Dash gauge problems

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Tony Fields

Tony Fields

That's How I Roll
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I'm sure this has been covered somewhere, but here's what I got.

These are the things that quit at the same time:

Gas gauge
Temp gauge
Amp gauge
and the instrument light that is on that end of the dash.

Car still runs fine. I will be pulling the cluster in October after
our car season is over here (shows)

Got any ideas for me when I tear into it.

Thanks
 
The only things I can think of that would cause that is fire or water.
 
do they go on and off or are they no longer working at all and all went out at the same time?
 
No longer working at all.

No fire or water. I noticed it after my sending unit in the tank was replaced
after the terminal broke off.
 
I lost all that stuff at once on either my 66 dart or 72 Cuda(I forget) It was a Fusible link problem for sure.
 
You using "stock" gauges? The ammeter is completely separate, so to speak, so if it's quitting, there's a "serious" disconnect
 
I will look in my book Tony, But isn't there a small tiny ballast resister on the back of your gages attached to the circuit bored ? Could be that or a ground was lost, and or like said before a fused link at the bulk head, on the fire wall, I would unplug the three plug in's outside under the hood and check to make sure they are connecting good.
If this is a stock harness I will look and see witch one is the ammeter is in, I am sure you have three main plug in's under the hood on the firewall.
 
memike said:
I will look in my book Tony, But isn't there a small tiny ballast resister on the back of your gages attached to the circuit bored ? Could be that or a ground was lost, and or like said before a fused link at the bulk head, on the fire wall, I would unplug the three plug in's outside under the hood and check to make sure they are connecting good.
If this is a stock harness I will look and see witch one is the ammeter is in, I am sure you have three main plug in's under the hood on the firewall.
Click to expand...

That is a voltage limiter next to the fuel gauge, and yes it might be bad.

Good idea on unplugging the three plug ins. Don't want to pull the gauges
at this time.....things go wrong and I have car events on the 17th, 23rd, 24th
and 25th and on the 30th

Will check fusible links also.....should they be hot all the time or just with
the key on?
 
Just with the key in the run position is what you will be looking for.
The Starter relay leg sounds like it is good to go, Do the dome lights work Tony ?
That circuit is hot with the key off.
 
Start's and runs, all light's, turn signals and blower motor.
Let me get my book out, sounds like a possible lose of ground to your gage cluster.
or like said before a fuse link or a good wiggle and or unplug and plug back in the three bulk head connectors on the fire wall under the hood.
 
memike said:
Start's and runs, all light's, turn signals and blower motor.
Let me get my book out, sounds like a possible lose of ground to your gage cluster.
or like said before a fuse link or a good wiggle and or unplug and plug back in the three bulk head connectors on the fire wall under the hood.
Click to expand...

I have a "hard" ground on the cluster. From one circuit board to the other then up to the steering column bracket.
 
Yeah at first, last evening, I was typing "color me clueless" because the amo gauge is totally seperate from the rest of the instrument panel. Then I thought it might be that a amp gauge wire chafed until shorted to one of the other gauge posts. OK sparks from a short isn't exactly fire. Then I thought well... a water leak could cause a similar short too.
This morning I'm thinking a short circuit could be anywhere foom the alternator harness ( the temp sender wire is taped in with ) all the way back to the bulkhead connector.
Questions... Do you have a solid state inst' voltage regulator or the original limiter inside the fuel gauge ?
Does the stock oil pres' gauge still work ?
 
RedFish said:
Yeah at first, last evening, I was typing "color me clueless" because the amo gauge is totally seperate from the rest of the instrument panel. Then I thought it might be that a amp gauge wire chafed until shorted to one of the other gauge posts. OK sparks from a short isn't exactly fire. Then I thought well... a water leak could cause a similar short too.
This morning I'm thinking a short circuit could be anywhere foom the alternator harness ( the temp sender wire is taped in with ) all the way back to the bulkhead connector.
Questions... Do you have a solid state inst' voltage regulator or the original limiter inside the fuel gauge ?
Does the stock oil pres' gauge still work ?
Click to expand...

