Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums  

all the bulbs burnt out in the cluster?

You should really grab my 88 EVTM.  I personally think that it is a must have if you own one of these cars.  You can get it from the link in my signature, or from the link in Trinom's signature.  Good luck.

okay... So I basically cheated.  My alternator was not charging at all because it was getting 0 signal from the green wire... The one that apparently comes from the dash...

So I clipped it into the hot wire next to it that runs 12v.  This made the alternator charge like it was supposed to.. So that is done, I get in the car and notice I can almost make out the gauges.  They are working...

I replaced the ignition relay and this seems to help.

BUT I have to have the key turned exactly right to have the gauges, turn signals, and heater/ac blower work.... 

Any advice?

The voltage is supposed to come from the IGNITION SWITCH and go through the alternator warning light on the dash, and then on the green wire to the Alt. regulator.

 You need to disconnect this jumper when the engine is turned off, or it will drain your battery.

 

 ??? Do you mean the starter relay? 

 Yes!! Replace the ignition switch before it catches on fire!!

x2- Bad ignition switches are common on our cars. And when defective can catch fire all by themselves with nobody around.

If you can barely see the dash display it means it's working, but the backlighting isn't. This is almost certainly a bad cluster illumination relay, which, IIRC, is in the area behind the radio toward the driver's side. It might also be the halogen bulbs burned out, but this is less likely as there are six of them and sudden failure of the lot of them is unlikely...