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bench testing cluster


Socalman

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Start with this.

Pinout.jpg

There are ten pins to connect to the plug in the dashboard wiring harness.   There is space for 12 pins, like the numbers on a clock, but two empty spaces at 4:00 and 5:00.

Connect the ground pin (10:00) to negative on a 12 volt source.

Connect 12 volts to the pin at 1:00, four dash lights should come on.

Connect 12 volts to the pin at 2:00, the left turn indicator should come on.

Connect 12 volts to the pin at 9:00, the high beam indicator should come on.  Look carefully, it is behind a dark lens.

Connect 12 volts to the pin a 12:00, the right turn indicator should come on.

With the ground pin (10:00) still connected, connect 12 volts positive to the pin at 7:00.

Now ground the pin at 4:00, the oil light should come on.

Ground the pin at 8:00, the IGN light should come on.

Leave both the pin at 10:00 hooked to negative on 12 volts, and 12 volts positive on the pin at 7:00.

Ground the pin at 3:00, the fuel gauge should go full.

Ground the pin at 11:00, the temp gauge should go full.

If you can get about a 35 to 40 ohm resistor, connecting the fuel gauge pin to ground in series with the resistor should read around half full.  Using a 35 to 40 ohm resistor to ground the pin at 11:00 should cause the temp gauge to read about the middle.

If you have an "old school" test light with a small incandescent lights, you can use it to ground the fuel gauge or temp gauge pins.  The light will flash, this is normal.  The gauges will read somewhere in the middle.

 

And that is how to test a 521 gauge cluster.  

 

 

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17 hours ago, DanielC said:

Start with this.

Pinout.jpg

There are ten pins to connect to the plug in the dashboard wiring harness.   There is space for 12 pins, like the numbers on a clock, but two empty spaces at 4:00 and 5:00.

Connect the ground pin (10:00) to negative on a 12 volt source.

Connect 12 volts to the pin at 1:00, four dash lights should come on.

Connect 12 volts to the pin at 2:00, the left turn indicator should come on.

Connect 12 volts to the pin at 9:00, the high beam indicator should come on.  Look carefully, it is behind a dark lens.

Connect 12 volts to the pin a 12:00, the right turn indicator should come on.

With the ground pin (10:00) still connected, connect 12 volts positive to the pin at 7:00.

Now ground the pin at 4:00, the oil light should come on.

Ground the pin at 8:00, the IGN light should come on.

Leave both the pin at 10:00 hooked to negative on 12 volts, and 12 volts positive on the pin at 7:00.

Ground the pin at 3:00, the fuel gauge should go full.

Ground the pin at 11:00, the temp gauge should go full.

If you can get about a 35 to 40 ohm resistor, connecting the fuel gauge pin to ground in series with the resistor should read around half full.  Using a 35 to 40 ohm resistor to ground the pin at 11:00 should cause the temp gauge to read about the middle.

If you have an "old school" test light with a small incandescent lights, you can use it to ground the fuel gauge or temp gauge pins.  The light will flash, this is normal.  The gauges will read somewhere in the middle.

 

And that is how to test a 521 gauge cluster.  

 

 

Thank you 

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5 minutes ago, banzai510(hainz) said:

Daniel you should print this out as a short cut  to repost of needed and people can print this page, then Datzen mike can share it when we need it

I took a screen shot. Thanks 

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18 hours ago, DanielC said:

Start with this.

Pinout.jpg

There are ten pins to connect to the plug in the dashboard wiring harness.   There is space for 12 pins, like the numbers on a clock, but two empty spaces at 4:00 and 5:00.

Connect the ground pin (10:00) to negative on a 12 volt source.

Connect 12 volts to the pin at 1:00, four dash lights should come on.

Connect 12 volts to the pin at 2:00, the left turn indicator should come on.

Connect 12 volts to the pin at 9:00, the high beam indicator should come on.  Look carefully, it is behind a dark lens.

Connect 12 volts to the pin a 12:00, the right turn indicator should come on.

With the ground pin (10:00) still connected, connect 12 volts positive to the pin at 7:00.

Now ground the pin at 4:00, the oil light should come on.

Ground the pin at 8:00, the IGN light should come on.

Leave both the pin at 10:00 hooked to negative on 12 volts, and 12 volts positive on the pin at 7:00.

Ground the pin at 3:00, the fuel gauge should go full.

Ground the pin at 11:00, the temp gauge should go full.

If you can get about a 35 to 40 ohm resistor, connecting the fuel gauge pin to ground in series with the resistor should read around half full.  Using a 35 to 40 ohm resistor to ground the pin at 11:00 should cause the temp gauge to read about the middle.

If you have an "old school" test light with a small incandescent lights, you can use it to ground the fuel gauge or temp gauge pins.  The light will flash, this is normal.  The gauges will read somewhere in the middle.

 

And that is how to test a 521 gauge cluster.  

 

 

What wattage resister?

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The voltage regulator that feeds current to both gauges drops the voltages down to around 8 volts.  The gauges are a simple heating element that heats a bimetal strip, and as the strip gets hotter, it bends more, and moves the needle higher.

 

If your engine has just started, the alternator voltage regulator is regulating to around 14.5 to 15 volts.  If you apply 15 volts to a 35 ohm resistor, it will flow about a half amp, and dissipate about 6.5 watts.

Gauge voltage is around 8 volts,  so the 35 ohm resistor is flowing about .228 amps, times 8 volts, is about 1.83 watts.   That is just with a resistor, no gauge wiring.   There is a voltage drop in the gauge wiring, how much, I do not know.  But I think you would not have any problem with a 1/4 watt resistor, especially if you only need to hook it up for about 30 seconds, to see if the gauges go to around half scale    

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