Smiths Gauges

[Guest Jonnyround2003]

Do you have to use the voltage stabaliser with the fuel and temperature guages with negative ground

[IanS]

short answere yes.

[Grim]

Old Smith's gauge? Can use a modern transistor voltage regulator, I bought one off eBay

[Guest Jonnyround2003]

If my car has the neutral from the Battery to the chassis this is classed as negative?

[Guest Jonnyround2003]

I'm using ford Sierra 1997 senders to smiths classic guages just want them to read accurately

[tractor]

on our cars you only get live and positive earth and negative earth there are no neutrals

[tractor]

any earth wires from the clocks will need to go to the chassis

if the senders are one wire then don`t put ptfe on the threads if two wires then one is signal and one is earth

Edited February 19, 2017 by tractor

[Guest Jonnyround2003]

So mine is classed as possative earth if the battery is connected to the chassis . I can only get the fuel and temp gauge to show a reading with 12 v supply but they are not very accurate if I fit a voltage stabalizer I get no readings even though it's giving out 10 volts I've had this issue now for ages don't know what to do ! Should I just change the gaues over to new ones with matching senders

[tractor]

no i think its classed as negative earth and the senders ideally need to match your gauges your fuel float arm may not be at the correct angle for your tank and the temp sender may be fubarred or some one may have used ptfe on it

 

i have a very limited knowledge of electrickery

Edited February 19, 2017 by tractor

[Jez Morton]

Your car is negative earth. I dont think anything was positive earth passed the 60's.

What Smiths gauges do you have, are they new or from a classic car. New gauges should be good with 12volt supply but old classic gauges will need regulator.

The senders from the Sierra will not match the smiths gauges, your best bet is to source the correct senders.

[Longboarder]

What Jez said is right in all aspects. Faffing with voltage regulators will get you nowhere.

 

Nigel

Edited February 19, 2017 by Longboarder

[Guest Jonnyround2003]

They are new gauges classed as classic smiths gauges they came with the voltage regulator so I take it you only need it on the old posative earth cars . My fuel gauge is the worst when I take out the sender at the highest reading it only shows half full on the gauge I'm going to get a new guage and matching sender that should sort it the only problem is that I want to use my exsisting sender and just take off the part that sends the signal

[tractor]

yep wot jez said i didnt say it

[tractor]

so heres one i dont know is the the stater motor positive earth or just switched

if so does that make the positive a 12v negative

or am i just

Edited February 19, 2017 by tractor

[Jez Morton]

You need to use the volt regulator with your gauges as they will be 10volt. The regualtor gives a constant 10volt which was required with the old dynamos whose output would vary with load and speed.

When you tried the volt regulator did you connect 12v to terminal B and the gauges to terminal I, the body of the regulator will need to be connected to earth for it to work. You'll still need to get correct senders to make them read right.