Need help testing a 1975 valiant Instrument cluster

[JoeShmoe]

Hello, I took the instrument cluster out of my valiant since the gauges were not working, and saw it is missing the voltage limiter. Is there a way I can test it without buying a voltage limiter first?
Thanks.

 

[67Dart273]

Not very accurately. You can apply a single 1 1 /2V cell to them, and I'll have to look up the expected deflection.

But you have some preventive work to do. Can you solder? Clean and inspect around the connector pins. Scrape around the base of the pins, scare up some ELECTRONIC compatible flux, and solder the pins to the traces. Clean and flux the brass IVR contacts and solder those to the traces. Loosen/ tighten/ loosen/tighten the gauge stud nuts to scrape oxidation off the traces and nuts and retighten

The best way to test them is "end to end" that is as if it is in the car. Identify the 12V to the IVR, apply a 12V battery to that and ground, and then take known resistances and ground each gauge sender through your test resistors. Here is an aftermarket gauge tester, that someone has edited in the resistor values.

Couple of threads, do a search

checking gauge function

How do you check gauge function.. I have a '68 Charger I'm taking the dash out to redo the faces, and need to see if the gauges work. Right now none of them register anything.

www.forabodiesonly.com

Bench Testing a gauge cluster

Hey Guys, I did a search on the forums and found similar threads and advice. It was all greek to me. Simple question. How do I power up the backlights on the gauge cluster to test and make sure I have em all oriented right and everything is working right?

www.forabodiesonly.com

 

[Dana67Dart]

You can power the low voltage side with a USB charger.

Cut a non USB C cable open.

There typically is 2 heaver wires and some lighter wires insulate the lighter wires and use the heavy ones might be black and red.

But use your volt meter to determine the polarity

 

[cudamark]

It's easy to test whether the gauges are completely bad. Not so easy to see if they're accurate. A simple Ohmmeter will tell you if the gauge circuit is still good. The location of where the needles rest will give you some indication if the gauges are cooked. You want the needles to rest just below the E mark. If they're way below that mark, they've probably been overheated.

 

[timk225]

I'd have thought by now we'd have a fully computer controlled all digital voltage regulated option for our gauges. I've been out of the RWD Mopar market for 20 years, haven't been keeping up with things.

 

[67Dart273]

I'd have thought by now we'd have a fully computer controlled all digital voltage regulated option for our gauges. I've been out of the RWD Mopar market for 20 years, haven't been keeping up with things.

Kinda sort do. l "Dakota digital"

 

[Dana67Dart]

I'd have thought by now we'd have a fully computer controlled all digital voltage regulated option for our gauges

IVR4 Limiter List - rte

It is a really good solid state IVR.

It mimics the OEM electro mechanical functionality. Plus adds a ton of protections

 

[ESP47]

I used a 100ohm potentiometer to check the high, medium and low action on my gauges. Worked pretty well. They aren't perfect but good enough for government work.

 

[67Dart273]

I used a 100ohm potentiometer to check the high, medium and low action on my gauges. Worked pretty well. They aren't perfect but good enough for government work.

They are as accurate as your ohmeter. I actually have a gauge tester built for "all makes," is nothing more than two pots, a hi and a lo range--in one box. They have a scale, but I set them with a Fluke