Voltage regulator dart rallye cluster?

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Liquidspine

Liquidspine

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So I got took the fuel gauge off to find the voltage regulator????
Where is it.
Is it the little thing that plugs into the 3rd prong on the back In the first pic?
I can figure out why my gauges dont work. Ive got 12.5 to the big red and black wires on the back of the cluster. Any help would be great. Thanks
 

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Oh, and the little canister attached on the back is just a condenser. It was used to keep the voltage regulator "noise" from getting to the original radio.
 
First of all, thanks for your service, 65 Dartman. I too was in the Air Force for 20 years. The IVR is, indeed, inside the gas gauge, and I would not recommend trying to fix it yourself unless you are very sharp with electronics and gauge repair. LOL, I clicked on the link in 66 fyssh’s post and the article was written by ME (Mike Harrison). In 2000, I contacted Mopar Muscle and suggested they write an article on Mopar electric systems since I had just restored my 69 340 Cuda and had to trace multiple wiring problems. The Editor (Geoff Stunkard at the time) asked me if I could write one. I wrote a rather long one with pictures. They stretched it out over 3 issues and paid me very well for it. Anyway, The IVR in the gas gauge does feed power to the gas gauge, oil pressure gauge and temp gauge.
 
Mike
I dont know about Dart Rallaye clusters, but the Barracuda/Duster Rallayes from 68 to 70(the ones Ive had apart)have a plug-in regulator. Its a little tin bisquit shaped thing about the size of a maxi-fuse. It plugs in towards the radio side and only operates the fuel and temp gauges. They can be converted to electronic and work flawlessly for many many years. Mines been going for 15 plus years now.Are the Dart Rallayes different? I know the standard non-Rallaye gauges are exactly as you say.
 
all barracuda/dart/duster rallye dashes (and many others) use an internal voltage limiter. They are all internal in the fuel gauge from the factory, unless converted. It controls the fuel, oil pressure and temp gauges. Amp is a separate circuit.
many (not all) Non rallye use external limiter.

quick way to tell is three prongs on fuel gauge is internal. or look for limiter.
 
Over the years, it is hard to tell what may have been done to any given cluster, but I am positive that 68 and 69 Barracudas with Ralley dashes had the IVR built into the gas gauge. I spent hours testing all of that when I was writing the article. I know about the separate IVR AJ/FormS is talking about, but I don't know for sure what years or dash types it is found in. Like Rocky JS said, with 3 terminals on the back, this particular gas gauge is one with the built in IVR. Otherwise (I think) it would only need 2 terminals like the oil pressure and temp gauges. D&M Restorations rebuilt my gas gauge about 15-16 years ago, and it still works great. So Liquidspine, you might check to see if they are still in business.
 
Ok thanks guys

How much is it ti restore a gauge? Would it be cheaper to just buy repop gauges?
 
I didn't know anybody was repopping the fuel gauge. I would suggest having your current one rebuilt. My original died, and I paid big bucks for an NOS gauge; which did not work, and that was the one I wound up sending it to be rebuilt. I called D&M at 1-800-722-0854 and they said between $60 and & $120 depending on how bad it was. I know there are other people aout there, but these people did a good job for me, and it has worked fine for 15+ years.
 
Is there anyway to by pass the regulator buy using something else?
I think I read somewhere I could build one???
Im not trying to spend a lot of money and would really like to get my gauges working by this weekend if possible for a big family thing we have going on.
Im not worried about the originality of the car just need them working.
 
Also if I have power to the cluster am I even sure the regulator is to blame?
Could something else be wrong?
Like I said before the red and black wires to the back of the cluster have 12.5volts.
And if I do fix the fuel gauge couldnt all the other gauges be burned out?

Thanks guys for all the help!
 
Unfortunately it could be anything from the sending unit to the gauge. The sending unit needs a good ground. And many of the aftermarket sending units are crap. It could be the wiring to the gauge. It could be the gauge itself...after 40 odd years the breakdown...or it could be the regulator. The regulator reduces the car 12 volt to 5 volts to operate the gauges.

Hey Mike, you wrote a great article. Next time I need to make sure to give props to the author when I share a link!!!:banghead: Thanks for sharing the info on D & M Restorations. I'm going to have them go through my fuel gauge.


I went though my gauge circuit a while back and had is working somewhat. Meaning, when full it would read about three quarters. Now lately, it's back to going to a quarter when full. And with the early Barracuda's you never really know when the tank is full cause it's such a pain to put gas in them!!!!! Guess I just need to keep track of mileage until I get it working correctly again.

Search through the old threads here and you'll find loads of info on troubleshooting the fuel gauge system.
 
When it comes to wiring, You have to kinda throw the schedule out the window. This stuff can really suck up the hours. And if you lose patience, you often end up doing it twice. or more.
Yes you could make an external regulator, but you will still need to wire it to your gauge, and if the gauge is bad inside then you havent accomplished anything. Youre still gonna have to fix it.
You need to figure out which part is faulty; the reg. or the gauge. And to do that you have to isolate them from each other. And to do that it looks like you will need to get inside. Too bad your cluster isnt like mine, with the removable regulator.
 
Yes they do repop them now as a set and with an external IVL.
430.00 + the ride....
https://www.yearone.com/Catalog/196...ical/gauges-.-reproduction/a.body-rallye-dash


The real issue is that once the limiter goes it sends bat volt to the other gauges burns the insulation on the ni-chrome wire and renders them bad (shorted). You will be hard pressed to find someone to sell you x inches/feet of ni-chrome double glass serve wire in less then 500ft. Read as more or less then the cost of new gauges. Then the real issue is how to attach the wire, the length, ohms and diameter of the wire. Soldering it is not how it is actually attached it is welded on with solder over it for support.

Again, to cut to the chase, contact redfish link provided above. He can restore your gauges completely and has done many of them for folks here and elsewhere and they will be updated with an external VL.






harrisonm said:
I didn't know anybody was repopping the fuel gauge. I would suggest having your current one rebuilt. My original died, and I paid big bucks for an NOS gauge; which did not work, and that was the one I wound up sending it to be rebuilt. I called D&M at 1-800-722-0854 and they said between $60 and & $120 depending on how bad it was. I know there are other people aout there, but these people did a good job for me, and it has worked fine for 15+ years.
Click to expand...
 
RED and Black wires are ammeter a totally different unrelated circuit. Yes, chances are the others are also burned out. could it be something else? Sure, this is a very common issue but not the only.


Liquidspine said:
Also if I have power to the cluster am I even sure the regulator is to blame?
Could something else be wrong?
Like I said before the red and black wires to the back of the cluster have 12.5volts.
And if I do fix the fuel gauge couldnt all the other gauges be burned out?

Thanks guys for all the help!
Click to expand...
 
Thank for the compliment 66fyssh. That article took a LOT of research, but I came across most of the problems myself. Liquidspine, call D&M. They should be able to sell you a separate IVR and tell you how to install it. If you don't want to spend the money, that would be an option. I'd fix the gas gauge and have things working as designed, but that is just me. You can test the temp and oil pressure gauges with two flashlight batteries. Since the IVR puts out about 5 volts, 3 volts from two flashlight batteries will put the gauges up to around 1/2. You can test the gas gauge the same way if you connect the batteries to the correct two terminals.
 
Harrisonm and everyone else thanks for all the help.
I called D&M and had a nice conversation with them. I think now Im going to send them my whole cluster and have them check it out. But Im going to try to bypass it just for this weekend. The car looks and runs great...just no gauges.
 
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