british-cars
[Top] [All Lists]

is this the voltage stabilizer?

To: british-cars@autox.team.net
Subject: is this the voltage stabilizer?
From: Mark Steph <tr6@pobox.com>
Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 18:44:53 -0500
Looking for a little advice/convincing here...

I am close to completing a dash restoration project on a 75 TR6.  After 
reassembling everything I come to find that my fuel and temperature 
gauges no longer work.  My memories from previous work on this car 
pointed me back to the voltage stabilizer that supplies power for them. 
  I am trying to convince myself that is the problem -- though really 
nothing here has changed (in my mind) except for a bunch of split vinyl 
and splintered wood.

Symptoms:
1. fuel/temp gauges do not work
2. the fuse for this circuit blows pretty regularly.
3. even when it does not blow, I can turn on the vent fan and the fan 
will start and stop (and the lights get brighter/dimmer when it happens) 
as if Mr Lucas is doing something evil.

This is what I have done so far:
1. tested fuel gauge with a 9v battery -- appears to work ok.
2. disconnected voltage stabilizer and problem 2 and 3 seem to go away 
(at least they do running the fan for 5-10 min.)
3. measured input voltage to VS -- almost exactly 12.
4. bench tested stabilizer with a multimeter.  I see wild swings from 0 
to 5v to 7v.  Nothing higher than 7v ever.  I was expecting 10v.

Am I right to suspect the stabilizer?  What in the world could have made 
it go kaput just by removing/refitting the speedo/gauges?

-Mark

///  british-cars@autox.team.net mailing list
///  or try  http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool
///  Archives at http://www.team.net/archive


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>