1974 Under the Dash

[ramairthree]

I have still not sorted out two gremlins.

One, non electrical, my seat belt likes to get hung up sometimes and can not get to retract right to pull it out.  Seen it happen in some very pristine cars also.  Not a deal breaker.

The electrical deal breaker is I still get random, no power in the cabin, no crank, nada.

It is not at the fire wall.

I am trying to completely identify all components that may be the issue.



The rusted cylinder, once I bumped it tracing stuff under the dash and the gremlin resolved.  Seems to have been random.  What part number/ID is this?



What is the yellow, molded connector?



What is the part/ID of the component with the three connectors?



Thank you for help/information.

[ODZKing]

Yellow mold is hot when the key is in the on/accessory position.
Orange is when the headlamp switch in in the parking or full on position.
Red is hot all the time.

[HANDM]

The three prong thing is the voltage limiter

Check your ammeter, the posts could be loose causing a break in the power, best bet is to remove the wires from the studs, bolt or chop and splice them together. Then get a voltmeter.....

Check your welded splices

I had problems with both on my Challenger

[ramairthree]

Yes, thank you.  Seen it listed as both voltage limiter, and instrument panel voltage regulator.  A few different part numbers though.

I do not have a part number on the attachment either.

[Nacho-RT74]

pic one: voltage limiter condenser... holds the voltage peaks and Radio Noise supressor

pic 2: fused Acc source... usually gets rear deffrost blower, A/C blower and stuff like that, keyed. ( Tach, power trunk latch... )

pic 3: 5 volts cluster voltage limiter

about the main power problem... check bulkhead conectors... batt wire to cab ( the one with fuse link ) must be the culprit... check at the same time the engine harness, for the alternator wire ( thick black wire )

as mentioned, check ammeter studs for good and tight conditions.

one note about another note... orange wires are the cluster dimmer feeds. Cames out TAN from headlights witch, but becomes orange after the fuse box.

[ramairthree]

Thank you.
Good new batt. and starter wires, and fuse link, bulkhead good,
think I am going to pull the ammeter wires and connect.

If I still have a gremlin then, will replace the condenser and voltage limiter.

[ramairthree]

Good news and bad news.

Good news is finally finished going through and the play in the ammeter connections/pushing the harness re-created and solved the gremlin.

I cleaned and tightened the connections and seemed to be good to go.

However,
while running, I was getting a wisp of smoke from the dash.

Shutdown and appeared to be from the connector shown but who knows.



That time was wasted.

Should have stuck with original plan to disconnect ammeter and bolt together.

[ramairthree]

Good old Yearone.

Of course the 74 B Body dash harness is one that the discount does not apply.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

How do you directly connect the voltmeter on the cluster? Mine looked good...the one studeseems a little maybe loose. I am having huge starting issues & maybe that is why?

So how do you do that?

About 8 years ago I purchased a harness from a guy that lives in PA. He hand made all different harnesses for the 3rd gen. I mean the connectors are exact to NOS. I can't find the info or I would pass it on.At the time he did no even have internet. I would just call the guy. You would pre order the harness, tell him what you needed & presto.

[ramairthree]

The ammeter studs are under the harness on the right side of the picture.  They have a nut that tightens down holding the ammeter in the cluster.  Then the wires go on and another nut tightens down on that.

My car seemed to have an issue with corrosion/tightness of the wires on the ammeter studs.  After being cleaned and tightened down I got the smoke.

Mabye it was just remnants of WD40 from cleaning.  Maybe my ammeter studs got loose, maybe I just crushed away some insultation.

Either way I copped out and bypassed the previously working ammeter.

For a voltmeter, any live ignition wire to one stud, and the other to a ground should do it.