HELP! Voltage regulator on dash circuit board

[mpro69rr]

1969 RR 383 4 speed. OK so I had another thread explaining I lost my fuel and temp gauge, everyone said possibly the voltage regulator so I ordered a new one. I received it and took the old one out but I didn't see where a black wire with an L shaped end went. Does this black wire plug in with the dash voltage regulator? The black wire goes to some type of round capacitor on the back of the circuit board. In the pics below is the black wire near the slots the voltage regulator goes into. The other pic is the capacitor the black wire is connected to. Thanks in advanced for the help!

 

[493 Mike]

The capacitor is there to absorb the electrical "noise" the contacts in the voltage limiter cause during operation. So, your radio does not pick it up. From your photo I would say it will only fit in the closest slot.
Mike

 

[mpro69rr]

The capacitor is there to absorb the electrical "noise" the contacts in the voltage limiter cause during operation. So, your radio does not pick it up. From your photo I would say it will only fit in the closest slot.
Mike

Thanks Mike, I installed it and my gas and temp gauge still didn't work. I wonder if the gauges are trash now? No fuses are blown so I don't know whats wrong. Any one have any suggestions? Does this mean my two gauges are blown?

 

[RJRENTON]

The capacitor is there to absorb the electrical "noise" the contacts in the voltage limiter cause during operation. So, your radio does not pick it up. From your photo I would say it will only fit in the closest slot.
Mike

If you use the RT-Eng electronic instrument panel voltage regulator, you do not need the original capacitor.
See link....

RTE limiter​

The only solid state replacement limiter that completely duplicates all of the OEM limiter's functions!

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Installation Manual for IVR4 Limiter

Buy IVR3Which cars use the IVR3?
Installation Manual for IVR3 Limiter




Real Time Engineering has a new solid state limiter that will replace the original mechanical limiter on the back of your dash. This new limiter has many advantages over the original limiter, and also has advantages over the linear regulators that hobbyist have been using as well. The biggest advantage is that our limiter doesn't have a mechanical set of points and a heater wire that can break and fry your gauges (which is what the original mechanical limiter had). This style limiter is also used on the 71-4 Rallye B-body dashes.

• Our limiter exactly duplicates the original limiters function by slowly switching 12V on and off.
• Our limiter has a built in polyfuse which protects the limiter and your wiring from short circuits on the output of the limtier
• Our limiter constantly looks for short circuits on the output of the limiter and will switch itself off if a short circuit is detected. When the short is removed, then the limiter starts working again.
• Our limiter has a built in diagnostic LED that blinks when the limiter is on, helping you see that you have power to your dash and that the limiter is operating properly.
• Our limiter has a warm up time at turn on, same as the original mechanical limiter. This means that your gauges will come up to the proper reading very quickly.
• Our limiter is always outputting a constant 5V average, no matter what the input voltage is (Within the range of 9V to 18V). If the input voltage goes too high or too low, then the limiter shuts off.

Magazine articles about our new solid state limiter​

• Limiter Article As Seen In Mopar Collectors Guide, Feb 2008
• Limiter was in Top 10 Aftermarket Parts for 2007 As Seen In Mopar Collectors Guide, March 2008
• Limiter Article As Seen In Mopar Action, April 2008

Don't See Your Car Listed​

There are a few cars that don't use external limiters, but instead have the limiters built into one of the gauges. The cars that I know about that do this are:
60-65 Abody
68-74 Abody Rallye cluster cars
66-67 charger
older imperials with round style cluster, not sure of the year.
Note that RTE can disable these old limiters and install an external limiter on these cars. RTE also has complete instructions here on how to do this conversion yourself:
RTE_Gauge_Faq#Fixing_dash_clusters_that_have_internal_limiters
Installation manual for replacing limiters built into the fuel gauge: media:InternalLimiterFixUsingIVR3.pdf

RTE also has available limiters that will work in Mustangs and other Ford vehicles.

