service isn't quite as wide reaching as the limits of the plastic quarter turn aspect of the holder itself. Not one of the car's better design features unfortunately.

[Ikeaboy1]

The large connector had backed itself out from the cluster ever so slightly, disconnected the battery circuit while leaving everything else operating as usual(except the steadily declining voltage). Everything appears to be corrected.