instrument cluster question

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trudysduster

trudysduster

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Does the instrument cluster on a 76 Duster need to be grounded and if so to what. I read somewhere that it grounds to the steering column. Also it is easy to blow the voltage regulator for the instrument cluster by shorting any wires. Reason I am asking is my temp gauge isn't working nor is the volt gauge. Fuel gauge is working alright but I am trying to find out what the problem is with the temp gauge.
 
Hum.
I don't think you have an "external" ground on the metal case.
If you fuel gauge works, that would rule out the 5V limiter you know.
If you wind up having pull the gauges , I would get the IVR4 while there.
http://rt-eng.com/rte/index.php/Main_Page
Your car has an AMP meter and not a volt gauge.
It doesn't deflect?
The temp sender could be bad for that item.
 
Bill on any dash containing temp, fuel, and on Ralleye, oil pressure, if one works properly, then the IVR is at least working.

Some other causes depending on the dash TYPE, meaning more than one PC board, Ralleye, year, etc........

1....Bad connections at the gauge stud nuts. Loosen / tighten them a few times to "scrub" the contact and nut clean. Consider replacing with "real" nuts

2...Loose / broken board connector pins or bad connection in the cluster connector

3....A bad gauge, but I thought I saw the other day you grounded the sender and the gauge went over to the pin? This would indicate that the gauge may or may not be accurate, but at least "works." But "it might be" that something is intermittent in the gauge, debri, sticking, corrosion, etc, that is preventing it moving, or even an intermittent electrical problem

4....Bad/ poor conneciton in the bulkhead connector

5....Bad/poor connection in the connector right at the sender. These can break internally in the molded plastic, and appear OK

6...Bad/ intermittent sender, but I guess? you tried another?

GROUND.....You really should add a ground pigtail from the cluster to either the dash frame or the column support bracket
 
Did you mean amp gauge not volt gauge? If volt gauge then there are mods you have not mentioned in this post. Dell can help you but you need to be specific.
 
I might be wrong but I think 76 model was one year only different from what we are accustomed to. This ALT' gauge used a remote shunt which deleted those 2 big wires with ring terminals on the gauge. This inst' panel used that ground spade on the headlight switch too ( had a ground wire attached to it ). We can say chassis ground is not the fault though since neither of the two instruments in question require a chassis ground.
 
67Dart273 said:
Bill on any dash containing temp, fuel, and on Ralleye, oil pressure, if one works properly, then the IVR is at least working.

Some other causes depending on the dash TYPE, meaning more than one PC board, Ralleye, year, etc........

1....Bad connections at the gauge stud nuts. Loosen / tighten them a few times to "scrub" the contact and nut clean. Consider replacing with "real" nuts

2...Loose / broken board connector pins or bad connection in the cluster connector

3....A bad gauge, but I thought I saw the other day you grounded the sender and the gauge went over to the pin? This would indicate that the gauge may or may not be accurate, but at least "works." But "it might be" that something is intermittent in the gauge, debri, sticking, corrosion, etc, that is preventing it moving, or even an intermittent electrical problem

4....Bad/ poor conneciton in the bulkhead connector

5....Bad/poor connection in the connector right at the sender. These can break internally in the molded plastic, and appear OK

6...Bad/ intermittent sender, but I guess? you tried another?

GROUND.....You really should add a ground pigtail from the cluster to either the dash frame or the column support bracket
Click to expand...

I will check all this. It is an amp gauge, not a volt gauge. I have a set of Bosch gauges coming tomorrow but this problem has got me puzzled. It worked fine until I hooked up another gauge to the same sending unit. Thanks for the input.
 
RedFish said:
I might be wrong but I think 76 model was one year only different from what we are accustomed to. This ALT' gauge used a remote shunt which deleted those 2 big wires with ring terminals on the gauge. This inst' panel used that ground spade on the headlight switch too ( had a ground wire attached to it ). We can say chassis ground is not the fault though since neither of the two instruments in question require a chassis ground.
Click to expand...

I b'lieve you are right on the ammeter. some of the big boats used that remote shunt a few years earlier. So far as the ground, the IVR needs a ground depending on "what he has." Not sure if the old mechanical oe had to be grounded to operate or not

Here is a darn poor scan I did of the 76 wiring.........

Free service manuals

www.letsgocomputers.com/docs/76wiringAbody.pdf
 
IVR and most everything else does need a chassis ground. Fuel gauge works so IVR has ground. The temp sender needs a chassis ground. And one could argue that this is the ground a temp gauge needs. Too much Teflon tape on its threads could break that ground path.
 
RedFish said:
IVR and most everything else does need a chassis ground. Fuel gauge works so IVR has ground. The temp sender needs a chassis ground. And one could argue that this is the ground a temp gauge needs. Too much Teflon tape on its threads could break that ground path.
Click to expand...

I don't use Teflon tape or any other kind on the threads.
 
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