1978 Dodge Sportsman no gauges... voltage limiter identification
05-06-2013, 07:45 PM
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1978 Dodge Sportsman no gauges... voltage limiter identification
Hi
No working gauges. Temp Fuel Oil.
They worked on and off...but now not at all.
Checked all the obvious, grounds contacts...
Then I took the panel off to see what may be the problem.
Postings I read here describe a voltage limiter so I went looking for it
Here is a pic.
Which component is the voltage limiter??
Also as seen someone has rigged something up half ***...the component on the left...brassy color. Screwed into the housing using only i bolt. What is this??
Any advice appreciated. Possibly just replace the gauges with aftermarket ones??
Thanks
Gary
No working gauges. Temp Fuel Oil.
They worked on and off...but now not at all.
Checked all the obvious, grounds contacts...
Then I took the panel off to see what may be the problem.
Postings I read here describe a voltage limiter so I went looking for it
Here is a pic.
Which component is the voltage limiter??
Also as seen someone has rigged something up half ***...the component on the left...brassy color. Screwed into the housing using only i bolt. What is this??
Any advice appreciated. Possibly just replace the gauges with aftermarket ones??
Thanks
Gary
Last edited by gbm97; 05-06-2013 at 08:20 PM.
05-10-2013, 12:28 PM
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Ok thanks kindly TVLynn
In the meantime I fiddled with it upon wiggling the main power socket the gauge would move into the correct position. Upon pulling the power socket back out on of the pins stayed in the socket detaching itself from the board.
So Im hooped, rather than fiddling soldering etc. I phoned junk yards in a 200 mile area for a used complete cluster with no luck.
Im thinking simply just hooking up aftermarket gauges.
Phoned Canadian Tire they say they have fuel level gauges but need the specifics on it like volts ohms ....
Anyone know for sure the specifics???
Thanks
Gary
In the meantime I fiddled with it upon wiggling the main power socket the gauge would move into the correct position. Upon pulling the power socket back out on of the pins stayed in the socket detaching itself from the board.
So Im hooped, rather than fiddling soldering etc. I phoned junk yards in a 200 mile area for a used complete cluster with no luck.
Im thinking simply just hooking up aftermarket gauges.
Phoned Canadian Tire they say they have fuel level gauges but need the specifics on it like volts ohms ....
Anyone know for sure the specifics???
Thanks
Gary
05-10-2013, 01:38 PM
#4
If the pins came off the circuit board ? That's easy to fix !
Buff the connections up with a brass brush & then re solder the pins to the circuit board THAT"S your best fix. Replacement may have bad connections too !!!
Buff the connections up with a brass brush & then re solder the pins to the circuit board THAT"S your best fix. Replacement may have bad connections too !!!
08-05-2013, 09:56 PM
#7
Well that's one way, LOL
On my Dart, it was a similar mess, but I went to RadShack and bought a couple of "Molex" style connectors so at least I can still separate the cluster from the harness.
Before you get that all put back in, read the usual and excellent MAD article on ammeter and bulkhead connector problems:
http://www.madelectrical.com/electri...p-gauges.shtml
So far as the original problem, in addition to what you found with the connector, here's "some" of what was wrong with my 67 Dart.
Pick a screw or two that connects to the ground plane of the pc board and hook a pigtail of wire to it so you can ground it to the column brace or other good ground. IN your bottom photo, that black hex screw just to the right of the limiter is ground.
Seriously consider buying a solid state replacement limiter from RTE engineering.
CHECK the "socket" fingers where the voltage limiter plugs in. Those may not be making good contact with the board. On my 67 I had to solder jumpers across
Take those fake nuts off the gauge studs and put some real nuts on 'em. Loosen/ tighten 'em a few times to insure they have scrubbed the connection clean.
On my Dart, it was a similar mess, but I went to RadShack and bought a couple of "Molex" style connectors so at least I can still separate the cluster from the harness.
Before you get that all put back in, read the usual and excellent MAD article on ammeter and bulkhead connector problems:
http://www.madelectrical.com/electri...p-gauges.shtml
So far as the original problem, in addition to what you found with the connector, here's "some" of what was wrong with my 67 Dart.
Pick a screw or two that connects to the ground plane of the pc board and hook a pigtail of wire to it so you can ground it to the column brace or other good ground. IN your bottom photo, that black hex screw just to the right of the limiter is ground.
Seriously consider buying a solid state replacement limiter from RTE engineering.
CHECK the "socket" fingers where the voltage limiter plugs in. Those may not be making good contact with the board. On my 67 I had to solder jumpers across
Take those fake nuts off the gauge studs and put some real nuts on 'em. Loosen/ tighten 'em a few times to insure they have scrubbed the connection clean.
Last edited by 440roadrunner; 08-05-2013 at 09:58 PM.
12-21-2013, 10:46 PM
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Well that's one way, LOL
On my Dart, it was a similar mess, but I went to RadShack and bought a couple of "Molex" style connectors so at least I can still separate the cluster from the harness.
Before you get that all put back in, read the usual and excellent MAD article on ammeter and bulkhead connector problems:
http://www.madelectrical.com/electri...p-gauges.shtml
So far as the original problem, in addition to what you found with the connector, here's "some" of what was wrong with my 67 Dart.
Pick a screw or two that connects to the ground plane of the pc board and hook a pigtail of wire to it so you can ground it to the column brace or other good ground. IN your bottom photo, that black hex screw just to the right of the limiter is ground.
Seriously consider buying a solid state replacement limiter from RTE engineering.
CHECK the "socket" fingers where the voltage limiter plugs in. Those may not be making good contact with the board. On my 67 I had to solder jumpers across
Take those fake nuts off the gauge studs and put some real nuts on 'em. Loosen/ tighten 'em a few times to insure they have scrubbed the connection clean.
On my Dart, it was a similar mess, but I went to RadShack and bought a couple of "Molex" style connectors so at least I can still separate the cluster from the harness.
Before you get that all put back in, read the usual and excellent MAD article on ammeter and bulkhead connector problems:
http://www.madelectrical.com/electri...p-gauges.shtml
So far as the original problem, in addition to what you found with the connector, here's "some" of what was wrong with my 67 Dart.
Pick a screw or two that connects to the ground plane of the pc board and hook a pigtail of wire to it so you can ground it to the column brace or other good ground. IN your bottom photo, that black hex screw just to the right of the limiter is ground.
Seriously consider buying a solid state replacement limiter from RTE engineering.
CHECK the "socket" fingers where the voltage limiter plugs in. Those may not be making good contact with the board. On my 67 I had to solder jumpers across
Take those fake nuts off the gauge studs and put some real nuts on 'em. Loosen/ tighten 'em a few times to insure they have scrubbed the connection clean.
I run the ground right to the firewall. Never did change the fake nuts though.
Any future troubles with the limiter I will defiantly look into the solid state replacement limiter from RTE.
Last edited by gbm97; 12-21-2013 at 10:55 PM.
03-13-2014, 10:27 AM
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03-13-2014, 11:17 AM
#11
All this about the voltage limiters. In my experience Maybe I have been lucky In probably 500,000 miles with different Mopars I have never had one go bad. I did fry an Amp gauge in my 66 Coronet like 30 years ago
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