• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!

    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

now you read em...now you don't

1sttr6

Freshman Member
Offline
Ride # 5 this past Saturday, as temps on Long Island shot all the way up to 40 degrees. Does not mind starting after 15 days tucked away. I love it and it runs nice.

All gauges working, i hit a minor bump and temp and fuel needles drop. I stop the beast, and one by one slide connectors on and off near fuses. They are a big greasy. I notice there is round relay thats just hanging there but connected. 'Start it up and fuel and Temp are back. <yay they still work> Same happens again later. Intermittant loss of fuel gauge is not so fun.

Are these two connected at some point. Any suggestions?

Peter
 
Both of those gauges are powered by the voltage stabilzer. Check the ground on that. IIRC it grounds through the casing mounting bolt. It's probably loose.
 
Bad ground to the 'stabilizer' makes the gauges read high, rather than zero. But a bad connection in that vicinity is very likely your problem.

If it happens again, try flipping on the heater fan or wipers. If they also don't work, then the problem is likely the fuse or connections (assuming you are asking about your 73 TR6, they all run off the same fuse).

Fuel gauges are just a nicety anyway ... I've driven several vehicles that didn't have a working one. The Temp gauge seems far more important to me.
 
TR3driver said:
Bad ground to the 'stabilizer' makes the gauges read high, rather than zero.

Randall, is that because the 'vibrator' or whatever is in there will quit working when the ground is lost?? Thus putting full battery voltage to the gauges??
 
Exactly !
Inside the can, there is a little heater and a bimetallic strip. When the heater gets the strip hot enough, it bends (due to differential expansion of the two metals) and opens the contacts. Without a ground, the heater doesn't heat and the contacts stay closed.
 
Back
Top