DIY voltmeter mod for 2nd gen Chargers

[tan top]

Dash back in with LED's

looks good , nice work ! 

[Dino]

I just came across this DIY voltmeter conversion has anybody tried this, they talk about using a water temp gauge (robbed from another cluster of course) and putting an ammeter face on it or I think you could use a new decal and with a new voltage limiter and a special sending unit it will supposedly work as a voltmeter, for normal the needle would ride in the middle. It sounds like a slick deal and alot less work to do.

http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=67781.0

It is a nice option but I don't think RTE still makes these.  They used to do these years ago.  If it's still around then it's a good alternative.   

My point here was to make the mod a bit more affordable and give people the option to do this themselves.  You'll be looking at those gauges all the time and knowing you changed your ammeter to a voltmeter AND keep it looking stock might be something to be proud of.

This mod basically costs you the voltmeter itself and the cost of making/ordering a decal.


Still, if the RTE ones can still be made, it's just another option and more is better in this case.   

[Dino]

Wow!!! Thats a huge difference like night and day!! Where did you get your LED bulbs?

Why eBay of course! 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/110996849220?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120960153862?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

I ordered these yesterday and just realized I forgot all about the rest of the interior.  A/C controls need bulbs as do map light, glove box, ash tray, ignition switch, trunk, hood turn signals, dome light, console and shifter lights.  Any chance to replace the one in the radio without pulling it?

Besides the T10 and T11 bulbs, does anyone else know what bulbs I need?

Chris your new gauge seems to be getting more light than before, meaning more central.  I would assume the thinner edged temp gauge face would do that but not the oil gauge face as it's pretty much the same as the ammeter face.  Did you use the oil gauge face?  I'm still contemplating adding notches to these gauges to get more light in.

[JamieZ]

Ash tray light is the same bulb as most of the dash lights (not the ones that go on the printed board).  Map, glove box, dome, and trunk are different.  I don't have a console so I'm not sure on those.

Also RTE still makes limiters.  I bought one from them last year and their web page is still up:

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

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

I used the oil gauge faceplate but I did in fact cut the light notch further to the upper left to let more light in.

I can tell you this, the high beam indicator & the brake warning light & turn signal indicators DO NOT like the LED's.  With those installed putting on the high beams would make dash lights flicker & the brake warning bulb to remain dimly lit even though the E-Brake was off.  Honestly didnt try the directional indicators but just assume it would make it go haywire.

[Dino]

Ash tray light is the same bulb as most of the dash lights (not the ones that go on the printed board).  Map, glove box, dome, and trunk are different.  I don't have a console so I'm not sure on those.

Also RTE still makes limiters.  I bought one from them last year and their web page is still up:

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

It seems I'll be able to replace a bunch with what I have but I'll have to buy some different ones to do the entire interior.

RTE still makes the voltage limiter but to do the voltmeter mod you also need their special sending unit and I don't think they still have those. 

Great company, they fixed my limiter after I ruined it for a good price.   

I used the oil gauge faceplate but I did in fact cut the light notch further to the upper left to let more light in.

I can tell you this, the high beam indicator & the brake warning light & turn signal indicators DO NOT like the LED's.  With those installed putting on the high beams would make dash lights flicker & the brake warning bulb to remain dimly lit even though the E-Brake was off.  Honestly didnt try the directional indicators but just assume it would make it go haywire.

Good to know, I'll cut mine out a bit more as well.

I don't think I need leds in the indicators or brake light, the plain bulbs seem just fine, especially after I put new indicator lenses in last time.   

[Dino]

Wow!!! Thats a huge difference like night and day!! Where did you get your LED bulbs?

Why eBay of course! 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/110996849220?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120960153862?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

I finally remembered why I bought the leds I did, I clicked those links.   

What did you use for the a/c light bar? 

[Skull-1]

Nice mod Dino.  I may try it.  

Does this Voltmeter still hook up the same way as the Ammeter did or do I have to rewire?

[Dino]

Nice mod Dino.  I may try it.  

Does this Voltmeter still hook up the same way as the Ammeter did or do I have to rewire?

You need to rewire it.  The ammeter wires need to be soldered together.  Then take keyed 12v from the ignition for the positive side of the gauge and run a ground to the other side.

[Skull-1]

Nice mod Dino.  I may try it.  

Does this Voltmeter still hook up the same way as the Ammeter did or do I have to rewire?

You need to rewire it.  The ammeter wires need to be soldered together.  Then take keyed 12v from the ignition for the positive side of the gauge and run a ground to the other side.

Are they put together under the dash or out in the engine compartment?    I am thinking I need to go ahead and bypass my ammeter right now before I do ANYTHING else. 

[Dino]

Nice mod Dino.  I may try it.  

