Gauges - always live?

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Pinger

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Are the gauges supposed to be live when the ignition is switched off (and key removed)?
On mine (1999 C2500 Suburban 5.7) of the four auxiliary gauges, only the voltmeter dies with the key off. The fuel, temp, and oil pressure gauges all show a reading with the key off. Oil pressure gauge is the weirdest. Without the engine having been run for days, if I switch the ignition on, the needle goes from wherever it stopped on shutdown to zero and when I turn the ignition off again it starts to rise. Doesn't go far but is off its stop.
Is this how they all are?
 

RichLo

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I doubt they are actually live but rather they stop in their natural resting place. Your oil pressure gauge reading shows that its not live but rather in its neutral position.
 

Pinger

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I doubt they are actually live but rather they stop in their natural resting place. Your oil pressure gauge reading shows that its not live but rather in its neutral position.

Yours are like mine then - the needles point to where they were when previously shutdown - even the next day?
 

AK49BWL

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Yep, that's completely normal.. The gauges in these trucks are not operated by servo motors, but electromagnetic coils - so they don't automatically zero when the truck is turned off.
 
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