Date:         Thu, 06 Oct 94 09:11:51 CDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "J. Walker" <JWALKER@ua1vm.ua.edu>
Subject:      Re: *&^%@ gas gauge!!!

On Thu, 6 Oct 94 06:27:09 CDT David Carment said:
>For me the issue is the randomness of the gauge. There is no definite
>point at which the gauge will always say .5 gal left....I have lowered
>the tank to replace the handbrake cable and it is a messy and difficult
>job. Replacing the sender is a no go at this stage. The second gauge
>sounds interesting - how much do they cost? DC --

it's the shape of the tank (and upside-down saddle arrangement) that screws
it all up. mine reads more/less depending on if i'm pointing up/down hills
so it can really mess up your mind.

ok this is the guy that sells the little trip computer that i got. mine is
a Zemco ZT-4, an older model that sells (nowadays) for about $100. maybe less
now. it has five buttons to display mph, dist, time, fuel-used, and mpg
(average mpg for about 7 seconds, then instantaneous mpg thereafter) on a
blue neon display (which dims when your headlights are turned on).

the hookups required are:
- 4 magnets on the cv-joint at the transmission (i used the clutch slave
cylinder side, and used the cylinder brace bolt as the mounting place for the
bracket to hold the speed sensor ... the thingie that senses the magnets).
- two wires to clip onto the two wires to any one of the injector wires. if
you have a carb, you'd have to cut a fuel line and install a little 'water-
meter' that the two wires go to.
- ground wire
- parking light or headlight wire (for dimming)
- power wire (constant 12v ... to keep the memory)
- power wire (switched 12v ... for the display to shut off with the key)

the computer box is the display box and it mounts on the dash somewhere. i
put mine on top of the ash tray (vanagon) ... i figured i can always get
another ash tray. :)  there is one other box ... the fuel pulse counter ...
which has to fit somewhere.

the biggest hassle (it took me two days to install it on my 80 bus) is getting
the magnet sensor bracket built/adapted (actually figuring out where to put
it took the longest). then running the wires under the bus. then making the
hookups in the front under the dash.

the last time i installed it (same computer ... i just took it out of each
bus as they left me) in my 88 bus, it took only about 3 hours. but then, i've
had LOTS of practice.

now ... the bad parts:
if you disconnect the battery, you'll have to re-calibrate the whole mess. :(
but!! you can get it to display its conversion factors so you can write them
down and put them back in later. they are never exactly the same (cause you
can't enter the same number of digits that they display), but it's pretty
close. close enough.
if you mount it on the dash, you need to figure out some way to keep it out
of the direct sun. i made a little cover that fits over the thing to shield
it. also makes it easier to read in the daytime.

they also made a model called DCS300 which has an LCD display and more better
features: time until empty, dist until empty, overage mpg, trip mpg, etc.
it costs about $200 i think, and has a 9v battery for memory backup. it's
lower and wider.

so, if anyone is interested, give this guy a call and get him to send out
a brochure of what he's got. he also sells cruise controls (which i've also
installed on bread-loaf and vanagon) and security alarms, electronic compass,
and such stuff.

Direct Buyer Service         Trip Computers, performance computer,
P. O. Box 55303              cruise control, security systems,
Portland, OR 97238
(206) 944-5230

joel