voltage limiter help

[black73cuda]

Hi, I installed a new ebay voltage limiter on the back of my ralley guage cluster in hopes to fix my guages. My question is can some one tell me if this should be blinking?

There is a little red light on the back of the limiter and it blinks... i checked the power to the guages with a test light and it not solid it blinks?

Thanks in advance

[MEK-Dangerfield]

The 5 volts that is applied to the gauge cluster is pulsed, so this sounds normal to me. It's nice you have a light to verify this.

[black73cuda]

Cool, i was thinking it was some kind of error code or something. I couldn't tell if my guages were working since i cant start the car rite now.

Do you know if the guages should move a little when you just turn the key on?

Should the fuel guage read with just the key turned on?

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Should the fuel guage read with just the key turned on?

Yes the fuel gauge will work as long as the gauge pod is installed into the dash for a ground connection.

[black73cuda]

ok, thanks for the helpful info

[nqkjw]

Does the tacho in a rallye dash run off 5 or 12volts?

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Does the tacho in a rallye dash run off 5 or 12volts?

12 volts.

[Chryco Psycho]

the guage regulator is a pulse power not steady as Mike said

[MEK-Dangerfield]

the guage regulator is a pulse power not steady as Mike said

Neil,

  I said it was pulsed.   

[Slotts]

Mike,

I think Neil was looking for some more detailed information of whether it is a square wave or a sine wave. 

Here's your sine... 

Slotts

[dodj]

I would have thought a new replacement limiter would be a steady 5v rather than pulsed like the original bi-metal strip. 

[UKcuda]

The RT industries solid state upgrade is proud to say that it is pulsed just like the original.

I built my own solid state version for about $4 and it is 5v steady.

Some people say this is not a good build because it can fail to a +14v situation, but I've never heard of that happening and I'm not even sure it's right. 

In any case I put a fuse in line with my guages which would blow before they got onto a 12v feed, so I think they are sufficiently protected.

[dodj]

I built my own solid state version for about $4 and it is 5v steady.

Me too

it can fail to a +14v situation, but I've never heard of that happening and I'm not even sure it's right. 

The original pulses 12vdc on and off for an average of five volts. I would think the original type would be more likely to fail to 14vdc steady condition than the solid state version. People occasionally say that their temp and fuel gauges both swing high together, indicating that the limiter is stuck on 14vdc too long.

[UKcuda]

I read somewhere that the reason they used a regulator at all goes right back to when cars were on a 6 volt system.  It said that when they changed to 12v there was a choice - re-design all your gauges (and/or senders) or just fit a regulator.  A regulator was easier and cheaper so they did that.

They then bumbled along with the same tech for years until they finally got off their arses and designed a 12v dash.

Don't know if this is true but it sounds about right.  It would also explain why it's common to have lazy gauges not reading high enough on the scales if they're really looking for 6v.  I wouldn't be surprised if they deliberately set the regulators output a little low just to be on the safe side.