under dash voltage regulator

Posted By: mickm

under dash voltage regulator - 04/21/13 01:29 AM

where is this in a 70 b-body? i have a new one and want to install it to see if some gauge wierdness goes away. i looked in the FSM, and felt around a bit, but i can't find it.

Posted By: Jim_Lusk

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/21/13 01:33 AM

Some cars had it built into the fuel gauge. I don't know about your car.

Posted By: stumpy

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/21/13 02:35 AM

I think rally gauge dash had it built into the fuel gauge and standard gauges have this.

Attached picture 7675913-limiter003.JPG

Posted By: moparfan53

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/21/13 05:56 AM

Quote:

where is this in a 70 b-body? i have a new one and want to install it to see if some gauge wierdness goes away. i looked in the FSM, and felt around a bit, but i can't find it.

Click on "Installation Manual for IVR4 Limiter" in the link below for info and pic of where it is located.

http://rt-eng.com/rte/index.php/RTE_limiter

Posted By: thehemikid

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/21/13 06:19 AM

Back side of 70 RR dash.

Attached picture 7676147-Bird[Before]264backofdash.jpg

Posted By: mickm

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/21/13 08:11 AM

Quote:

Back side of 70 RR dash.

got it. should be able to grab it from there.

thanks!

Posted By: rth

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/21/13 04:26 PM

If you can't get big fingers in there, drop steering column for room.

Posted By: mickm

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/22/13 06:35 AM

looks like it's necessary to pull the dash panel to get to this. does it have to come all the way out? can someone give me a heads up on how to replace this?

Posted By: Dakota_Don

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/23/13 12:53 AM

what is that thing supposed to do??

Posted By: moparfan53

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/23/13 03:03 AM

Quote:

what is that thing supposed to do??

It reduces 12v down to 5v, which is what the oil pressure, coolant temp and fuel gauge operate on.

Posted By: Sinitro

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/23/13 05:05 AM

Quote:

If you can't get big fingers in there, drop steering column for room.

No need to drop the column..
First disconnect the battery.
Pull out the radio/panel, (4) phillips screws, release radio chassis support bracket. Now very EZ to reach inside to replace the voltage limiter/regulator...

Just my $0.02...

Posted By: mickm

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/23/13 07:12 AM

Quote:

Quote:

If you can't get big fingers in there, drop steering column for room.

No need to drop the column..
First disconnect the battery.
Pull out the radio/panel, (4) phillips screws, release radio chassis support bracket. Now very EZ to reach inside to replace the voltage limiter/regulator...

Just my $0.02...

will give it a shot and let you know how it goes!

Posted By: thehemikid

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/23/13 07:13 AM

Sense my drivers seat & console are conveniently out of the way at the moment, I though I'd see if I could. I could get my left hand in just right of the radio & get all the way to it, & could have removed it,... if it wasn't for a wiring harness loom right up to it. I got my right hand to the loom but it didn't want to bend enough so I let the whole idea go. Hopefully your loom is a little father to the drivers side than mine.

If a person was able too get the limiter out from under the dash you might have a problem getting the little capacitor thingy plugged back in if it fell out.

Posted By: dogdays

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/23/13 04:02 PM

Take one apart, you'll be surprised to find no solid state items in there, just a vibrating reed contact that only passes voltage around 5/12 of the time. If you looked at the output with an oscilloscope you'd see evenly spaced spikes of 12 volts.

It's sort of like a mechanical version of digital pulse width modulation.

Some folks are replacing this with a voltage regulator chip from computer power supplies, as they regulate 12VDC down to 5VDC much more cleanly.

R.

Posted By: mickm

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/23/13 06:13 PM

Quote:

Sense my drivers seat & console are conveniently out of the way at the moment, I though I'd see if I could. I could get my left hand in just right of the radio & get all the way to it, & could have removed it,... if it wasn't for a wiring harness loom right up to it. I got my right hand to the loom but it didn't want to bend enough so I let the whole idea go. Hopefully your loom is a little father to the drivers side than mine.

