A couple of months ago, I was having trouble with some of my gauges. Someone advised installing a new instrument panel voltage regulator. They said that it is mounted on the back of the instrument panel. While my gauge's symptoms did not exactly match those of a bad regulator, I figured that it couldn't hurt.

I went to NAPA and purchased one. It was around $20. I went home and removed the instrument cluster. There was no voltage regulator on it, and there did not seem to be a place for one at all. I consulted my Ford factory wiring diagram, and there was no regulator shown for a 1990 Bronco or F150. I then went to the local Ford dealer and asked, and they said that my 90's cluster did not use a regulator.

I went back to NAPA to return the regulator. I don't even know how they found one for my truck to sell me, since it doesn't have one... Anyway I went there and I no longer had the receipt. They started talking down to me, insisting that it was on the back of the cluster, and generally acting like I was either an ignorant idiot or else I was trying to scam them or something to get twenty bucks. I finally got the refund but I had to yell at them to get it. I did not appreciate the treatment that I got there. I kept telling the manager that there was no regulator on my cluster; he was arguing with me and insisting that it was on the back of the cluster, and then he said "I'm not gonna stand here and argue with you" and walked away.

How you guys can help me is this: I would like to find a web page, or a tech article, or something; anything that demonstrates the fact that there is no instrument panel voltage regulator on my truck. I want to print it out and take it to NAPA so I can show the manager and tell him that I did not appreciate his attitude, especially when he was wrong. I can recall once seeing an article on the web that explained the design of the 1990's cluster, and it explained why it did not have a regulator. However, I can no longer find it, and I haven't had any luck finding any other articles that can prove the lack of a regulator.

Soooooo...if anyone here can point me to an article, or some sort of tech document, whatever, I sure would appreciate it. And you would be helping to put a know-it-all auto parts salesman who abuses customers back in his place.

Sorry for the long post, and thanks for any and all help!

JB

 

Nobody? Considering how many people once told me to change a regulator that turned out not to exist, isn't there somebody here who can solve the mystery of the instrument panel voltage regulator on a 1990?

I posted a similar question when I first got the voltage regulator and could not find a place to install it, and I got no replies then either. Somebody here has _got_ to know! Why does my truck not have this part; and why do so many people insist that it does?