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instrument gauge cluster problems |
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detmarlin65
AMC Apprentice Joined: Jul/12/2015 Location: Tampa,Florida Status: Offline Points: 180 |
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replace the old regulator with a new LM7805 electronic regulator on circuit board, verify 5 volts
output. Temperature gauge works now, fuel gauge does not, grounded fuel gauge wire by tank, fuel gauge pegs high. put in new sending unit in fuel tank previously check ohm reading on unit check out good. brake bulb (large bulb) on circuit board still flashes, when you turn on the lights. also light switch has been replace with new one. |
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BjH
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farna
Supporter of TheAMCForum Moderator Lost Dealership Project Joined: Jul/08/2007 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 19611 |
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You might need to run a ground wire from the sending unit to the body. I sanded the fuel line nipple and wrapped a wire around it, soldered on (with unit out of tank!). Then ran the other end to a screw underneath. The original grounding is just through contact with the straps. Undercoating or corrosion can interfere with the ground. Since the wire to the gauge checks out good, and I assume you checked the new sending unit, a bad ground is the only thing it could be... if it's still not working.
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Frank Swygert
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detmarlin65
AMC Apprentice Joined: Jul/12/2015 Location: Tampa,Florida Status: Offline Points: 180 |
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i will try that next, thanks,
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BjH
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990V8
AMC Addicted Joined: Oct/07/2016 Location: Gloucestershire Status: Offline Points: 787 |
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Can the electronic reg be used in the Ambo, my 63 has the reg built into the cluster.
My fuel/fuel mainly don't work at all, then after running some miles, they both come back simultaneously. I have to pull the cluster, like to get it sorted so I don't have to pull it again. Ivor
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63 Canadian Ambo 990 V8 327
Lightweight V8 SIII Shopping Trolley |
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pacerman
Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Jul/03/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 9048 |
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You probably just have an intermittent (read: loose or corroded) connection either on the power or ground side of the circuit. Joe
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Happiness is making something out of nothing.
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990V8
AMC Addicted Joined: Oct/07/2016 Location: Gloucestershire Status: Offline Points: 787 |
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I did wonder. When it first happened, it came back after, uhhh, 30 miles or so.
On our latest outing, it was over 200 miles. I wondered if it was something drying out. No fuel gauge is a bit worrisome. The last time I had a car with no working gauge, it had a reserve tank. There was a lever on the rear wing (fender). Lift the lever, it gave another 30 miles or so. And that was in the 70s, when the supermarkets hadn't destroyed the small fuel retailers so there was a garage around every corner. Ivor
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63 Canadian Ambo 990 V8 327
Lightweight V8 SIII Shopping Trolley |
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farna
Supporter of TheAMCForum Moderator Lost Dealership Project Joined: Jul/08/2007 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 19611 |
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Your 63 should be exactly the same as the photos in the link with the electronic regulator conversion. You could just have a corroded connection, probably where the regulator plugs into the circuit board behind the cluster, or the regulator could be dying. I'd just replace it with the electronic one while the cluster was out myself. The regulator works by a bi-metal switch which gets hot, turns off, cools turns on -- creating an approximate average of 5V. Sounds like yours is not getting a good connection, and it could be internal due to burned points, and taking a bit to heat up, but once it starts working it's fine. So how long until the points corrode or burn enough it stops working entirely? It's only 56 years old....
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Frank Swygert
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990V8
AMC Addicted Joined: Oct/07/2016 Location: Gloucestershire Status: Offline Points: 787 |
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OK !! Didn't understand what I was looking at in those pics, it's tiny !
Just bought one from Texas Instruments. As you say, it could just be corrosion. Sometimes the signal indicators don't flash. There was a leak in the heater core that led to a lot of steam going behind the dash, might have been going on for years, and I expect that has caused some corrosion, perhaps the earthing of the whole cluster is bad. Ivor
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63 Canadian Ambo 990 V8 327
Lightweight V8 SIII Shopping Trolley |
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farna
Supporter of TheAMCForum Moderator Lost Dealership Project Joined: Jul/08/2007 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 19611 |
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CAREFULLY unplug the main connector to the cluster. The wires sometimes stick to the board and pull out of the connector. Not to big an issue -- spray some electric connection cleaner on them and use a small pair of needle nose pliers to twist then pull off, reinsert in connector. Not much pressure with the pliers! Then use the spray electric contact cleaner to clean the connections. If you can't find the cleaner alcohol wipes or cotton swabs dipped in alcohol will clean the pins, you can dip the connector in alcohol for a few minutes then let it hang and evaporate for a couple hours before plugging back in. Alcohol is cheap enough, and rubbing alcohol will work ok, though a more pure solvent type will work better.
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Frank Swygert
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990V8
AMC Addicted Joined: Oct/07/2016 Location: Gloucestershire Status: Offline Points: 787 |
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Carefully.... ha !!
Just got back to this. Fortunately there was a bit of slack in the loom, I was able to flip the cluster so it was facing upwards, then tug at the plug. Noooo. Eventually, I cut the loom. With the cluster out of the car I see two old solder repairs on the pcb. Will check the continuity. And there's a flying wire been run from earth to earth between the fuel and temp gauges so I presume the pcb was bad there as well. The voltage reg has silver foil on the back, that seems a little odd or perhaps they were made that way, I see a lot of silver foil in old cars usually in the fusebox. The plug... that plug with ten pins... carefully ha!! With it off the car, I had to haul and wiggle at that plug with all my strength to get it off. One of the pins - to the oil light - was already pulled off the board, someone had repaired it by spreading some wires underneath so it made contact when the plug was pushed in. The oil light did work. Was hoping to put led bulbs in but that creates a problem with the dimmer. Now I need to lengthen the loom a little and put some bullet connectors on the stubs of the wires. I could solder new pins in the plug with longer tails, but I don't have all the wire colours. Why is nothing ever simple? And why are none of the sets of rechargeable batteries for my camera holding charge....... Ivor
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63 Canadian Ambo 990 V8 327
Lightweight V8 SIII Shopping Trolley |
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