Electroluminescent Gauge Cluster Power Pack Questions??

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Yes you can run the gauges off of regular 12V. The EL lighting is an independent circuit (white wire, red connector) on the cluster. The gauges get 5V from the 5V regulator built into the fuel gauge. These usually fail over time and can be bypassed with an external 5V regulator. From memory the basic tests for the gauges are as follows:

Fuel : 10-73 Ohms
Oil : 20 Ohms at rest
Temp : 20 Ohms at rest
Tach : With a DC battery across the posts on the back of the tach ('66 only) the tack should read 2k RPM.

note: These readings will not guarantee accuracy.

It would be cool to also add the console with the EL lighting if you were planning on running an automatic transmission.

Let me know if you have any questions and I can try to help.

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I can measure the dash to the back of the seats in our Charger and compare it to the Coronet 500 vert. if that would help. After seeing your car it has been growing on us to do the EL lighting conversion to the Coronet. I even have a spare cluster, wiring harness, etc. to do it but already having two cars with EL lights it's kind of nice to have something different.

Make sure to use the Charger specific dash pad or the EL lights will reflect off of the inside of the windshield at night like a heads up display.

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So if the 5v regulator is good on the fuel gauge, all I will need to do is run a 12v source to it and all the gauges will work off that one wire??

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You will have to test it and see if it is still working but even if it is I'd get a 5V external unit. The originals are prone to failure because the points can stick or the ni-chrome wire can deteriorate over time. These failures will either cause the 5V regulator to open and provide no voltage or stick closed and provide full 12V which will smoke the gauges. It is advisable to get an external 5V regulator.

To answer your question, the Temp and Oil gauges get power from the Fuel gauge. There should be a brown or black wire that connects them together across the back of the cluster that is independent of the other wiring. The Tachometer has a ground on the driver's side lug and a spade terminal on the passenger side lug. The spade terminal should hook up to the Yellow wire from the tach sending unit that is next to the EL power pack under the dash.

Here is a picture of the fuel gauge / 5V regulator for reference:

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The power pak is just for the dash lights.The needles also have to be fairly decent as they glow when the dash lights them.They are knd of hard to see if they arent in decent shape.My kids 62 300 and the 66 Charger has them.I bought the last 2 new PPs that were in dealer stock a few years ago.Still have one as the kid stripped the Charger.Its a spare for his brothers 62.Rocky

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Here they are Rocky. I haven't cleaned them up at all in these pics either..........I will end up taking them apart and clean them the best I can before final install

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Dont rub the needles.They have a coating that glows when the light come on.Those look pretty good.I wish I still had the dash from the 66.Id post a pic of some that looked like NOS.The Charger only has 50K and was garage kept most of it life.Still bugs me that my son striped it.Rocky

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