Need help wiring fuel gauge 1963 Dart

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63Dart170

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I am rewiring the car with an aftermarket kit. I purchased a solid state IVR3 and bench tested the fuel gauge per their instructions. Gauge went to full scale with the resistor they supplied.

My question is where does the wire from the sending unit attach in this setup?

For the test I have a ground wire from the battery going to the cluster case with the resistor in line. Positive from the battery to ignition of IVR3. Wire from the "S" terminal on the cluster to the output of the IVR3. That leaves the 2nd wire that comes from the round multipin connector in the cluster. I had that wire grounded and everything worked.

Just not sure where the wire from the fuel level sender in the tank comes into play.

ivr3.jpg
 
63Dart170 said:
For the test I have a ground wire from the battery going to the cluster case with the resistor in line. Positive from the battery to ignition of IVR3. Wire from the "S" terminal on the cluster to the output of the IVR3. That leaves the 2nd wire that comes from the round multipin connector in the cluster. I had that wire grounded and everything worked.
Click to expand...
this does not make sense.

The IVR has a voltage in and a voltage out. The in is switched 12V, the out is roughly 5-6V. THE IVR MUST BE GROUNDED to work properly. The gauge works by heating a coil of wire inside to cause a by-metal strip to bend thus moving the needle.

the basic wiring is ignition 12V source goes into the IVR, it comes out as pulsed DC at an average of 5-6 volts
the pulsed DC goes to the PROPPER terminal on the gauge. then through the coil (heater) in the gauge around the by-metal
then to the sender (big variable resister / Rheostat) then to ground.


grounding the sender wire to the gauge will cause FULL current to the gauge and if held there too long burnout the gauge.

the instructions in the IVR3 should have discussed how to defeat the IVR IN the fuel gauge. If it is not properly defeated it could be a problem.
 
Dana67Dart said:
this does not make sense.

The IVR has a voltage in and a voltage out. The in is switched 12V, the out is roughly 5-6V. THE IVR MUST BE GROUNDED to work properly. The gauge works by heating a coil of wire inside to cause a by-metal strip to bend thus moving the needle.

the basic wiring is ignition 12V source goes into the IVR, it comes out as pulsed DC at an average of 5-6 volts
the pulsed DC goes to the PROPPER terminal on the gauge. then through the coil (heater) in the gauge around the by-metal
then to the sender (big variable resister / Rheostat) then to ground.


grounding the sender wire to the gauge will cause FULL current to the gauge and if held there too long burnout the gauge.

the instructions in the IVR3 should have discussed how to defeat the IVR IN the fuel gauge. If it is not properly defeated it could be a problem.
Click to expand...

The IVR was grounded to the cluster body in my test.You can see the black ground wire running to the screw that is holding it to the cluster. The Wire that comes from the pin connected to the "S" terminal on the cluster is what I placed on the output side of the IVR. The other wire is what I grounded.

So the '63 has the voltage limiter built into the gauge itself?

Still need to know where the wire from the in tank sending unit attaches to this setup.
 
I just found this photo:

finished-unit.jpg


I didn't realize that the terminal on the far right was also part of the circuit. Now it all makes sense to me. I just couldn't find anything that matched my circuit board to go by.
 
The top post of the gauge is marked A. The regulated voltage goes there. The bottom post on the driver's side is marked S. SENDER. The passenger's side bottom post is marked I for IGNITION.
 
I still think you have things way messed up.

The way I read the wiring diagram which you better have.... And is readily available on mymopar.com

Screenshot_20260422-212413.png
Screenshot_20260422-212347.png

1776954644924.png

Based on the wiring diagram....

H pin is the sender
J is the 12V switched feed




Basic EXTERNAL IVR wiring
(the location of the colored leads on the (BAD) sketch of the IVR are NOT intended to be the location ON the External IVR)

G is ground
Red is output from IVR
Black is input to the IVR
Blue is wire from sender

Screenshot_20260422-211814~5.png


PXL_20260423_040010314~2.jpg
Screenshot_20260422-211814~6.png


This is a photo from RTE's IVR page

This is the internals of A fuel gauge NOTE you are looking at it from the front. AND it MIGHT NOT BE THE SAME AS YOURS, INFACT IT APPEARS REVERSED as the gauge is PROBABLY from a 67 up cluster

