Had some lights come on and gauges go flat...what happened?

[Max Attitude]

I was driving my truck yesterday and noticed the battery light come on (even though voltage looked normal) along with a light of a car with a lock on it....also, my fuel gauge, oil pressure, and motor temp gauges all went dead like the truck wasn't running. I had no other issues. The truck ran and started normal. Drove to my destination...couple hours later started it up and all was normal. Dealer said it could be a short in the gauge cluster but this seems different than that. We've replaced clusters in other trucks and this isn't the same. Any ideas?

 

[Unit453]

Sounds like symptoms of a dying battery. Probably time to replace them. I've always heard that when your gauges go crazy, they're on their last leg.

 

[trouttrooper]

x2 on dying batteries.

I wouldn't really accept the reading on your volt meter either. My experience is they are just a glorified idiot light. Not exactly the most accurate gauge in the cluster.

 

[Mad Maxx]

Had a similar thing happen on my old S10 Blazer and it turned out to be the Alternator.

Gauges started going all over the place while Driving, and some Lights were coming on in the Cluster.

 

[Max Attitude]

Hmm, well I just put in some new batteries about a month ago and it cranks up great in the cold so I doubt it's that. I Hope it's not the alternator...

Hasn't happened again since so I guess we'll wait and see.

 

[Ed HD]

The Car + Lock light is security system. I'd have it Tech II'd and see if any body codes show up.

 

[Max Attitude]

Pred just says a security code was thrown. Nothing else really though. I won't worry about it for now. Still fine so far.

 

[TINY]

iv heard about somethin like this happen 2 our trucks and some people say the computers go out that might be it

 

[bobdel01]

thats what happened to me and it ended up being the alternator

 

[Max Attitude]

thats what happened to me and it ended up being the alternator

Is that common? I've never heard of someone replacing one on these trucks yet besides you.