dash gauge question

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Sussmad

Sussmad

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I noticed a change in my gauges last week: gas gauge did not register full after filling up. Temp gauge registering low, usually rides in middle. The amp meter seems ok but not pointing to discharge when loaded up(lights, wipers, fan) at idle. 63 Valiant
dashboard voltage regulator? where can I get one if so? Do I need to remove dash to get to this?
 
Have you checked the voltage at the battery, running and not running, devices on and off etc.
 
Could be a few things.......low system voltage, low voltage getting TO the cluster/ IVR, defective IVR, or some poor wiring connection.

Do you know about the test resistances?

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You may find the instrument voltage regulator is inside the fuel gauge. If so, Not 100% of it is inside the gauge. There's a thin piece of metal on the back of that 3 post gauge that provides ground path for the limiter. Because the gauge mounting studs are swedged into a fiber board that warps with age, and since this piece of metal is on top of the fiber board, all connections can get weak. Some owners have had gauges go on and off with bumps in the road. So in so cases just cleaning and tightening connections cures it.
Of course you should check system supply first.
 
It's inside the fuel gauge Most likely the IVR is failing. It also runs the temp gauge. Search this site and you will find multiple ways of fixing this.

Brian
 
Here's what we did to my buddy Larry's '64 Baracuda. It had the 5 volt regulator inside of the fuel gauge and it seemed like the points that regulate the voltage were worn. So I purchased a 5 volt regulator I.C. from Amazon (they actually came in a 5 piece bag for $6.00) and installed as shown in the picture. So far there has not been any issues. Maybe this will help. By the way, I slid a small piece of heat shrink tubing over the old regulator points to keep it from interfering with the proper operation of the new regulator.
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Last edited: S
 
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thanks everybody and great work. Looks like I got another winter project.
 
By the way, I cut the center leg of the regulator off as it is one in the same (connected) to the tab that is bolted down to the circuit board).
 
superchargeddrt said:
By the way, I cut the center leg of the regulator off as it is one in the same (connected) to the tab that is bolted down to the circuit board).
Click to expand...
That ground wire should have been routed to a more direct chassis ground. Reason being... If that lil' regulator should loose chassis ground it will pass input to output, thus system voltage through the gauges. The regulator package from RTE does have ground fault protection built into its circuitry.
While I'm at it, You never needed to defeat a brad and get inside the gauge to disable the OEM limiter. We can simply take the 12 volt supply out of the round harness connector and route it directly to the solid state regulators input. It serves nothing else on the panel so there's no need for it to attach to the fuel gauge or panel. You could have omitted the noise suppression cap also.
Next, more important step... Lift the fuel gauge from the housing and cover the strip of metal on its backside with electric tape to isolate the gauge can from chassis ground. Now it is mounted like any 2 post gauge. Even if the limiters winding is shorted to the beam, the 5 volts cannot find a path to ground there. The OEM limiter becomes dead weight.
 
^^And while we are at it ANYONE removing a cluster should add a ground from the cluster ground point(s) via a wire pigtail to the dash frame/ column support

Along with check the connector pins "for loose" and repair as necessary, and tighten and or replace the gauge stud nuts. Tighten/ loosen/ tighten them a few times to "scrub" them clean
 
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