70 Duster dash click

The Duster is coming back together and we did the "smoke test" on the new wiring last night. No smoke. The only wiring that was not replaced in the car is what is in the steering column and that may be next.

When the key is in the run position, there is an intermittent clicking that is going on. The dash was out of the car and the frame was powder coated. All of the terminals were polished up and I put a little dielectric grease on them. A new instrument cluster voltage regulator was installed. There is about 3 gallons of fuel in the tank, but the fuel gauge still reads zero. I should have tested the "new" looking sending unit, but I forgot.

Since the frame was powder coated, I was planning to run a ground wire from the dash to the lower A pillar but that hasn't been done yet either.

We don't have the fenders on so the lights and turn signals are not hooked up yet.

Here's a video
Dash click

Looks to me like the clicking sound and the ammeter twitching happen at the same time? I have no guess on the clicking.

The ammeter does not use the voltage regulator like the fuel gauge does. I noticed the fuel gauge didn't come up any with the key in run. 3 gallons should get the needle to E.

I think you need to find the clicking source first. Is it under the hood or definitely under dash?
You should get the dash frame grounded good too.

If you momentarily ground the fuel sending unit wire, the fuel gauge should peg upscale. Or try grounding the temperature sender wire or the oil pressure wire. All 3 should peg upscale when grounded.
BUT BUT BUT only ground them briefly to see needle deflection otherwise gauge damage could result.

The clicking sound is the Instrument Voltage Limiter. If you turn the key on in the dark you should be able to see a faint blue flash. It's normal.

I have never heard a voltage regulator make a sound even when on the bench in front of me. Maybe my hearing is going......she says that all the time.
That's a loud clicking.

Does the headlight switch have an internal circuit breaker in it that could be making that noise?

Unplug the engine side bulk head connectors one at a time and see what makes the clicking stop.

If you replaced the VR with a stock type I believe it's a mechanical type with mechanical contacts that will close and open making noise. There is a upgrade that is solid state that works better giving a constant 5v

It is definitely coming from the dash and it makes the
amp meter jump a little too. I can't remember where I got the VR but I guess I figured that they would all be solid state by now.

It would make sense that the sound is from contacts opening and closing. I have never been inside one of these things and have no idea how they work.

Thanks

Is this a ralley dash or standard?

Standard dash

I have restored and calibrated a few gauge clusters and have NEVER heard clicking from the VR's.

If you have put an aftermarket VR in and it is making that loud of a clicking and is causing the ammeter cycle then you have a big problem.
Reach up under and disconnect the VR and see.......

Agreed. This all came about late in the day and I made the video before work and we can't get back to it before Sunday.

I'm going to try to put my hand on it while the clicking is going on to verify that is the culprit. What else could it be? Probably nothing else. It will then come out for the time being.

The cluster will probably have to come out to reinstall a new one. I may even put the OEM one back in. It was probably good anyway.

Who do you guys like for a solid state unit

Thanks

The instrument cluster voltage limiter just plugs in. No need to pull the cluster to replace it. I've built a few of the solid state limiters using the online directions, in that situation I pulled the dash to install because of the need for a heat sink. Build your own cheap, one trip to Radio Shack for parts.

These are great units:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Solid-State-Mopar-Limiter-IVR4-push-in-B-body-A-body-others-/380917322935?hash=item58b07114b7:g:pogAAOSwq7JUKhPd

I built two for less than $15 or so:
voltage limiter

I just bench tested 3 different OEM VRs for an old Charger Cluster, and all click though not as audible as your video. Another click noise from under the dash can come from the Clock winder, though it happens less frequently and with key off. And with no alternator power will cause the Ammeter needle to jump.
Do you have a noise suppression capacitor connected to the VR?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qVfKiujK5A

Look at this thread, scroll down to post #16 to see what the original poster found:

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/archive/index.php/t-331097.html

Third from the bottom post says this:
"On some cars the wiper switch, just like the headlight switch, has an internal breaker."

I certainly may be wrong but I don't think the loud clicking is the limiter.

You can easily unplug things in a methodical way before spending any money.

Let's see if I can answer all of these.

I know that I can reach up and pull the VL without pulling the cluster, but right now I'm not sure if I can see in there to put one back in. I'm not home. It's a tiny hole behind the dash and from underneath.

I don't have a clock.

It does have a capacitor that plugs in along with the VL.

I may have a ground issue based on the fact that the dash is powder coated.

I don't know what else could be clicking, it does sound like contacts opening.

I'm going to reach up an put my hand on the thing and then turn the key to run. If it clicks, it's coming out for now. Not until Sunday unfortunately though.

Thanks guys

If the dash is not grounded, all the electrical circuits will seek a ground where ever they can find one. Back feeding through a different circuit is the most likely return to ground, and can result in a spark you can hear and probably see, if you could get into the correct position.

Ground the dash. Then see if the click goes away. Gene

My bet is headlight breaker, part of the switch.

I'd start by pulling fuses to see which (if any) make the click stop.

It's a pretty big load to make the ammeter flinch.

Definitely disconnect the battery when not nearby.

I'm gone. Good suggestion on pulling fuses and I can have my son do that.

Headlight switch. Make sure you have a ground strap on the column going to the studs that hold it in place, and a ground strap between the firewall and the cylinder head. I've installed aftermarket headlight switches that had their own stud explicitly for connecting a dedicated ground wire to them.

Well we are trying to troubleshoot this long distance over the phone. My son pulled the plug off of the back of the light switch. The clicking continued.

He got a stethoscope out and was able to snake it to the VL and he seemed to think that the clicking was coming from there.

I need to get the dash grounded and then see for my self if it still keeps cycling. If I finally decide that's it, I'll get the old VL back out and put it back into the dash.

Stay tuned

Thanks

Sounds like he's discovered it. I got a stethoscope and a bore scope from HF & I am so impressed with the borescope. I've only had a need for it several times so far but it is been a lifesaver