Question about voltage limiter

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Steve 225

Steve 225

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I've read about how a bad voltage limiter will cause the fuel and temp gauges to peg at the maximum
My question is....? Will a failing voltage limiter cause gauges to read about 25% higher?
I had 3/4 of a tank of gas this morning now it reads full, the temp gauge always ran about 1/4 of the way up now it runs 1/2
If this is the case where is a good place to buy a replacement? And is there a better option? I've read about home fixes but electrical work is not my thing and wondered if there was a solid state replacement or possibly 12 volt replacement gauges sold?
For a 1974 duster btw
 
I was able to get a new IVR at NAPA for my '72 Demon .It seemed pricey. About $45. But seems to work fine.
Yote
 
If your gauges that are powered by the IRV are all reading higher than normal then I would be looking for a new one.
 
A fault somewhere in the main charging system would do the same. You might not notice slightly brighter headlights, slightly faster wipers, etc... Not to say that the problem isn't localized to that instrument voltage limiter. I had a similar case. The gauges would read high intermittent and brief ( 20 minutes or so then back to normal ). The limiters ground connection was the root cause.
At one time oriellys had a replacement limiter for 18 and change. The mechanical limiter is old school electronics but they did work very well for a lot of years.
There are several modern solid state regulators out there with a variety of prices. Those with LEDs to show faults, etc.., do get pricey. I don't know how one is supposed to see those LEDs.
 
Thank you everyone
Someone played"pimp my duster" with this poor car and I've been chasing electrical Gremlins for weeks now and this will be the third time the instrument cluster has been out in as many weeks, but third time's the charm..... Right?
Would you believe there were 8 interior lights in this thing along with a homemade console ?
Good news, it seems the original back seat frame is under all this velour and faux leather
Here's a pic...... I know it's an abomination I especially like that old belt door pulls

Screenshot_20170922-105721.png


I had called advance auto, AutoZone and O'Reilly's. The guy from advance knew what I was talking about(he's a fellow Mopar guy) but couldn't get one, was going to try NAPA monday, but decided to go with the one from RTE since it's a solid state replacement, about the same price and hopefully will never need replaced again

BTW, anybody need about 50 feet of assorted lengths and gauge of orphaned wire
 
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I WOULD NOT put a parts store replacement IVR in there. Get a solid state replacement

Got mine from RTE, don't know if they are still online
 
I built mine from a magazine article back in 1999. The electronic part was about $5 at Radio Shack. I used the factory IVR base and just soldered the part on;easy-peasy. The gauges are rock-solid now and that IVR is still going.At the same time, I put some brighter bulbs in there.
 
AJ/FormS said:
I built mine from a magazine article back in 1999. The electronic part was about $5 at Radio Shack. I used the factory IVR base and just soldered the part on;easy-peasy. The gauges are rock-solid now and that IVR is still going.At the same time, I put some brighter bulbs in there.
Click to expand...
I completely rewired my 68 fastback w/ an E Z kit. The only thing my limiter controls is my gas gauge. I bought a digital one , along w/ a 3/8" fuel sender, off ebay. Its grounded , but still is sluggish and don`t work right . Ended up using the 3/8" fuel pick up for a return for the fuel inj., any ideas on what I could do to make it read right ??
 
ShortanswerisnoIdon'tknow.
Regular AJ answer;
The stock gauge seems to be electrically damped. If you ground the sender wire,you will see how slowly the needle moves. I don't think you can or would even want to,do anything about that. But if the reading is wrong and the sender works properly, I sorta calibrated mine by bending the float arm till it was close enough. But one thing that caught my attention is your EFI return line; if it is spewing onto or near the float that could mess up the reading. Also, I found that on mine, the slipyoke was easy to mess up during calibration, so be careful. I have heard of installing a resistor in parallel with the sender to help it to read at one end or the other, but I thought that was hokey. I just calibrated mine to read empty when there are about 5 liters left in the tank, sorta like a reserve indicator, and let the full be where it will be,lol.
The gauge wants a 5.0 volt power-supply . If your dash-regulator is supplying any other voltage, it will read wrong all the time. Either hi with higher voltage or lo with lower voltage. If the supply voltage fluctuates due to a problem in the charge circuit,that will also mess your gauge up. Your IVR may be the type that steps the charge voltage down as a percentage. For instance 5/13.2 = about 38%. if your charging system is putting out 15 volts, then 38% of 15 =5.7 volts so the gauge goes hi. And if the charging voltage drops to 12.0,then 38%=4.6 and the gauge reads low.So if the charging system voltage is fluctuating, then the dash gauge would mimic it.
My IVR is a choke; it only lets 5.0 volts thru, no matter what it is supplied with. That keeps the temperature gauge,which also runs off it, rock solid, so it doesn't scare the .......out of me. That oem temp gauge seems to only work during warm up tho. After that it seems to get stuck. In all the years I've driven that car, minus the first few months, I've never seen the factory gauge move from it's "normal" position. I hate to admit it but I never look at it any more.
 
