The cluster is out, you won't believe what I found
Hi 76dart273. Can u show how you wired into a battery i want to test the gauges like u did. 2 D batteries would give 3v right? Is that all the gauge needs to go full?
5 volts is normal operating voltage for the fuel and temp gauges on vehicles with the limiter.
I use a 14 volt transformer for 12 volt stuff (because about 14 is what the charging system max output is)
Then for the 5 volt gauges I used a home made voltage limiter (like the electronic ones people replace the OEM limiter with)
Connect the power+ to your gauges where the circuit board did and then ground the sender terminal of the gauge and it should go to max reading. (batteries or transformer either one works, but it would take 3 batteries to get 4.5 volts.)
This should give you a reading very close to full (or maximum on the gauges)
I just did all my gauges with aftermarkets in my OEM cluster face, and all LED lighting for the entire cluster as well as in the new gauges, signal indicators and high beam indicator.
I hate incandescent light. :D
The camera didn't like it much, but the camera doesn't drive the car.