So I had the gauge cluster in my 65 dart out to clean up some aftermarket wiring and bridge the ammeter, and while testing it I smelled something burning and a puff of smoke from what seems like the inside of the Guage cluster around the fuel Guage. I cut the power immediately and inspected the board but I can't see any damage or dark spots at all. When it happened I had the gauge cluster out of the dash on the harnesses, is it possible that it wasn't grounded and that was causing the issue? I noticed the gas gauge was moving when powered was turned on, but my lights dash lights were out.
Mystery smoke from gauge cluster
- Thread starter Wreck0nin
- Start date
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clifftt
Well-Known Member
What did you do with the wires going INTO and OUT OF the ammeter? Lots of current traveling thru those babies!
I just bypassed the ammeter, I stacked wiring running in an out to one terminal. I'm also running a one wire alternator directly to the battery, so there alternator is no longer hooked up to the ammeter. The smoke is really really faint and I can smell it but I can tell where it's coming from, so far I'm wondering if it's because it's ungrounded, the dash cluster is out right now, but I'm not sure if it would cause something to smoke
trapster
Well-Known Member
The fuel gage and the temp gage have a nichrome wire that gets hot which makes the gage move. Hopefully the dash regulator did short "on" causing 12 volts instead of 5 ish through the gages.
Hopefully not, the fuel gage does move still when the key is on and drops with key off so it might be alright, but I am wondering about the temp gauge, I removed the wiring from the bulkhead connector to the sensor due to there being an aftermarket gauge on the car. Could that be causing the smoke?
I'm at a loss here. Why did you not disconnect the battery FIRST?
trapster
Well-Known Member
The dash regulator is in the temp gage, or the fuel gage I dont remember. but if it is working you can see it pulsing with a mechanical volt meter. if the fuel gage is responding then there probably not an issue with the regulator as it would have taken out the gage or the sending unit in the tank.
trapster
Well-Known Member
also I dont remember when they switched to an external dash regulator, I think 66 or 67.
Fuel gauge typically.
5vdc
5vdc
The battery was disconnected, I reconnected it to do a function test before installing the cluster, but I didn't realize the cluster was chassis grounded. I'm just worried that I'm going to reinstall the cluster and it's going to burn down before I can get it out. I have inspected the board throughly and I can't see any burned spots at all. Is it possible that the smoke was off the wire in the gas gauge?
I guess, it could be. It could also be that maybe you dislodged some dust or dirt and it fell into the IVR inside the fuel gauge and just got burned producing smoke. These old girls have lasted way longer than anyone ever thought they would, so naturally they have dust and dirt everywhere. Maybe you got lucky. Probably not, but maybe. lol Perhaps before you reinstall the cluster, blow it out real good with compressed air.
Understood. I did throw a wire ground on the cluster, not the best ground mind you, and did another quick test, with the ground on there was no smoke, no smell, and the gas gauge works, so who knows. I have a feeling I just smoked that wire in the gauge a little bit or like you said burned off some dirt, but so far it seems like it's alright. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't going to burst into flames when I put it back in.
If the dash was not grounded there is no path for the IVR to function correctly so it just provides 12v to the gauges.
You probably overheated the gauges and that was the smell and smoke.
They may still function ok.
You probably overheated the gauges and that was the smell and smoke.
They may still function ok.
I agree. All in all the gauges are pretty tough. All of mine are sixty years old and all still work fine.
clifftt
Well-Known Member
There’s no harm in adding a ground to the cluster, as you did. I did on mine, also.
I also had a smoke issue occur once. Turned out I had a wire to my Stewart Warner temp gauge mounted to the bottom of the dash not fully insulated. It kissed the steel dash and caused some smoke.
I also had a smoke issue occur once. Turned out I had a wire to my Stewart Warner temp gauge mounted to the bottom of the dash not fully insulated. It kissed the steel dash and caused some smoke.
That makes a whole lot of sense, that could be why it was intermittent and took a while to start smoking. I'm going to inspect it before I put it back in, I'm getting ready to put a new headlight switch, bulbs and fuses in anyway
would a simple test of continuity across each gauge verify that the guages are still functioning? I just ran into the same situation on a bench workup of
my dash cluster. Tiny puff of smoke , not sure where it came from but the wire traces on pc board are good, and have continuity across guages. Also had ammeter gutted for a true volt meter set up.
my dash cluster. Tiny puff of smoke , not sure where it came from but the wire traces on pc board are good, and have continuity across guages. Also had ammeter gutted for a true volt meter set up.
couldnt say. just a tiny puff. the cluster was grounded. I suspect i reversed my + and - leads and ran positive through the ground, and it grounded out the gas sending unit pin. but would that necessarily over heat a guage?
A tiny puff. You sure it wasn't that left handed cig? lol
Is "left handed cig" a reference to a joint?
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