Disconnect Service Indicator Lights?

[TrentW]

The service indicator stays lit up in my wife's car all the time and it seems that the diagnosis is bad SI batteries, but can't I just disconnect the plug or pull the bulbs out and call it a day, since I don't pay any attention to them anyway?

[jlevie]

The indicators can be removed. But if the SI board batteries are bad other problems with the cluster will ensue.

[TrentW]

Jim, thanks for your response. I value your knowledge from other posts of yours I've seen. My fuel gauge is not functioning properly either--if I fill the tank, the gauge only shows just over half. Then sometimes it will drop to empty after only a few miles. Figured it was the sender, but since it's only been running for three weeks now, I need to spend more time trying to diagnose the symptoms before I jump to conclusions. Is there a tell-tale sign of bad batteries affecting the fuel gauge rather than the sender?

[Jean]

If you have an early cluster SI board can be removed, a small jumper pin can be soldered to the main board and all gauges will work just fine.

Fuel Gauge is not affected by the SI board.... you may have a problem with the fuel level sender(s).

[TrentW]

Thanks Jean. It's an '88 and can you give me more detail on soldering a jumper to the board?

[Jean]

That won't work for you, only on early (83-85 style) clusters.

[TrentW]

Damn, just my luck. So if the SI board or batteries don't affect the fuel gauge I've got a sender to switch out and see if that fixes it. As for the service indicator, just replace the SI batteries?

[Jean]

Your car might have two fuel level senders, check if you have one or two as they work together :)

SI Board yeah, check the batteries with DVM and replace if you can find those or replace the board with another one

[jlevie]

This car does have two fuel level sensors. From the symptoms, one of them has failed.

[TrentW]

This car does have two fuel level sensors. From the symptoms, one of them has failed.

That was my initial thought. I have a sender from a donor car, but any way to determine which one is bad? There's one on the pump itself and then the sender is in the driver's side of the tank?

[Jean]

Yep... pull both out and check for resistance while the float is moving with DVM.

[TrentW]

Okay, thanks much guys.