I removed the voltage limiter (see photo) since my fuel and temp gauges are not working on this recently acquired car. When I put 12V to the center terminal and ground the right terminal, I get a flucuating 2v to 5v output on the left terminal. The output reading changes about 2x every second--I believe I should be getting a constant 5v output reading. My questions are:
1. Is my voltage limiter bad and if so, where is best place for a new one?
2. Mounted near the voltage limiter on the instrument panel is condenser with one short wire lead and spade terminal on the end. I can see no place to connect this wire. What is the purpose of this condenser and to what does it connect? Thanks!!

(1)a No b RT enterprises (2)a absorbs voltage spikes b not sure but I'd imagine i'td be like a points condensor, the case would be grounded & the lead to one of the hot terminals. I'd search elsewhere (but closeby) for the open on your gas/temp gauges

It is working correctly and the condenser lead goes in the middle slot then plug in the limiter.

in case it wasn't clear. it is supposed to pluse like that.
a test light would show it blinking instead of a constant on.

it is a contact opening and closing to average 5 volts.

that condencer is a capacitor to even out the blinking.


it is most likely either the sending unit or ground.

if your temp gauge also doesn't work then you would look to the VR. or power to it, or gauge grounds.

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that condencer is a capacitor to even out the blinking.

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Not true. Its there to absorb noise and it really is a noise suppressor. Cars without radios did not always have them. Old AM radios were horrible for picking up electronic noise and sending them out the speakers. Back in the day when we would do an oem radio install there was a kit with several suppressors.

As mentioned, the pulsing is normal. The stock IVR has a bi-metalic contact arm that makes a normally closed connection (12 volts to the gauges) when the arm is at normal temperature. The closed connection also caused the contact arm to heat up (I think there may even be a heating coil around the bi-metalic arm), and the dissimular metals expand at different rates till the arm bends away from the contact opening the circuit. The open circuit causes the current to stop flowing and the bi-metalic arm cools down till it makes contact again and the process continues to repeat. The capacitor dampens out the pulses to ideally get an average voltage of 5 volts.

Make sure the dash / instrument panel is grounded or the IVR will put full battery power to the gauges. The RTE electronic regulator is the best replacement, but the linear 7805 voltage regulator is less expensive, but has limitations.

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The capacitor dampens out the pulses to ideally get an average voltage of 5 volts.

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No it does not. It is a noise suppressor only. Cars without radios did not have them. Read a fsm and you will learn.