If a person was able too get the limiter out from under the dash you might have a problem getting the little capacitor thingy plugged back in if it fell out.

i felt up there again, and i think that wiring loom is in the way. i don't think that thing is coming out without pulling the panel. need a little more time to look at it, but that's the way it seems at the moment.

Posted By: thehemikid

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/23/13 07:59 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Sense my drivers seat & console are conveniently out of the way at the moment, I though I'd see if I could. I could get my left hand in just right of the radio & get all the way to it, & could have removed it,... if it wasn't for a wiring harness loom right up to it. I got my right hand to the loom but it didn't want to bend enough so I let the whole idea go. Hopefully your loom is a little father to the drivers side than mine.

If a person was able too get the limiter out from under the dash you might have a problem getting the little capacitor thingy plugged back in if it fell out.

i felt up there again, and i think that wiring loom is in the way. i don't think that thing is coming out without pulling the panel. need a little more time to look at it, but that's the way it seems at the moment.

The panel coming out was the way it looked to me too. I had replaced my voltage regulator with the (new at the time) computer chipped deal a few yrs back over the solid state one,...but I can't tell ya how well it works cause my motors not in yet.

Posted By: Sinitro

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/23/13 10:28 PM

Quote:

Sense my drivers seat & console are conveniently out of the way at the moment, I though I'd see if I could. I could get my left hand in just right of the radio & get all the way to it, & could have removed it,... if it wasn't for a wiring harness loom right up to it. I got my right hand to the loom but it didn't want to bend enough so I let the whole idea go. Hopefully your loom is a little father to the drivers side than mine.

If a person was able too get the limiter out from under the dash you might have a problem getting the little capacitor thingy plugged back in if it fell out.

I have a 70RR so I know my suggestion works just fine..
Regarding the capacitor, not really required so if not there..
No biggee..

Just my $0.02...

Posted By: thehemikid

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/24/13 04:22 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Sense my drivers seat & console are conveniently out of the way at the moment, I though I'd see if I could. I could get my left hand in just right of the radio & get all the way to it, & could have removed it,... if it wasn't for a wiring harness loom right up to it. I got my right hand to the loom but it didn't want to bend enough so I let the whole idea go. Hopefully your loom is a little father to the drivers side than mine.

If a person was able too get the limiter out from under the dash you might have a problem getting the little capacitor thingy plugged back in if it fell out.

i felt up there again, and i think that wiring loom is in the way. i don't think that thing is coming out without pulling the panel. need a little more time to look at it, but that's the way it seems at the moment.

Hey, mickm ...Fwiw...out in less than 3 minutes, back in, in a little over 2, from under the dash...BUT... no drivers seat & console.

Edit: I grabbed the upper ground lug between my 1st finger & thumb (left hand). Pulling & wiggling it out & rolling it towards the passenger side at the same time, cause the slots are sloppy allowing a lot of movement, while pulling the loom forward with my right hand.

There's enough slop that the loom may not be that big a deal, but with the seat in place, you may have to go through the radio, or....

Attached picture 7680282-voltagelimiter.jpg

Posted By: mickm

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/24/13 07:29 PM

the regulator is the 3 prong thingy, what is the other?

Posted By: thehemikid

Re: under dash voltage regulator - 04/24/13 08:50 PM

That is a 9 volt battery with a LED high & low beam head attached that I've had for probably 10 yrs (give or take) that I used to see what I was doing under the dash. Expensive for its size but has been priceless to me through the yrs. I don't go anywhere without it, ...notice the warn battery surface.

There is a little 2" square opening just to the passenger side of the column at the bottom of the dash that gives a perfect view of what your doing.
Edit: ware safety glassed though in case you was to drop it.

With the drivers seat in place one might need to be a contortionist,...never had to replace any late B-bodys before. I did replace one in a B-body Dart, but I think I just laid the dash panel forward. Also my forearms & hands are small. Your right hand & arm would need to be if everything is under the dash.

The radio route sounds pretty good.