C3 (68) Help! -temperature gauge needle askew

[Henry J.]

The needle of my once perfectly functioning temperature gauge now rests askew, well below the 180 mark.

I think I may have done this inadventenly with my fingers while retrieving a light bulb that had fallen out of its socket and into the sealed gauge cluster. Having turned the power off, I partially separated the gauge cluster fom the instument bezel and poked in with my fingers to fish out the bulb.

Ah, its tough to beat success, isn't it?. At this point, I was feeling pretty good.

Of course I noticed the needle akew only after I had completely reassembled the gauge cluster and the instrument bezel, turned the power back on, and tested several times to confirm that all the lights were working! [Watch me and learn, Bubba.]

Now, before I do something else incredibly stupid, please share with me your suggestions for repositioning the needle so that I don't damage the gauge (anymore?).

Thanks.

P.S. I promise not to do this again.

[Tony Merendino]

Re: C3 (68) Help! -temperature gauge needle askew

I don't see how you could dislodge the needle from the rear while dislodging a bulb. Is it possible that you inverted the connection when reattaching? This could cause a funky reading.

[Tony Merendino]

Re: C3 (68) Help! -temperature gauge needle askew

I don't see how you could dislodge the needle from the rear while dislodging a bulb. Is it possible that you inverted the connection when reattaching? This could cause a funky reading.

[Henry J.]

Re: C3 (68) Help! -temperature gauge needle askew

Tony:

The socket "holding" the bulb had been "improved" beyond GM's original design by a previous Bubba. When I pinched the socket between my two fingers to pull it out along with the faulty bulb, the bulb actually slipped out of its socket and fell into the gauge cluster!

In order to retieve the fallen bulb, I had to separate the gauge cluster from the instrument bezel. I didn't separate it fully; only as much as I felt I needed to get my fingers in. That may have been a mistake.

[Henry J.]

Re: C3 (68) Help! -temperature gauge needle askew

Tony:

The socket "holding" the bulb had been "improved" beyond GM's original design by a previous Bubba. When I pinched the socket between my two fingers to pull it out along with the faulty bulb, the bulb actually slipped out of its socket and fell into the gauge cluster!

In order to retieve the fallen bulb, I had to separate the gauge cluster from the instrument bezel. I didn't separate it fully; only as much as I felt I needed to get my fingers in. That may have been a mistake.