'73 gauge problem

["Bill Watson" <wwatson@xxxxxxxxx>]

Does your gas gauge peg along with the temp and oil gauges?   If you have a
full talnk you probably wont't be able to tell.

If the three gauges do, then you voltage limiter is gone.   Although the
electrical system on your car is 12 volts, those three gauges run on 5
volts.  The limiter is a make-and-break affair that puts out an average of 5
volts.  Which is why the gauges fluctuate from time to time.

The same limiter (2258 413) was used on Chryslers, Darts and Valiants and
attaches to the back of the instrument cluster.  Some years have them in
either the fuel gauge or temperature gauge.  There are instructions
available to make a solid state limiter which will supply a constant 5
volts.

You 1973 Imperial, as with all Mopars from about 1962-63, has the gauges
attached to a circuit board with one group of wires attaching to a connector
on the back of the board.

Bill
Vancouver, BC




----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Farrar" <tenpalms@xxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 4:43 PM
Subject: IML: '73 gauge problem


> <<<<<<<<<Jay wrote:
>  after a new (junkyard) distributor, a new (junkyard) electronic
> ignition module, and a new muffler ..........................the
temperature
> gauge and the oil pressure gauge both peg whenever the key is on.
>>>>>>>>>
>
> Jay, if this happened right after the other work was done, it's possible
> that
> the wires to the temp and oil pressure senders have gotten pinched, or
> rubbed
> bare, and are grounding out. Check the
> wires from each of these senders back
> to the cluster to make sure they aren't
> grounded.
>
> Regards
> Michael
>
> Roger and Michael in San Diego
> 67 Crown Convertible  "Moby"
> 73 LeBaron Coupe  "La Bomba"
> 56 Sedan
>
>
>