another electrical problem...

so i'm driving my 1990 200tdi and the temp guage shoots up, as i carry on the dash boardlights slowly fail except for an orange light (i think an old choke light) then the headlamps stop working and the fuel guage goes to zero.
I have checked the fuses and they are all good, so I assume it might be a loose connection, have searched on here but can't find where it might be sensible to start looking? Any ideas? Also when I turn the engine off it won't start again unless the orange dashboard lights disappears for a few seconds. Drove home with no lights last night

ideas on this light?

laf said:

ideas on this light?

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That light comes on when ye turn the key in the ignition to the furst position. It's the light fur the glow plug timer and normally ye should wait until it goes out before startin' (more so in the winter)

Could have a dodgy ignition switch - try spraying wd40 into the key hole and see if anything changes.

cheers lads, i'll try the wd40. the glow plug light doesn't go out, just flickers, no lights, temp guage shoots up, no indicators, all fuses good so perhaps it is a relay/loose connection? not exactly sure where to start, took the dash off and all i can see is a million wires, made my brain hurt

i would start with looking for a short circuit in the heater plug circuit. if it is shorting to earth it may give all your symptoms.