Does this Voltmeter still hook up the same way as the Ammeter did or do I have to rewire?

You need to rewire it.  The ammeter wires need to be soldered together.  Then take keyed 12v from the ignition for the positive side of the gauge and run a ground to the other side.

Are they put together under the dash or out in the engine compartment?    I am thinking I need to go ahead and bypass my ammeter right now before I do ANYTHING else.  

Under the dash, or behind the instrument cluster to be more precise.  You need to tie them together to complete the circuit and it's easiest to just mate the two wires where they come to the ammeter.  The red wire that runs to the ammeter is the one that runs to the starter relay on the engine side and has the fusible link.  The black wire runs to the main splice behind the cluster that powers the rest of the car.  Another black wire branches from that, goes through the bulkhead connector and runs to the alternator.

Unless you want to upgrade the charging system, just mate the red and black ammeter wires together.  Some use a bolt and tape but solder and heat shrink would be a better way to do this.

If you do want to change the system let me know and I'll tell you what I did to my car.

[Troy]

The ammeter wires carry a lot of juice. If you're going to just wire them together then I'd do it in the engine compartment. The bulkhead connector is a prime source of resistance/heat for those wires and is typically melted because of it.

Troy

[Skull-1]

Nice mod Dino.  I may try it.  

Does this Voltmeter still hook up the same way as the Ammeter did or do I have to rewire?

You need to rewire it.  The ammeter wires need to be soldered together.  Then take keyed 12v from the ignition for the positive side of the gauge and run a ground to the other side.

Are they put together under the dash or out in the engine compartment?    I am thinking I need to go ahead and bypass my ammeter right now before I do ANYTHING else.  

Under the dash, or behind the instrument cluster to be more precise.  You need to tie them together to complete the circuit and it's easiest to just mate the two wires where they come to the ammeter.  The red wire that runs to the ammeter is the one that runs to the starter relay on the engine side and has the fusible link.  The black wire runs to the main splice behind the cluster that powers the rest of the car.  Another black wire branches from that, goes through the bulkhead connector and runs to the alternator.

Unless you want to upgrade the charging system, just mate the red and black ammeter wires together.  Some use a bolt and tape but solder and heat shrink would be a better way to do this.

If you do want to change the system let me know and I'll tell you what I did to my car.

Upgrade.  Upgrade.  Upgrade.   And I want that Ammeter wiring out of my dash altogether.  Please. 

[Skull-1]

The ammeter wires carry a lot of juice. If you're going to just wire them together then I'd do it in the engine compartment. The bulkhead connector is a prime source of resistance/heat for those wires and is typically melted because of it.

Troy

It won't set the carb on fire if it shorts I hope.  Lol!

[Dino]

Nice mod Dino.  I may try it.  

Does this Voltmeter still hook up the same way as the Ammeter did or do I have to rewire?

You need to rewire it.  The ammeter wires need to be soldered together.  Then take keyed 12v from the ignition for the positive side of the gauge and run a ground to the other side.

Are they put together under the dash or out in the engine compartment?    I am thinking I need to go ahead and bypass my ammeter right now before I do ANYTHING else.  

Under the dash, or behind the instrument cluster to be more precise.  You need to tie them together to complete the circuit and it's easiest to just mate the two wires where they come to the ammeter.  The red wire that runs to the ammeter is the one that runs to the starter relay on the engine side and has the fusible link.  The black wire runs to the main splice behind the cluster that powers the rest of the car.  Another black wire branches from that, goes through the bulkhead connector and runs to the alternator.

Unless you want to upgrade the charging system, just mate the red and black ammeter wires together.  Some use a bolt and tape but solder and heat shrink would be a better way to do this.

If you do want to change the system let me know and I'll tell you what I did to my car.

Upgrade.  Upgrade.  Upgrade.   And I want that Ammeter wiring out of my dash altogether.  Please. 

To ensure having enough power to run the lights, radio, wipers and all that stuff without losing any power , at idle, you'll need a bigger alternator.  This will require a few changes in wiring but even if you keep the stock alt, the wiring mod is still recommended.

Here's what I did:  Under the hood I removed the black wire running from the P slot on the bulkhead to the alternator.  Under the dash this is the same wire that runs to the main splice behind the cluster and is part of the power system inside, I removed that one as well.  You can also remove the black wire running from the ammeter to the splice, it has no use from now on.  I also removed the fusible link that runs from the starter relay to the bulkhead connector and on the other side the red wire going to the ammeter  With those wires removed there is no more power going into the cab. 

