Gauge and wiper issues on 86 C30

[coopdust103]

Hello everyone, I am new to the site and need some help. I just purchased a 86 crew cab C30 dually. All of the exterior lights work and operate as they should (after i replaced the faulty headlight switch) but when i turn the wipers on the gauges go crazy and the blinker lights on the dash light up, also the wipers do not operate but you can hear the motor trying to work. I think the previous owner might have hooked the battery up backwards and fried the electrical. I am leaning towards the blinker switch in the column as being the issue but i wanted to see if any of you have had this problem before.

Thanks,
Coopdust103

[bd]

Hello and welcome to the site!  The symptoms are representative of a floating ground - that is, a shared ground connection that doesn't make a good electrical connection to battery negative.  Check all of the dash grounds to the cab sheetmetal in the left kick panel area, adjacent to the parking brake pedal.  Make sure the terminals and sheetmetal are clean and shiny under the head of the screw.  In addition, check the ground strap connections between the cab firewall and the back of the right cylinder head.

[Irish_Alley]

might be a poor ground connection. i know theres a list of them on here somewhere. use the search button but ill try to find it also

[coopdust103]

Hello and welcome to the site!  The symptoms are representative of a floating ground - that is, a shared ground connection that doesn't make a good electrical connection to battery negative.  Check all of the dash grounds to the cab sheetmetal in the left kick panel area, adjacent to the parking brake pedal.  Make sure the terminals and sheetmetal are clean and shiny under the head of the screw.  In addition, check the ground strap connections between the cab firewall and the back of the right cylinder head.

Will do, thank you

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