1966 Barracuda.
Does the IVR have any effect on the rest of the dash? Recently my fuel gauge stopped working but the rest of the dash was working properly. Last night driving my car home. The temp gauge will not go above the cold line. While running and the oil pressure will not go above the first thick line on the low side. When the car is shut off the temp and oil gauge will dropp all the way down. With only the power on in acc. Mode the temp needle move from the base position to the cold line. Is this all a sign that the IVR failed. Or are their underlying issues?
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The behavior of all three gauges -- fuel, temperature, and oil pressure -- of reading similarly low points to the gauges' voltage source.
The fuel gauge, temperature gauge, and oil pressure gauge, all receive their power from the voltage limiter, also called the instrument voltage regulator and other terms. The Chrysler term is "voltage limiter".
The voltage limiter, internally, though bimetallic heating and cooling acting to open and close contact points, provides an effective voltage of five volts to the gauges. This is a pulsating voltage, and associated current, which is not a solid DC voltage, but effectively averages at five volts. The gauges themselves use a similar heating and cooling effect as the voltage limiter to drive the gauge indicator needle which corresponds to the resistance level of the associated sending units -- fuel, temperature, and oil pressure. The voltage limited source, the gauge, and the sender resistance form a series circuit calibrated to indicate the value or fuel level, engine coolant temperature, or engine oil pressure. The gauge range of these parameters were designed for level indicators to correspond to the same resistance values.
With all three gauges reading low, the effective voltage, and associated driving current, to the gauges is low, but not (yet) zero. This low voltage limiter output is due to one of the following issues:
- Full +12 volt input voltage to the voltage limiter is low due to a bad connection.
- Full +5 volt output from the voltage limiter is not reaching the gauges due to an output connection issue.
- Voltage limiter contact points are corroded or dirty, reducing the output.
- Voltage limiter internal heating coil or bimetal strip is weakening.
- Voltage limiter ground connection is poor. The limiter is grounded to and through the instrument cluster ground.
Most vehicles have a separate voltage limiter that is external to the gauges and plugs into the instrument circuit board or via leads. Others, including the 1966 Barracuda, incorporate the voltage limiter into the fuel gauge.
The following image diagram shows the voltage limiter, fuel gauge and sender for cars with the separate voltage limiter:
The following image diagram shows the voltage limiter, fuel gauge and sender for cars with the voltage limiter incorporated in the fuel gauge:
In both cases, the temperature gauge and oil pressure gauge (if equipped) is powered by the same five volt output from the limiter and connect to their respective sending units.