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AJ/FormS said:
ShortanswerisnoIdon'tknow.
Regular AJ answer;
The stock gauge seems to be electrically damped. If you ground the sender wire,you will see how slowly the needle moves. I don't think you can or would even want to,do anything about that. But if the reading is wrong and the sender works properly, I sorta calibrated mine by bending the float arm till it was close enough. But one thing that caught my attention is your EFI return line; if it is spewing onto or near the float that could mess up the reading. Also, I found that on mine, the slipyoke was easy to mess up during calibration, so be careful. I have heard of installing a resistor in parallel with the sender to help it to read at one end or the other, but I thought that was hokey. I just calibrated mine to read empty when there are about 5 liters left in the tank, sorta like a reserve indicator, and let the full be where it will be,lol.
The gauge wants a 5.0 volt power-supply . If your dash-regulator is supplying any other voltage, it will read wrong all the time. Either hi with higher voltage or lo with lower voltage. If the supply voltage fluctuates due to a problem in the charge circuit,that will also mess your gauge up. Your IVR may be the type that steps the charge voltage down as a percentage. For instance 5/13.2 = about 38%. if your charging system is putting out 15 volts, then 38% of 15 =5.7 volts so the gauge goes hi. And if the charging voltage drops to 12.0,then 38%=4.6 and the gauge reads low.So if the charging system voltage is fluctuating, then the dash gauge would mimic it.
My IVR is a choke; it only lets 5.0 volts thru, no matter what it is supplied with. That keeps the temperature gauge,which also runs off it, rock solid, so it doesn't scare the .......out of me. That oem temp gauge seems to only work during warm up tho. After that it seems to get stuck. In all the years I've driven that car, minus the first few months, I've never seen the factory gauge move from it's "normal" position. I hate to admit it but I never look at it any more.
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mine limits to 5-6 volts suposedly, new aftermarket Chrysler gauge. ????
 
adriver said:
There is RTE and then every thing else.
You've had the cluster out 3 times and didn't replace it.
I'm sorry.
That should be a given to protect your gauges.
I have been able to reach up and plug new ones in.
Not easy in a A body.
Mostly by feel.


Solid State Mopar Limiter IVR4 push-in (B-body, A-body, others)


RTE limiter - rte
Click to expand...

First time was to replace the wiper pivots( they rusted solid while it sat) linkage bushings, remove some of the rigged wiring and put in a nicer gauge cluster, after I got it all back together the gauges didn't work, I thought it was something I did removing excess wiring
I read on here about the voltage limiter so took it apart and hooked up the old ugly gauges and they worked again, so I turned 2 gauge clusters into 1
Next day the speed quit working so back apart to grease the speed cable
Everything has been fine for about a month now although the gas gauge seemed to have a mind of its own and slightly unreliable
Yesterday both gas and temp went wonky so am pretty sure it's the voltage limiter
Plus side I can take the cluster out in about 20 minutes by this time so it's all good
Still dreading taking the column apart to put in the new ignition switch that matches the new door locks and replacing the broken turn signal cancelling cam but those are just minor inconveniences I can live with for now
 
Steve 225 said:
First time was to replace the wiper pivots( they rusted solid while it sat) linkage bushings, remove some of the rigged wiring and put in a nicer gauge cluster, after I got it all back together the gauges didn't work, I thought it was something I did removing excess wiring
I read on here about the voltage limiter so took it apart and hooked up the old ugly gauges and they worked again, so I turned 2 gauge clusters into 1
Next day the speed quit working so back apart to grease the speed cable
Everything has been fine for about a month now although the gas gauge seemed to have a mind of its own and slightly unreliable
Yesterday both gas and temp went wonky so am pretty sure it's the voltage limiter
Plus side I can take the cluster out in about 20 minutes by this time so it's all good
Still dreading taking the column apart to put in the new ignition switch that matches the new door locks and replacing the broken turn signal cancelling cam but those are just minor inconveniences I can live with for now
Click to expand...

Did you put grease fittings in your wiper pivots?
 
