Pulsing fuel, temp, and oil gauges

[davidcam69]

I have my restored dash on a test stand along with my engine and trans which is also on a home made test stand.  Everything checks out but my fuel, temp, and oil gauge needles just pulse at the same time and don't show anything.  I bought a new voltage limiter  2 or 3 years ago and it was suppose to be electronic I thought.  l have all new repo gauges I purchased from Classic Ind.  The limiter has the brown backing as opposed to the green backing that I see mostly for sale now.  It seems to me to be a voltage limiter issue but before I spring for another one, I would like to know if I am missing something simple.  Also I have grounded the hell out of everything. Tach, clock, lights, wiper all work well.
   
Thanks, Dave   

[Pete in NH]

Hi,

If it is an electronic regulator it may have a short circuit protection provision. The pulsing you see may be the regulator seeing a short circuit to ground shutting down and trying again in a second or two. A diagram of how you have things wired up would help. But first thing I would look into is something shorting the regulator output to ground.

[jlatessa]

Did you possibly solder your PC board pins for better connections?

Check the back of the board to see if some solder ran down and is causing a short.

Joe

[davidcam69]

Thanks for the responses.  Before I check my gauges for ground, I figured out my limiter that I purchased from R/T Specialties is a 02268413 dated 12/02. Is this a stock limiter?  If this is a stock limiter then the way I read it, it won't work with my repro gauges. My circuit board is original and in very good shape. When I put my dash back together, I checked  gauges for ground.  The pins are nice and solid.  If it's not my limiter then I will have to check my gauges for ground again.

Thanks, Dave

[davidcam69]

Follow up.  It was the limiter.  New electronic limiter fixed it.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

So the one you purchased from R/T Specialties was defective or was it a stock replacement you purchased?

[John_Kunkel]

The factory IVR limits the voltage by working much like a turn signal flasher, the off/on action limits the voltage but it shouldn't be noticeable on the gauges unless the pulse rate is very slow. (Staring at the gauges to observe the pulse is the recommended way to test the IVR)

[davidcam69]

I assume it is a stock type limiter.  I bought it two or three years ago (new) and have just now completed my dash resto.  At that time I didn't know which way I was going with my gauges.  I bought new gauges instead of having mine restored.  The gauges would go from zero to maybe halfway at the same time and just repeat it over and over at a slow rate.  Nothing really registered.  They work fine with the limiter I bought from Herb's (Drop shipped from Classic Inds).  No pulsing.