ralley dash continuity

[cwhubb]

do all the gauges and light switches have to be plugged in to the instrument panel for the car to start and run? I had the instrument cluster out , I re-installed the cluster ,tried to start the car, I didn't plug the voltage limiter back in (since it went bad and my gauges spiked/ don't work) and the starter solenoid to bulk head connector fusible link burnt from a short. something energized made contact back there somewhere, any suggestions? I didn't have the bulbs twisted in their respective places they were just hanging behind the dash if that makes a difference. the speedo cable is disconnected too

 

[Nacho-RT74]

just ammeter wires linked ( usually with screw and nut tying up the eye terminals will make the job ) will power everything able to start the engine and run teh car.

Needs to isolate that, since is hot

 

[mrsnicks]

What Nacho said. Connect the ammeter wires. Make sure you wrap them in tape or shrink tube them so they don't make contact with any other metal. There will be live current running through them.

 

[cwhubb]

ok I have the ammeter hooked up and it did crank thats when the short happened do you think the ammeter wires grounded when I stuffed the wires back behind the dash cluster? I cant imagine anything else that could be energized. thanks guys

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its frustrating cause when it ran it ran fast now i'm dealing with 40 plus yr wiring mainly connection failures the wires are pretty good

 

[nm9stheham]

There are many wire active with 12v behind the dash. The voltage limiter output has nothing to do with your problem; the instrument lights are only active if you have the lights switched on. But there are a number of circuits activated when the key is turned from OFF to RUN or to START. I would first look at all the wires and the connector on the back of the ignition switch to see if there are signs of melting on the wires or connector, to try to figure where this current is flowing.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

ammeter isolation could get broken. You get two isolation sheets, one visible on back of housing and the other one inside the housing

 

[cwhubb]

@ Nacho I don't quite get what you're saying. are you saying that the ammeter could be shorting out from the inside and I should bypass it by connecting the ammeter wires?

 

[Nacho-RT74]

the ammeter can be making chassis contact inside or outside the housing.

Do you see the white ( sometimes black ) isolator on ammeter studs on housing ? well, it gets same isolator inside between gauge and housing. If one of them breaks ( which usually they do due the heat there for all these years ), and gauge makes contact with housing, will make a big short.

If that's the problem, you can dissasemble the cluster, remove the gauge and install a new isolator. They are available new repro.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/360261068217?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

( or make your own one with masonite )

 

[mopar 3 B]

Is this not a plastic housing as I have yet to see a metal rally cluster? Plastic will not conduct electricity.

 

[okiemopar]

I just put my motor back in my RR and the amp meter made smoke when I started it and my oil pressure dropped on the gauge. Would this have an affect on the other gauges if the amp gauge shorted out? I have the new regulater board in it from Charger Spec.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

ammeter is an isolated gauge from everything. A short on ammeter, will affect just the main charging wires ( thick red and black wires ) but if gets too long before blown the fuse link, will be able to burn wires around them on harnesses, melting the wire covers, or even worst

 

[nm9stheham]

An ammeter short can burn out alternator diodes, and melt the insulation in the connections in the bulkhead connectors and create all sorts of havoc in addition to shorting wires. Okiemopar, you seriously need to get into the dash, disconnect the ammeter, take apart the harness wrap and inspect the wires everywhere as well as the blukhead connections. If you don't have a voltmeter yet, you are likely going to need one.

Also, read up on this issue at http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml