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Date:         Sat, 5 Jul 2008 23:36:44 -0700
Reply-To:     neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Purpose of "Voltage Stabilizer" in Instrument cluster?
Comments: To: Mike S <mikes@flatsurface.com>
In-Reply-To:  <20080705195537.31C2C1165C3@hamburg.alientech.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

On Sat, Jul 5, 2008 at 12:55 PM, Mike S <mikes@flatsurface.com> wrote: > At 03:18 PM 7/5/2008, neil N wrote... >> >> Hi all. > > Hi Neil. > >> Does the voltage stabilizer work in conjunction with the engine >> coolant temp gauge? > > Yes, it provides a constant 10 volts for the gauges. > >> 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? > > Yes. > >> Like maybe too high? > > Yes.

Thanks Mike. This may explain why the needle on the Jetta coolant gauge pinned all the way to the right when I hooked it up to my VanaJetta conversion (this was done after some test runs up some mountain hills)

> The gauges are bimetallic - they work by heating a special piece of metal > which bends as it gets warm. There's a heating coil wrapped around tha piece > of metal. 10 volts from the regulator goes to one end of the heating coil, > the other is connected to the sensor (fuel, temp). The sensors offer a > variable resistance. Less resistance causes more current to flow, making > more heat, bending the metal more, making the gauge read higher. > > If you bypass the regulator, then you have 12 volts on one end of the > heater, so more current will flow than is intended, and the gauge will read > higher than it should. >

I appreciate the insights into the workings of the gauge etc. I actually popped it open to see of there wasn't something obviously wrong with it. Turns out I had it wired wrong.

Good to know that my engine may not be totally overheating!

Cheers,

Neil.


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