dash cluster

[Artie in Miami]

Can anyone tell me if the "Headlight High Beam Indicator" is a standard dash cluster light (gets power from the dash cluster), or if it is fed by wires from the headlight circuit ?? I found a bulb/socket hanging behind the dash cluster that is fed by a black and red wire. this is the second socket that I found hanging in my 1986 C20 Suburban...the first was for the ashtray light !

[Artie in Miami]

Here is a pic of the mystery bulb/socket...anyone recognize it...it looks like it goes in the dash cluster, and is probably an idiot light...but I do not know which hole it goes in ! I was thinking it might be the "high beam indicator" ??

[ray_mcavoy]

The high beam indicator is one of the "standard" lights that connects to the cluster's printed circuit (no separate wires on the socket).

Those "special" lights (that use a socket with it's own wires, not part of the printed circuit) were typically used for things like the 4 wheel drive indicator light that were not present on all trucks. They were also used for the low coolant, water in fuel, and glow plug lights on trucks with diesel engines. And I think some models were equipped with electronic feedback carburetors and had a check engine / service engine light hooked up with it's own wires (and changed to being wired through the cluster printed circuit for 87 models with fuel injection).

[Artie in Miami]

Mine is gasoline with carb...could it be for something like "seatbelts" ? I notice there are two holes for lights under the speedometer, and I think they light up when car is started

[Rich84]

It could be the light that goes to the heater and a/c controls.

[Artie in Miami]

I never thought of that...I will go out and see if the wires reach that far...it makes sense, since it is not the same design as the dash cluster lights......thanks !

[Artie in Miami]

No...it is not for the heat/ac controls...wire is not long enough to reach, and the control already has a light attached. You are on to something though...the mystery socket is exactly the same as the socket for the heater control

[kipps]

It's not an illumination light. The dash, heater, etc illumination lights are powered with a gray wire, and grounded through a black wire.

Note that one of the wires is pink. Pink wires are universally used for ignition-hot wires. So that light must be controlled by a ground connection through the brown wire.

Looking at Hatzie's wiring diagram for a '86(You can find all the diagrams here), it shows a "check engine" light with two wires. One wire is Pink/black, and the other is listed as brown/white.

The light shows up about two-thirds of the way across the first diagram page on the 86 wiring manual.

If you remove your cluster, you can hold it up to the light, and see what's displayed in each indicator socket. I'm sure you'll find "check engine" or "service engine soon" in one of the holes. If not, the cluster or the harness were replaced at some point.

[Dead Parrot]

Does it still have the computer? If so, make sure the bulb is good(that one looks a bit dark in the pic) and see if/when it lights up.

If the computer is gone and the bulb never lights, I would pull the bulb and tape over the socket just in case.

[Artie in Miami]

I am sure it still has computer...only one owner before me, and he sold it to me in 1998 and it was just as he bought it from the dealer.

[Artie in Miami]

Originally Posted by Dead Parrot

Does it still have the computer? If so, make sure the bulb is good(that one looks a bit dark in the pic) and see if/when it lights up.

If the computer is gone and the bulb never lights, I would pull the bulb and tape over the socket just in case.

You are correct !! The bulb was dead...I replaced it and it lights when ignition key is turned on.

[Artie in Miami]

Actually...that wire is red...looks pink in pic.