Date:         Sat, 26 May 2012 11:03:23 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Low Temp Radiator Thermo Switch "Better"?
In-Reply-To:  <BAY152-ds4B68F29F89CB4F6DC8C36A0060@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 10:35 AM 5/26/2012, Dennis Haynes wrote:
>Even the Vanagon gauge is damped for a very slow response. Get fast acting

Yes, both our fuel and temp gauges are operated by little heating
elements wound around bimetallic strips that bend as they heat
up.  For a given step change in input, might take as much as a minute
to completely stabilize on the new reading (and longer when first
starting, as the gauge itself warms and stabilizes).  Other fancier
gauges may use silicone grease at the pivot to damp the movement, but
with the thermal gauges it's built in.

Incidentally, the specified calibration tolerance of the gauges
themselves is +/- one needle width.

Also incidentally, our fuel gauges read low uphill and on/after left
turns, and high downhill and on/after right turns.  Float is toward
the front-left corner of the tank.

Yours,
David