Fuel Gauge Problem

[no-backup]

Hi everyone, I'm new and thanks for letting me join, I have a 1998 GL1500SE and I removed the instrument cluster to change the lcd screen. All went really well and the screen works perfect but when I started the bike my fuel gauge is stuck on full even with the key off, I was very carful not to touch the indicator needle so I know that isn't my problem, The battery was disconnected when I unplugged the cluster so I couldn't have shorted anything and the gauge was working perfect before I removed it because I was riding it 4 days before. I took it back out to see if anything fell down there because I also changed the bulbs while I was in there and the small bulb above the temp and fuel gauge had some coating flaking off when I removed it so I gently blew it out with a can of compressed air. I still have the same problem with the gauge staying on full but when I disconnect the battery it will slowly go back down to half but takes a while. Any help with this would be appreciated, Thanks in advance.

[AZgl1800]

I would be suspicious of the connector to the gauge panel.

I'm thinking that one of the contacts is not seated fully,
OR,
possibly one of the contacts got pushed back out of the connector.

a full gauge reading with Key OFF ??
that sounds like a short in the wiring, or a connector pin has bridged over against an adjacent pin.