More information about voltage limiters​

• Frequently Asked Questions

Call them.....,or go to the web site.,,,
BOB RENTON

 

[RemCharger]

Thanks Mike, I installed it and my gas and temp gauge still didn't work. I wonder if the gauges are trash now? No fuses are blown so I don't know whats wrong. Any one have any suggestions? Does this mean my two gauges are blown?

Sure it could mean your gauges are blown!

it could also mean your senders or wiring don't work.

 

[threewood]

Make sure you are getting 12v to the center slot that the limiter plugs into. If not, you need to look at the pins on the board and see if the one feeding 12v is cracked or has bad continuity with the board.

With key on, gauge VR removed probe the center slot with a multimeter.

 

[mpro69rr]

Sure it could mean your gauges are blown!

it could also mean your senders or wiring don't work.

Hmm, I think its the gauges, they work two weeks ago when I got the car aligned, when I picked the car up they didn't work. I did notice on the drive there that the temp gauge was low, it wasn't matching my other temp gauge.

 

[mpro69rr]

Make sure you are getting 12v to the center slot that the limiter plugs into. If not, you need to look at the pins on the board and see if the one feeding 12v is cracked or has bad continuity with the board.

With key on, gauge VR removed probe the center slot with a multimeter.

Thanks, I'll give that a shot. I hope it isn't cracked or anything, it was a brand new circuit board.

 

[threewood]

Is your brake warning light working? Looks like it gets power from the same wire (G5-18DBL) which traces back to IGN1.

 

[mpro69rr]

Is your brake warning light working? Looks like it gets power from the same wire (G5-18DBL) which traces back to IGN1.
View attachment 1498503View attachment 1498504

Actually now that I think about it, it never worked, but the gauges did.

 

[threewood]

So that wire feeds brake warning, oil warning and voltage limiter.

 

[mpro69rr]

So that wire feeds brake warning, oil warning and voltage limiter.

I'll have to take a look at that, it is a brand new wiring harness though. I'll check to see if the regulator is getting voltage first.

 

[mpro69rr]

Make sure you are getting 12v to the center slot that the limiter plugs into. If not, you need to look at the pins on the board and see if the one feeding 12v is cracked or has bad continuity with the board.

With key on, gauge VR removed probe the center slot with a multimeter.

Well I tested the power in the slot and I got 12v. Does this mean my gauges are blown?

 

[threewood]

You have 12v and new voltage regulator I would say yes, gauges are probably shot. The old limiter could have stuck and burned out the gauges.

 

[RJRENTON]

You have 12v and new voltage regulator I would say yes, gauges are probably shot. The old limiter could have stuck and burned out the gauges.

And if you had used the RT-ENG.COM instrument panel voltage regulator, you you would have protected the dash board instruments from damage......but perhaps too late now.....
BOB RENTON

 

[mpro69rr]

You have 12v and new voltage regulator I would say yes, gauges are probably shot. The old limiter could have stuck and burned out the gauges.

Thanks, damn, now I have to buy a new cluster. I'm thinking of going with dakota digital or a restored one. DD is $1800 and the restored one is $1200, not sure which way to go.

 

[mpro69rr]

And if you had used the RT-ENG.COM instrument panel voltage regulator, you you would have protected the dash board instruments from damage......but perhaps too late now.....
BOB RENTON

Yeah, I wish I knew about them when I did the circuit board a couple of years ago.

 

[RemCharger]

Check the resistance side (or sender side ) of the wiring at the dash. On the temp you should get 200-300 ohms, fuel should be 20-70 I think depending on fuel level.
If those 2 are good,THEN I would test the gauge resistance.

 

[70 sublime]

Does your dash oil pressure gauge work ?
Oil , water temp and gas gauge all work off the same power in the dash

 

[mpro69rr]

Does your dash oil pressure gauge work ?
Oil , water temp and gas gauge all work off the same power in the dash

No, it never did work since I bought the car. I put in a mechanical gauge which was fine.