78 Datsun 510 Dash Voltage Reg

[th3sudden]

ok so my gas gauge and temp gauge do not work and i had someone tell me that there is a voltage regulator that controls them and it probably went out. if this IS the case then if anyone has one i would like to buy it, or if someone can point me in the right direction as to buying one somewhere else it would be much appreciated.

 

it is a 1978 datsun 510 wagon.

[Dawa]

find the electrical drawing, and trace the wires yourself to see if this is the actual problem and solution.

you could also probably bypass the voltage regulator

[th3sudden]

yeah ill try that tomorrow, i dont have much experience with datsuns ive only had mine for about 5 months and im just now getting to everything i want to.

[Dawa]

ive had mine for about 10 months now, and almost every damn day is a learning experience.

 

ratsun is an awesome, knowledgeable community. ive learned so muchhere  that i never

woulda learned otherwise. but the key here is to try and be self reliant. almost all the questions

people ask have been asked and answered before. or could be self learned/taught with some

research.

 

find your cars factory service manual here or on google, print it out if you can.

 

then refer to it first for all your questions. when you have "stumpers" then ask em. soon

youll be the one answering the "new guy's" questions :)

[datzenmike]

find the electrical drawing, and trace the wires yourself to see if this is the actual problem and solution.

you could also probably bypass the voltage regulator

 

Running 12 to 14.8 volts through them might not be good.The voltage regulator provides about 8 volts to both gauges. This prevents them from varying with the voltage fluctuations from idle with headlights and heater on to high speed. The regulator will almost certainly be built into the gauge cluster and common to both. I think the 620 (HL510 similar?) is located in the temp gauge but also feeds the gas. It likely is a set of contacts with a small white wire wound around it. Heat from the wire warms the metal strip, it bends away from the contacts and the circuit it opened, it cools and makes contact and repeats. When you find the contacts (they look somewhat like ignition points) fold a small piece of very fine sandpaper and pull through them to clean.

 

I suppose the supply fuse may be blown but probably there are more thiongs on that circuit that would also not work if it was the fuse and you don't mention any.

[Dawa]

Running 12 to 14.8 volts through them might not be good.The voltage regulator provides about 8 volts to both gauges. This prevents them from varying with the voltage fluctuations from idle with headlights and heater on to high speed. The regulator will almost certainly be built into the gauge cluster and common to both. I think the 620 (HL510 similar?) is located in the temp gauge but also feeds the gas. It likely is a set of contacts with a small white wire wound around it. Heat from the wire warms the metal strip, it bends away from the contacts and the circuit it opened, it cools and makes contact and repeats. When you find the contacts (they look somewhat like ignition points) fold a small piece of very fine sandpaper and pull through them to clean.

 

I suppose the supply fuse may be blown but probably there are more thiongs on that circuit that would also not work if it was the fuse and you don't mention any.

 

ah thats right, i think i had read somethin similar about the choke heater, that running straight 12v to it will shorten its life span