Search "voltage limiter" + "Plymouth" on ebay (even if a Dodge). I bought one for each old A for ~$30 from seller pinkpatty something. But the IVR one is better for you since in a factory-style can (after my 1965). Mine have a pot to fine-tune the 5 V output. I did that, plus added a few resistors so both my temp gage and fuel read correctly. I had a new sender on the bench and used test resistors for the temp gage. There are also adjustments on the gages for a flat screwdriver, which appears to bend the mounts slightly. Probably used by the supplier to fine-tune the needles. Use at your own risk.
 
adriver said:
Did you put grease fittings in your wiper pivots?
Click to expand...
No I didn't but it looks like a good idea, I did WD40 the daylights out of it, I eventually have to put seals it probably do it then
 
I bought the RTE limiter should I hook up the condenser also?
 
Steve 225 said:
I bought the RTE limiter should I hook up the condenser also?
Click to expand...
OK the "condenser" is actually a noise suppression cap'. A solid state regulator generates no noise so the cap' isn't needed in the electric sense. Consider mechanical sense... This cap' has a lead wire on it with a male spade that goes into the same center female connector with the regulators terminal. Omitting that additional male terminal could result in intermittent connection, regulator comes and goes with vibrations. I don't have a solid answer but I do like solid connections. Ask RTE. Good luck
 
RedFish said:
OK the "condenser" is actually a noise suppression cap'. A solid state regulator generates no noise so the cap' isn't needed in the electric sense. Consider mechanical sense... This cap' has a lead wire on it with a male spade that goes into the same center female connector with the regulators terminal. Omitting that additional male terminal could result in intermittent connection, regulator comes and goes with vibrations. I don't have a solid answer but I do like solid connections. Ask RTE. Good luck
Click to expand...

RTE instructions say it isn't needed but use it anyhow( possibly because of a tight fit it did seem a bit loose)
After installing the new limiter it seems to be running 25% low I let it run about 20 minutes and the temp barely moved going to fill the tank tomorrow and see what the gas gauge reads, if it's still off I'll just go back in and check all the wiring and grounds..... Again. The wiring is a mess on this car, I think I'll eventually have to break down and get a new harness, under hood isn't much better
 
You can get at the fuel level sensor wiring at the connector behind the left kick panel. You can measure the resistance of the sender (~10 ohm full, ~90 ohm empty) and connect test resistors to the other side to verify the gage.
 
adriver said:
There is RTE and then every thing else.
You've had the cluster out 3 times and didn't replace it.
I'm sorry.
That should be a given to protect your gauges.
I have been able to reach up and plug new ones in.
Not easy in a A body.
Mostly by feel.

Solid State Mopar Limiter IVR4 push-in (B-body, A-body, others)

RTE limiter - rte
Click to expand...
I bought an RTE IVR 3 for my 69 barracuda. I'm actually working under the dash now. I tried to contact them with an email and phone call.

Here is my question. The red led light keeps flashing...............I selected not to reinstall the factory condenser. Anyone else seen that with the RTE limiter?? Again. red LED light keeps flashing after about 5 minutes when the car is running.
 
Mike69barracuda said:
I bought an RTE IVR 3 for my 69 barracuda. I'm actually working under the dash now. I tried to contact them with an email and phone call.

Here is my question. The red led light keeps flashing...............I selected not to reinstall the factory condenser. Anyone else seen that with the RTE limiter?? Again. red LED light keeps flashing after about 5 minutes when the car is running.
Click to expand...
I don't know what their flashing LEDs mean. I know you should probably start a separate thread since yours is a very different animal from what this thread is about. Hell I'll ask anyway...
How did you approach/resolve the original limiter issue?
 
RedFish said:
I don't know what their flashing LEDs mean. I know you should probably start a separate thread since yours is a very different animal from what this thread is about. Hell I'll ask anyway...
How did you approach/resolve the original limiter issue?
Click to expand...
I took the entire cluster out........ I soldered all the board pins, then opened the gas gauge carefully and bent the contact point arm so it does not make contact with the other side. While in there watching not to damage the fine wires. I followed RTE's diagram for mounting the external IVR3 to the back of the big board.
 
Mike69barracuda said:
I took the entire cluster out........ I soldered all the board pins, then opened the gas gauge carefully and bent the contact point arm so it does not make contact with the other side. While in there watching not to damage the fine wires. I followed RTE's diagram for mounting the external IVR3 to the back of the big board.
Click to expand...
If you grabbed that beam with needle nose and bent it like they say/show you could have shorted that wire to the beam its wound upon. The instrument should have been isolated from chassis ground whether it was opened or not. Truth is, it never really needed to be opened. If that limiter aint grounded it can't do squat. But if it is/was a short circuit, it still is a short circuit, just that simple.
Does RTE not recommend the back of the fuel gauge be isolated from the inst' housing? Last time I looked ( a few years ago ) they did not. I still say Real Time means "gone fishing" and you can tell 'em I said so... if they ever reply. LOL
 
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