Series 3 fuel and temp gauges stopped working. Can anyone help?

Hi folks,

I have a 1984 S3 petrol.

Whilst driving the other day, i noticed my fuel and temp gauges stop working. As the fuel gauge has been rather lazy since I bought the truck a few years ago, I wasn't too concerned, as I figured that the voltage stabiliser had finally packed up, so I fitted a new one this morning, turned the key and my rather pre-emptive look of triumph quickly dissolved to one of dismay as the gauges resolutely didn't move. When I rev the engine, the fuel gauge flickers at the bottom of its dial as it did previously, but neither gauge will register anything meaningful.

Can someone please provide some advice on what else I should look at to try and resolve this?

Thanks!

Alex

What voltage regulator did you use? I have heard of a certain brand doing this. Dead from new. I would stick a fiver on it as that is the only thing both gauges have in common.

Just an unbranded bimetallic one from Craddocks...

Dumb question, but am I right there are only 2 wires that connect to the voltage regulator? Certainly, that's all that we're connected when I pulled the dash out and I can't see any loose wires hanging around down the back that look like they may have popped off.

It's doing my head in, as I have a clear 12.5v on all the fuses, but nothing showing on the VR.

Possibly three wires two light green possibly in same crimp and a green which is the supply. THis is on top fuse on mine and the drawings I have looked at.

In top right of 1st pic you can see light green which goes to gauges on terminal closest to gauges and a darker green wire going toward opposite connection . [I also appear to have a brown wire connected but this was before my rebuild]

Poor connections in the fuse box are often the cause.

Do you have a multimeter and a test lamp? Test the voltage on the green side(input) and ground then test voltage on output. Then connect low wattage ie 10-15 watt lamp on output and other side to ground. Test voltage with lamp in place. I put money that it drops big time. The thing with using a multimeter on electronics is that unless it's under load you may get false readings.

Thanks for the hints, folks.

When I tested the multimeter against the fuse housings, I got a steady 12v output. When I tested it against both sides of the VR, I got 0.5v. I then tested the ends of both wires and got 0v (you can tell I know f all about auto electrics!!!). Therefore, I assume that either the wire has broken (I would doubt it, as they hadn't been disturbed), or there is a bad contact in the fuse box (could the case, as I had been driving spiritedly through a small flood and, as with most Series, it isn't that waterproof!!!!). I guess the next stage is whip of each of the connectors in the fuse box and clean them with emery paper?

Try using the multimeter on Ohms scale from dark green on VR to top fuse to see if any circuit at all.