Fried Computer?

[98formy]

Heres the situation. I have noticed for the last week or so that my volt and oil pressure gauges were reading under what it actually was. The last few days I noticed them every once and a while bouncing from the wrong reading to the correct reading. I manually checked each one because I was nervous something was wrong. Yesterday, about two miles from home going to work, the car just died. The cluster would not show mileage, the needles would not move, but the lights would light up like normal. I thought maybe a bad ground or something under the dash having to do with my reverse glow gauge overlay because I think at the same time the volt/oil would bounce a bit, the glow on the overlay dimmed a bit. So I rewired them to another place thinking I fixed the prob. Now today, it did it to me again in about the exact same spot. This time I had my scanner along just in case and with the key on, I plugged it in. Instantly, the cluster came to life, then for curiousity, I unplugged it, and it went dead. I did that a few times and the same result. Leaving the scanner plugged in, it took like ten tries to start it, and when trying, the needles would all bounce around until finally it decided to start, then everything read correctly. I drove it home and unplugged the scanner and it still ran. Yesterday, I did plug the scanner in when I went to get it off the road and then it ran. My question is, could the scanner be completing a ground that otherwise is not quite right or something or did my ecm take a dump. Any help is appreciated.

[98formy]

I did some reading up and I guess there is a TSB out on the harness that connects to the cluster. The solution is to repin the connector because the harness is on eternal backorder. I have had the cluster off a couple times to do my new gauges, so maybe this is my prob, what do you guys think?

[Orcus79]

I have no Idea, but something does sound fishy. from what you describe it does sound like a loose connection some where. Try reseating all your connections, especialy any you ahve had to disconnect for the new gauges. Just a guess and place to start.

[98formy]

Problem solved. The black/white ground wire from the cluster goes to a ground at the back of the drivers side head and I remember having trouble with on install when i had the heads off and must have partially broke the metal contact. I basically ran a new ground from the engine to the chassis, then tapped into the black/white ground wire from the back of the cluster and grounded it also to the chassis. Now everything reads properly and no stalling.