Temp gauge going to 0 when car idling...

Post by **badfelafel** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 11:46 am

Uh oh - I was so pleased when I connected my temp gauge and it seemed to work, going up when it should and down when it should.

But as of this morning, when I'm idling it sinks back to Cold, and as soon as I move off it goes back to where it was.

I'm guessing that after all I didnt wire it up properly...

any ideas???

Post by **chrisd87** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 12:03 pm

You did use the feed from the voltage regulator didn't you?

Post by **Packedup** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 3:17 pm

chrisd87 wrote:You did use the feed from the voltage regulator didn't you?

That'd be my guess too - Unless he did indeed, and the regulator has packed in.

Post by **Rob_Jennings** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 3:37 pm

poor water circulation? if no water is in contact with the sensor it can give all sorts of strange readings, check water level and possibly the water pump as that might explain poor/no flow at idle speeds, otherwise regulator or even earthing to the block of the sensor

Post by **badfelafel** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 5:43 pm

Ok heres an update...
it was working nicely. I (think *grin*) that I used the voltage regulator, at the back of the speedo.
Only recently has it started occasionally showing 0.
Now it works only intermittently (went to 0 when I was a mile from home and stayed there!)

At the same time my intermittently working indicators stopped working completely this morning - but the temp gauge was still mostly working until later this afternoon -

Don't know if the 2 are connected!

But suspect its something to do with the voltage regulator...
Maybe I should get one of those little stabiliser boxes - anyone know where?

Post by **bmcecosse** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:11 pm

Sure it has enough water in the rad ?

Post by **Willie** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 10:38 pm

The fact that the indicators also stopped working rules out the voltage stabiliser unit as the culprit as the indicators are not fed through it. but the regulator and indicators ARE fed from the same fused supply(the fuse with all
the dark green wires on it. The next time you get this fault then immediately
check to see if the fuel gauge, heater fan, or windscreen wipers have also
packed up. If so, then check the aformentioned fuse and all the connections
to it. It is very common for the two fuses to cease to make good contact
with their holders and they should be periodically cleaned to stop this happening.

Post by **Packedup** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 10:45 pm

badfelafel wrote:Ok heres an update...
it was working nicely. I (think *grin*) that I used the voltage regulator, at the back of the speedo.
Only recently has it started occasionally showing 0.
Now it works only intermittently (went to 0 when I was a mile from home and stayed there!)

So, no power going through it then.

At the same time my intermittently working indicators stopped working completely this morning - but the temp gauge was still mostly working until later this afternoon -

Don't know if the 2 are connected!

IIRC the indicators will use the same ign switched green as goes into the stabiliser, so could be a dirty contact in the fusebox, a duff fuse, or utterly unrelated.

But suspect its something to do with the voltage regulator...
Maybe I should get one of those little stabiliser boxes - anyone know where?

I posted a link to Minispares who have one that looks remakably like the original Minor type, or you can get a solid state one off Ebay for around 8 quid inc p&p. The electronic ones are better, but of course unless you find someone who builds them into the original casing they do look different. Though how much that matters when they live behind the speedo is questionable

If you've got a voltmeter I'd double check the power into the stabiliser first, if it's OK (should be the same as the battery, or ever so slightly less), then see if there's 10v coming out. If so, then it's the wiring, gauge or sender. If there's no power or not enough into the stabiliser, suspect fusebox first, then each connection from box to stabiliser. If there's power in and no power out, chuck the stabiliser and buy a new one.

Post by **Rob_Jennings** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 10:41 am

If you want a solid state regulator, you can purchase one from an electronics suplier (eg maplin) for about 50p this is a simple 3 terminal device that requires nothing more than wires soldered to it and is available in both positive and negative versions.

The guy selling them on ebay at £5 has quite a mark up!

but from the sounds of it you have a duff fuse contact, remove clean carefully and replace should fix that one.

Post by **Packedup** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 8:23 pm

Rob_Jennings wrote:If you want a solid state regulator, you can purchase one from an electronics suplier (eg maplin) for about 50p this is a simple 3 terminal device that requires nothing more than wires soldered to it and is available in both positive and negative versions.

Electrics I can do, but electronics aren't my friend - Any chance you could point me in the right direction as I need a new one soon and was going to get an Ebay one!

The guy selling them on ebay at £5 has quite a mark up!

Not as bad as the 50p variable resistor that gets sold for 20 odd quid as a "Performance Boost" though...

Post by **badfelafel** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:13 am

Went up North at the weekend (thats Scotland, not North of England!) - not in the Minor - and got back late last night. So as a late night last minute trick undid all the connectors in the fusebox, gave them a wipe, and stuck them on again. Didnt know there were so many connections in the fusebox!

Anyway, this morning both the indicators and the temp gauge worked all the way into town...

Lets see if the both work all the way home!

(PS Was glad they worked all the way in as it was very very foggy!)

Post by **bmcecosse** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:37 pm

Well done! Oh and I checked out the Transport Museum on sunday - it's now pay to park ! BOOOO. Plenty free spaces in Park Circus though.

Post by **badfelafel** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:55 pm

Lol... theres more - temp gauge worked all the way home... indicators didnt, until the last corner that is! Then they came back *grin* just to taunt me.

Will need to do some fiddling and checking, and see why the fan isnt working while I'm at it.

I still dont like my mini fan box - but everyone says its so much better than the minor one - so not worth changing back???

Post by **Welung666** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:38 pm

I have the old Smiths round heater in Phoebe and it's great now I've taped up all the holes aiming down

It clears the screen early in the mornin' in a couple of minutes flat! The next saloon I get will be the modded one so I'll be going late mini heater in that and see how I get on.

Post by **badfelafel** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:22 pm

If I just rewire my mini heater - make a new earth and connect the other end to the fusebox - that should solve it? Hoping so!