It has the orig. limiter inside. I have the stock oil pressure gauge unhooked
at the engine as I use a mechanical gauge. The oil gauge was pegged with the new engine.
At cold my engine is 72 pounds or so. I'll check the orig oil sending unit wire......it may have grounded.
 
Took a quick look at the MyMopar.com circuit diagram, which does not apply to the rallye dash version. If the ammeter, fuel and temp gauges are out, but the car starts and runs, that's a combination of problems I haven't heard before. Some (poorly thought-out) ideas:

- fusible link probably OK if car runs
- possible points of lost connection appear to be ignition switch and bulkhead connector.

I have another circuit diagram specific to the 67 Barracuda rallye dash, but no access to it right now. Will look when I can.
 
yarcraft91 said:
Took a quick look at the MyMopar.com circuit diagram, which does not apply to the rallye dash version. If the ammeter, fuel and temp gauges are out, but the car starts and runs, that's a combination of problems I haven't heard before. Some (poorly thought-out) ideas:

- fusible link probably OK if car runs
- possible points of lost connection appear to be ignition switch and bulkhead connector.

I have another circuit diagram specific to the 67 Barracuda rallye dash, but no access to it right now. Will look when I can.
Click to expand...

Yep, car runs fine....you would never know this stuff doesn't work.
 
Back to basics Guys. Take one gauge at a time and test the circuit. The "Common" issue will rear its ugly head pretty quickly.
 
yarcraft91 said:
If the ammeter................. are out,......... but the car starts and runs, that's a combination of problems I haven't heard before..
Click to expand...

That's what I was trying to get across earlier.

The one blue feed to the ignition buss also feeds the gauges, so if that's broke, it should not affect the ammeter

If the wiring is pretty "stock" and the charging system is quitting, then so should the ignition........

PULL THE CLUSTER
 
If the contacts in that limiter stick closed it will cook whatever gauges are in service and reek havok on the charging system including the amp gauge.
Here's what I would do. Disconnect the battery, Remove the ignition switch bezel nut and drop the switch and harness connector from under the dash. Locate the 2 blue wires in one female spade terminal. Rollthe dice by clipping one of the 2. If the car starts and runs you clipped the right one. If it doesn't start re attach that one and clip the other. If the amp gauge doesn't start working again, check the charging system. System voltage regulator may have died also. At least you'll have the original limiter disabled and not further damage can occur plus you'll know you're not running on the battery alone.
 
RedFish said:
If the contacts in that limiter stick closed it will cook whatever gauges are in service and reek havok on the charging system including the amp gauge.
Here's what I would do. Disconnect the battery, Remove the ignition switch bezel nut and drop the switch and harness connector from under the dash. Locate the 2 blue wires in one female spade terminal. Rollthe dice by clipping one of the 2. If the car starts and runs you clipped the right one. If it doesn't start re attach that one and clip the other. If the amp gauge doesn't start working again, check the charging system. System voltage regulator may have died also. At least you'll have the original limiter disabled and not further damage can occur plus you'll know you're not running on the battery alone.
Click to expand...

Thanks Ben
 
Tony Fields said:
Thanks Ben
Click to expand...


You're welcome. I dont normally recommend clipping wires but.. the one of two blue wires that goes out to the engine isn't a large enough gauge wire for electronic ignition and other add-ons anyway. Simple method of correction is clip both about 1/2 behind the terminal, remove their blue jackets and bond together creating a larger wire. The small one to the instrument panel can be branched off the new larger wire going through the bulkhead.
Bottom line, sometimes clipping wires is nessesary evil.
 
I did check my alt. output. It's doing 13.85 volts

I also unplugged the sending unit wire and grounded it. Gas gauge
still dead. I'll have to wait on cutting the wires. I have to remove my aux.
gauges to get to them.
 
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