• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

RTE voltage limiter

'68 Charger

Well-Known Member
Local time
7:43 AM
Joined
Jun 18, 2012
Messages
1,741
Reaction score
595
Location
Akron, Ohio
Hello, when replacing your gauge cluster OEM voltage limiter with a new RTE solid state limiter, is the condenser (see pic) necessary to re-install?

This is for a 1968 B Body.

Thanks

IMG_0120.JPG
 
The condenser is not required with the rte-eng device.
 
Hello, when replacing your gauge cluster OEM voltage limiter with a new RTE solid state limiter, is the condenser (see pic) necessary to re-install?

This is for a 1968 B Body.

Thanks

View attachment 1459405
NO....the purpose of the condenser was to eliminate radio noise due to the mechanical action off the original voltage regulator. FYI...the origional instrument voltage regulator was a percent cycle timer that interrupted the 12 volt power to yield ~ 5.0 Volt to operate the gauges....oil pressure, coolant temperature and fuel level. To do this regulation, the internal thermal element turned on-off to produce the required 5.0 volt output or 5/12 of the time to yield the output for the instruments, which are actuality volt meters calibrated to read temperature or oil pressure or fuel level. This on/off action produced radio noise. When the respective instrument reads full scale it was actually showing 5.0 volts. The individual instruments were thermal devices, deliberately slow in response to dampen needle movement and reduced measured quantity fluctuation. Just my opinion of course.....
BOB RENTON
 
I remember the instructions saying the condenser could be removed.
 
Billccm, BOB RENTON & AR67GTX......Thank you very much for your input. I will remove the condenser.

And BOB RENTON, thanks for the crash course. I did notice the red light flashing and wondered why it did that.
 
The only part I found a bit intimidating about the RT-E voltage regulator was the little diode (resister?) they included with it that would need to be temporarily put in the power circuit to bench test the instruments to protect it. Now if somehow when I need to do that in about 10 years, I can manage to remember that tidbit of info and remember where I put it, I’ll be doing good.
 
Just doing this on my '70 RR. On RTE's site, they say the condenser is not required but can be left on along with the insulator board for appearances. My cluster was restored by David Patik a few years ago and he tested the original limiter. I decided to go with the RTE limiter because I don't want to do this job again.

Anybody had any issues with using the RTE limiter?

IVR4 RTE limiter_edited.jpg
 
Just doing this on my '70 RR. On RTE's site, they say the condenser is not required but can be left on along with the insulator board for appearances. My cluster was restored by David Patik a few years ago and he tested the original limiter. I decided to go with the RTE limiter because I don't want to do this job again.

Anybody had any issues with using the RTE limiter?

View attachment 1660988
No issues in both of my B body cars. I do not have the condenser in circuit. Why add a 60 year old component that is not required and could fail?
 
No issues in both of my B body cars. I do not have the condenser in circuit. Why add a 60 year old component that is not required and could fail?
Agreed! Leave the condenser out. My RTE works great, '68 Charger.
 
My aftermarket solid state IVR caused my fuel gauge to be extremely lazy. I put my old factory IVR back in and my fuel gauge is normal again. The only reason it was changed was the new IVR came with a new circuit board.
 
What would happen if the condenser failed? I can easily leave it out or maybe just unplug it.

Bird 426, was your solid state IVR the RTE brand?
 
What would happen if the condenser failed? I can easily leave it out or maybe just unplug it.

Bird 426, was your solid state IVR the RTE brand?
The condenser most likely would fail open circuit and not impact the operation (5V application). A chance the condenser could become leaky and cause the limiter to shut down is unlikely, but still possible.
 
Also make double sure you dont accidently get the polarity reversed when you smoke test your new dash on the bench.
I only made single sure. So now I get to buy another one.
 
My circuit boards and solid state IVR were from Charger Specialties, think that was who it was. They were bought out awhile back.
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top