76 dart temp gauge problems!

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snowcrow

snowcrow

2 Time dart owner
Joined
Apr 23, 2012
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Sanpete, Utah
So I swapped circuit boards already as well as gauges in my cluster, then I got a kit to make the gauges white and all of them work fine but my temp gauge wont register. I tried replacing my temp sending unit since the gauge has never been really responsive, but no luck. Is there a way to test the gauge? and if it's my circuit board, is there a way to bypass the board and go straight to the gauge?
 
Ground the wire at the temp sender and it should go full hot, might be the wire.
 
Another possibility is poor engine to chassis grounding. I use ground straps and the ground wire from BAT negative to core support.
 
You said you swapped parts around, I am pretty sure 76 is a one year only deal with the gauge cluster.

You did not try to make it work with any other year did you?
 
I got it to work for about a year with a cluster out of a 74-75. Then I swapped back and the temp isn't working. I will maybe switch back but is it possible that the circuit board could blow a "line"?
 
snowcrow said:
How?
Click to expand...

This is a joke, right?

Wander around in front of your car. The one you are working on. The one with the bad temp reading

Open the hood.

Rummage around in there until you find the temperature sender screwed into the engine.

Unhook that one and only single wire attached to the sender by pulling straight up. Confirm what color it is. The color of the wire that is.

Take an alligator clip lead, and run up inside the black rubber connector on the end of the wire, and clip that to ground.

Now shuffle back around and get in the car, and turn on the ignition to "run." Watch the gauge. The temperature gauge should IMMEDIATELY go up towards hot.

Do not leave the switch on any longer than needed to see if there is anything happening.
 
God, no. I guess I assumed you had more understanding. The gauges are powered NOT from 12V, but from the output of the "voltage limiter" known by a couple of different names. ORIGINALLY this was an electro-mechanical device like a flasher.........rapidly pulsed the 12V supply on/ off to produce the same effect of "about" 5V. So all replacement solid state IVR devices are 5V output.

You either need to fix or confirm the PC board is good, install it in the cluster, or else devise a method to produce 5V to the gauge. Variable power supply, etc.

CAREFUL!!! You can easily hurt/ murder these gauge units!!!

Frankly, I would inspect / fix the PC board, and install the IVR and gauge (s) onto the PC board, and test it that way.

You need 12V to the appropriate pin, ground to the PC board common, and of course a sender test resistance.
 
If I have any splits what so ever on the PC board itself, does that mean it may very well be the problem? And would it be as easy as tracing the circuit to the hole it goes to?
 
snowcrow said:
If I have any splits what so ever on the PC board itself, does that mean it may very well be the problem? And would it be as easy as tracing the circuit to the hole it goes to?
Click to expand...


Yes, and yes. Just look at the back, you can see where the traces go.

Typical problems:

Loose or broken harness connector pins You have to scrape the coating off, clean them, and re-solder.

The IVR "socket." Where the IVR fits, the spring contacts may NOT be making reliable contact with the board traces. You must solder jumpers across

Gauges studs. These came with "fake" nuts, and can work loose, become corroded. Replace with standard nuts, and 'work' them loose / tight a few times to scrub them clean.

Simple ohmeter tests should show any problems. Traces don't usually break on these, but they could, I guess. Any obvious black spots means trouble

Of course the gauge units can be bad, or other sender or wiring problems

Here:

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=234045

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=284908

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=179517

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?p=1971000762
 
So I have 2 circuit boards still and I noticed that one of the boards has 11 at the bulk connecter where the other has 8, would that make a difference if I use the one with 8 instead? It's in better shape for sure!
 
There has to be more difference that the number of contacts ( unless one board has 3 pins broken out of it ). One board is the correct board for a panel.
 
They both have the same number of light slots and the same place for the resistor only difference I can see is the way they use the bulk connection with the boards paths.
 
Well we need photos. Good clear photos. Either it's the wrong board, or some pins are broken off. Without photos, we are shooting in the dark.
 
snowcrow said:
They both have the same number of light slots and the same place for the resistor only difference I can see is the way they use the bulk connection with the boards paths.
Click to expand...

Who knows what result you would get. HI BEAM blinks for right turn ? Fuel level increases as engine warms ? A blazing fire ?
The 76 inst' panel is different from all others. It's circuit board is too. Good luck with it.
 
The cluster design is the same for the 74-76 but the circuit board may change, I'm not sure.
 
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