Date:         Sat, 10 Jun 2006 13:16:11 -0700
Reply-To:     mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: A question for the electronically knowledgeable
Comments: To: Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <A436F34D-51A9-4CB5-993D-38E5707344F7@knology.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

That component is the voltage stabilizer. It has nothing to do with the
turn signals but it does provide the supply voltage for the temp and
fuel gauges.

It is a 10 volt regulator. It takes the variable 12-14 volts from the
battery circuit and turns it into a stable 10 volts for the 2 gauges.
This prevents them from reading differently under various conditions.
Without it the gauges would read differently at night or when the heater
or headlights were on.

Mark

 Jim Felder wrote:

> I just removed the instrument cluster (didn't come with the car, I
> bought it on ebay about a year ago because it had an accurate fuel
> gauge) on my 83 diesel westy. Looking at the back of it just then
> when I brought it inside for safekeeping, I see that behind the clock
> side, on the back of the nacelle, is a connnector block on one side
> and an electronic component, affixed with a single screw, on the other.
>
> It is this electrical component I am asking about. It has three leads
> coming out of it, two of which are messily soldered two leads coming
> out of the blue cable. The middle of the three leads is connected to
> nothing. I can make out the letters TCA 700Y on the component, but
> other numbers are unreadable.
>
> What is this, and does it have anything to do with the fact that my
> temp and turn signal LEDs don't work?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jim
>
>