The red arrow points to the internal IVR defeat procedure
1776950991535.png



How the internal limiter works


A - Insulator between the 5V plate and the 12V contact
B - 5V volt plate, the entire plate is energized with 5V
C - the ground from the Internal IVR heater wire
E - The Internal IVR Bi-Metal assembly
F - 5V wire to the GAUGE heater coil
G - Other end of the GAUGE heater wire from the sender (the sender provides a variable ground to very the heat the coil gets and thus bending the bi-metal and moving the gauge)
H - GAUGE Bi-Metal assembly

  1. 12V enters the I pin
  2. it goes to the insulated contact "A"
  3. from there it goes to the contact on the NOW BENT Internal IVR Bi-Metal assembly "E"
  4. the Heater coil on the Internal IVR Bi-Metal assembly is attached to the Internal IVR Bi-Metal assembly on one end by the contact
  5. the other end of the heater coil is attached to ground "C"
  6. the heater coil heats and cools and opens and closes the contact like a blinker. The average of this opening and closing is about 5 volts "B"
  7. Some of the 5 volts goes to the Temp and Oil gauges (If equipped) via the cir board, the rest goes to the 5V wire to the GAUGE heater coil "F"
  8. the other end of the GAUGE heater coil "G" goes to the sender which provides a variable ground to very the heat the coil gets
  9. The Bi-Metal assembly "H" reacts to the Gauge Heater coil and bends the bi-metal moving the gauge needle

1776951990853.png


WHAT you are doing with the EXTERNAL IVR is replacing the INTERNAL IVR in the Fuel Gauge.

some of the traces on the cir board you will reuse and some you will not. The photos on RTE's website are NOT your particular cluster so you have to UNDERSTAND how things work to add it to your particular cluster. Trace out the path that the electrons go. Look at the wiring diagram and follow the path from the sender to the circuit board., then which pin on the gauge corresponds. Defeat the internal IVR. then reroute the power to the gauges through the External IVR
 
Last edited:
Dana67Dart said:
I still think you have things way messed up.

The way I read the wiring diagram which you better have.... And is readily available on mymopar.com

View attachment 1716535317View attachment 1716535320

Based on the wiring diagram....

G is ground
Red is output from IVR
Black is input to the IVR
Blue is wire from sender

View attachment 1716535324

View attachment 1716535325View attachment 1716535326
Click to expand...
I don't know WHAT circuit board that is but it AIN'T a 63 Valiant.
 

Just went through this diffrence for another '63
LOL Different instrument board
Mattax

Post in thread 'Dash cluster and cabin light'

I see that '63 diagram from mymopar is marked Valiant, so that may explain why it doesn't match your Dart.
Darts and Valiants got different instrument panels until 71 or 72.
  • Like

As far as the gages
I = Input
S = to Sender
Redfish said A was Altered (that is reduced)

Ammeter is totally different type of gage.
Its bi-direction. R marks the red insulated wire on the battery side.

This is the backside of a car ammeter. Electrons go in one stud flow through the metal plate around the needle and out the other stud.
1774054461895.png


The magnetism created by the moving electrons deflects the needle.
That's it.
There are other types of ammeters, but this one is very simple.
 
Last edited:
63Dart170 said:
I am rewiring the car with an aftermarket kit
Click to expand...
BTW (a little fuel to the fire, sorry) your problems are part of why the "EZ" and "Painless" Kits are neither EZ and Painless. M&H or other OEM type kits are the only way to go.

THAT BEING SAID: the RTE External IVR adaptation is NOT EZ and Painless either.
 
another video showing the actions of the IVR

These are external IVRs and are the equivalent to what's inside your Fuel gauge (the electronic IVR from RTE functions the same but is purely electronic)



 
RustyRatRod said:
Look on the GAUGE itself. I got like 4 of um. They're ALL marked.
Click to expand...
the one I pull out of the 62 truck dash was marked,
but the cardboard was so delaminated, took a magnifyer to see it
they all seem to be marked,
reading is is another question
 
dr dodge said:
the one I pull out of the 62 truck dash was marked,
but the cardboard was so delaminated, took a magnifyer to see it
they all seem to be marked,
reading is is another question
Click to expand...
I use a magnifying glass almost daily when I'm working on something. Get used to it. LOL
 
Thanks for the help here. I did get everything working properly. Bench tested it with the new sending unit and all is well.
 
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