I ran a ga wire from the alternator stud to the starter relay stud.  And another 6ga wire from the same relay stud to the battery through an 80 amp ANL fuse mounted under the battery tray.  To get the power into the cab I ran an 8ga wire from the relay stud to a 50 amp maxi fuse mounted above the bulkhead connector.  From there another 8ga wire goes through the firewall and to the main splice.  In effect this replaces the fusible link and is now much stronger.

I'll try to post up a diagram soon but it may not be for a few days, I have tons of exams to do.

 

[Troy]

The ammeter wires carry a lot of juice. If you're going to just wire them together then I'd do it in the engine compartment. The bulkhead connector is a prime source of resistance/heat for those wires and is typically melted because of it.

Troy

It won't set the carb on fire if it shorts I hope.  Lol!

The general idea of bypassing the ammeter is to keep the bulk of the entire car's electrical power from passing through the dash/gauge cluster. If you just connect the two wires it's still passing everything through the (usually corroded) bulkhead connector. If you connect the wires inside the engine compartment there's less to cause resistance (ie heat) so the odds of if shorting out are much lower. Besides, your battery, starter, and alternator are all under the hood. They don't have small wires with a restriction in the middle though.

Troy

[Skull-1]

The ammeter wires carry a lot of juice. If you're going to just wire them together then I'd do it in the engine compartment. The bulkhead connector is a prime source of resistance/heat for those wires and is typically melted because of it.

Troy

It won't set the carb on fire if it shorts I hope.  Lol!

The general idea of bypassing the ammeter is to keep the bulk of the entire car's electrical power from passing through the dash/gauge cluster. If you just connect the two wires it's still passing everything through the (usually corroded) bulkhead connector. If you connect the wires inside the engine compartment there's less to cause resistance (ie heat) so the odds of if shorting out are much lower. Besides, your battery, starter, and alternator are all under the hood. They don't have small wires with a restriction in the middle though.

Troy

Rewire with heavier gauge?   I am definitely bypassing that stupid Ammeter. 

[Skull-1]

To ensure having enough power to run the lights, radio, wipers and all that stuff without losing any power , at idle, you'll need a bigger alternator.  This will require a few changes in wiring but even if you keep the stock alt, the wiring mod is still recommended.

Here's what I did:  Under the hood I removed the black wire running from the P slot on the bulkhead to the alternator.  Under the dash this is the same wire that runs to the main splice behind the cluster and is part of the power system inside, I removed that one as well.  You can also remove the black wire running from the ammeter to the splice, it has no use from now on.  I also removed the fusible link that runs from the starter relay to the bulkhead connector and on the other side the red wire going to the ammeter  With those wires removed there is no more power going into the cab. 

I ran a ga wire from the alternator stud to the starter relay stud.  And another 6ga wire from the same relay stud to the battery through an 80 amp ANL fuse mounted under the battery tray.  To get the power into the cab I ran an 8ga wire from the relay stud to a 50 amp maxi fuse mounted above the bulkhead connector.  From there another 8ga wire goes through the firewall and to the main splice.  In effect this replaces the fusible link and is now much stronger.

I'll try to post up a diagram soon but it may not be for a few days, I have tons of exams to do.

 

Looking forward to it.

[fy469rtse]

Any one doing this , there's a gauge company here in Australia that makes an amp gauge that reads the same as decal, and not the load going through it, so you can use your stock face to gauge
Look up speco gauges $ 29 + 10 gst tax , will post photos soon

[Dino]

I finally got around to finishing that decal and it came out great!  When printing it roughly 44 mm wide, it looks stock and it's crisp as if it came from the factory like this.  Only problem is my cheap little printer will not print a true black, no matter what the settings are.  It looks very dark blue so I will have to go to a print shop and see if they can help me out.  I may end up with a bunch of extras if anyone wants one.  They will be printed on special decal paper.

I'm using the one with the little bridge in the middle myself as it looks best in the cluster next to the other gauges.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Cool idea Dino...look much crisper than mine did.  Although through the lense of the cluster you cant really tell that its slightly pixelated........

[Dino]

Yeah once the cluster is back in place, you can get away with the imperfections.

I went to kinko's today and they couldn't print on my inkjet vinyl paper so I had them print a sheet of each design on their own decal paper which was a bit different.  BUT, the black matches the others so it looks real good in the cluster.  I planned on buying different paper but I am going to leave it as is.

I think I'll make the holes in the cluster a tiny bit bigger so I can lower the gauge just a tad.  I glued the needle in place so it's ready to go back in the car.  With the clock though, I don't have my tach parts yet to do the mod.

[tan top]

          looks  good    going to re do mine soon & use the word battery 

[Dino]

After all the delays it's finally done and in place.  I ran the ground to the cluster itself but have not decided where to get keyed 12v.  Fuse box maybe.

[tsmithae]

That looks great, Dino!