Plymouth Duster Instrument Cluster Wiring

[Dakota Smith]

What wires need to go to the “B” and “E” slot? They are labeled “Ammeter” on my wiring diagram, but my Kwikwire wiring harness does not have a wire labeled “Ammeter” so I left the slots empty for now. Also, I wasn’t sure what to put in the “K” slot because it was labeled brake light ground on my wiring diagram, but my wiring harness book didn’t say anything about it. Thanks!

 

[67Dart273]

I can't read your diagram. You either need to crop it and post full size sections or post a link so we can download it.

I've no idea what a "brake light ground" is. Nothing like that goes to the cluster.

They MIGHT be talking about the switch wire for the brake WARNING lamp. That wire goes two places-----wires to the brake warning switch on the brake distribution/ proportioning valve, and branches off to the switch on the parking brake lever

And as usual, NEVER tell us what you are working on, year????

 

[Dakota Smith]

Is this photo better?

 

[Dakota Smith]

I can't read your diagram. You either need to crop it and post full size sections or post a link so we can download it.

I've no idea what a "brake light ground" is. Nothing like that goes to the cluster.

They MIGHT be talking about the switch wire for the brake WARNING lamp. That wire goes two places-----wires to the brake warning switch on the brake distribution/ proportioning valve, and branches off to the switch on the parking brake lever

And as usual, NEVER tell us what you are working on, year????

It’s a 1976 Plymouth Duster

 

[67Dart273]

I'll have to see if I can find my manual.

EDIT. Aw hell. Don't know what I was thinking. They are in boxes and I cannot lift them now. ====broken ribs. Sorry. The 76 cars wiring is much different that 73, which is the latest posted over at MyMopar. I'm not for sure but it might be the ammeter on those cars is external shunt. If you can access the rear panel, look for the ammeter. If it is two large studs and nuts, it is "full current" like the older cars. If it s board traces or smaller wires, then it is "external shunt."

If it is external you are going to have to "build" that to mimic what was in the original harness, or else convert it to voltmeter. There was a thread on here to do that on the older cars

Ammeter to Voltmeter...who does it?

 

[Mattax]

I'll have to see if I can find my manual.

Thought you had scanned and pdferized the '76 electrical chapter.
Because I downloaded the pdf way back when he first was asking about this.
Service Manual Isn't on MyMopar

Yea. there's a 18 gage wire labled A11 from battery side of the shunt and another 18 ga wire from the alternator side.
For the brake indicator light the connector drawing shows two wires joining at the terminal.
Be 'mazing if an aftermarket harness kit had an external shunt wire or some of the other '76 features for that matter.

 

[RedFish]

Yep this later model doesn't have the large wires bolted onto the amp gauge like most of us have. Your model has a remote shunt somewhere and much smaller wires going to the amp gauge via the circuit board.
Brake warning lamp and oil warning lamp get switched 12 volts in and through them. Brake lamp ground happens at the hand brake switch and/or the switch on the proportion valve. Oil at the oil sender.

 

[Mike69cuda]

As I recall some old fords used the resistance of the wiring for a shunt. There was no separate shunt. Don’t know if Mopar ever did it.

 

[Mattax]

Yes '76 A-bodies and several other years and platforms.
The shunt resistance is simply the resistance in the wire so its not readable with a ohm meter

 

[Mike69cuda]

Yes '76 A-bodies and several other years and platforms.
The shunt resistance is simply the resistance in the wire so its not readable with a ohm meter

Can’t decide whether that is clever or cheesy. Probably some of both. Another good reason why ammeters in cars have no numbers on them....

 

[67Dart273]

As I recall some old fords used the resistance of the wiring for a shunt. There was no separate shunt. Don’t know if Mopar ever did it.

This is exactly what they did. I believe GM, Ford and Mopar all used the harness You can see this if you look up about a 72-ish boat, like a Fury I think

Look at the ammeter, no 20 wire, this is a 72 Fury. A11-20R and R16-20BK these go to pins 9 and 13 of the bulkhead connector. From there you can follow them in the engine bay R16-20BK connects to junction "2" which is in the alternator output The remaining wire connects to junction "3"

 

[Tayseer alhamad]

View attachment 1715591963

Is this photo better?

Do you have high resolution for this map please

 

[Mattax]

Hello Tayseer, Dakota Smith is showing an aftermarket diragram for a 1976. The wiring in your 1971 is different in many ways. You will want a diagram specific to your year and options. The diagrams in the Plymouth Service Manual are very good, although you may want to colorize or redraw the circuit of interest to make it easier to follow.

 

[Tayseer alhamad]

Hello Tayseer, Dakota Smith is showing an aftermarket diragram for a 1976. The wiring in your 1971 is different in many ways. You will want a diagram specific to your year and options. The diagrams in the Plymouth Service Manual are very good, although you may want to colorize or redraw the circuit of interest to make it easier to follow.

Thanks

 

[67Dart273]

Can’t decide whether that is clever or cheesy. Probably some of both. Another good reason why ammeters in cars have no numbers on them....

It is for sure "interesting." I've had friends with older Ford pickups, and have owned 2 Rangers, 86 and 87, and both ammeters were quite "numb", (insensitive.) When you sat, engine off, and turned on the headlights, you had to look quite closely at them to see if they moved!!! ALL external shunt ammeters that I know of, GM, Chrysler, Ford, used the harness as a shunt, so the wire gauge and length of wire affected the sensitivity of the ammeter

I LIKE ammeters. But these kinds of issues are very likely why manufacturers finally threw in and switched to voltmeters