Date:         Sat, 5 Jul 2008 12:33:21 -0700
Reply-To:     mdrillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         mdrillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: Purpose of "Voltage Stabilizer" in Instrument cluster?
Comments: To: neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <c4e7c5f90807051218x74b196dcv605c5831ec233b1b@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

The name is misleading perhaps. What it is really is a 10 volt
regulator. It takes the varying 11-14 volts of the vehicle wiring and
drops it down to a steady 10 volts. The vehicle wiring voltage varies
depending on alternator output, what loads are turned on, etc. The
"voltage stabilizer" provides the temp gauge and fuel gauge with a
constant voltage no matter what else is going on so these gauges read
the same no matter what else is going on. For example, otherwise when
the radiator fan came on the gauge needles would move to different
positions and then back again after the fan stopped. Headlights, wipers,
etc would have similar effects.

In other words the temp and fuel gauges are calibrated to run on 10
volts, not 12 volts, and this component provides a stable 10 volts.

Mark



neil N wrote:
> Hi all.
>
> Does the voltage stabilizer work in conjunction with the engine
> coolant temp gauge?
>
> i.e. if one took the engine temp gauge out of the cluster, connected
> it straight to the temp sending unit (sensor) and 12+, would this give
> an innacurate reading of engine coolant temp?
>
> Like maybe too high?
>
> Thanks much!
>
> Neil.
>
>
> --
> Neil Nicholson '81 JettaWesty "Jaco
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
> http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
>