Volvo Community Forum. The Forums of the Volvo Owners Club

Forum Rules Volvo Owners Club About VOC Volvo Gallery Links Volvo History Volvo Press
Go Back   Volvo Owners Club Forum > "Technical Topics" > PV, 120 (Amazon), 1800 General

Notices

PV, 120 (Amazon), 1800 General Forum for the Volvo PV, 120 and 1800 cars

Information
  • VOC Members: There is no login facility using your VOC membership number or the details from page 3 of the club magazine. You need to register in the normal way
  • AOL Customers: Make sure you check the 'Remember me' check box otherwise the AOL system may log you out during the session. This is a known issue with AOL.
  • AOL, Yahoo and Plus.net users. Forum owners such as us are finding that AOL, Yahoo and Plus.net are blocking a lot of email generated from forums. This may mean your registration activation and other emails will not get to you, or they may appear in your spam mailbox

Thread Informations

Voltage stabilizer

Views : 2645

Replies : 17

Users Viewing This Thread :  

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old Jul 21st, 2018, 22:16   #1
grahamwatson
Member
 

Last Online: Aug 8th, 2023 19:40
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Inverness
Default Voltage stabilizer

A number of gauges on my 1973 1800ES are not reading correctly. Following advice elsewhere I have bought a new voltage stabilizer before embarking on wholesale replacement of the gauges.


But (somewhat embarassingly) I cannot find the old one. I assumed it would be up behind the dash somewhere, possibly attached to the back of one of the gauges. But I can't spot it! Of course I don't really know what I am looking for, as it may not look like the replacement one.


Can anybody point me in the right direction?
grahamwatson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Jul 22nd, 2018, 07:35   #2
c1800
Master Member
 

Last Online: Mar 26th, 2024 23:41
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Alberta
Default

This may help.

http://sw-em.com/voltage_stabilizer.htm
c1800 is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to c1800 For This Useful Post:
Old Jul 22nd, 2018, 10:02   #3
arcturus
arcturus
 
arcturus's Avatar
 

Last Online: Yesterday 09:21
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Sagres Portugal
Default

I wish I could incorporate a stabilizer on my 6volt PV fuel gauge! The needle bounces all over the gauge when driving.
__________________
life's too short to drink bad wine
arcturus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Jul 22nd, 2018, 12:50   #4
Derek UK
VOC Member
 
Derek UK's Avatar
 

Last Online: Yesterday 17:01
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Chatham
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by arcturus View Post
I wish I could incorporate a stabilizer on my 6volt PV fuel gauge! The needle bounces all over the gauge when driving.
That's probably down to a bad rheostat on the tank sender.
Derek UK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Jul 22nd, 2018, 14:38   #5
arcturus
arcturus
 
arcturus's Avatar
 

Last Online: Yesterday 09:21
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Sagres Portugal
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Derek UK View Post
That's probably down to a bad rheostat on the tank sender.
Fairly new but I guess that doesn't mean for anything! When I get my finances sorted out I will probably try fitting a new one.
__________________
life's too short to drink bad wine
arcturus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Jul 22nd, 2018, 20:46   #6
grahamwatson
Member
 

Last Online: Aug 8th, 2023 19:40
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Inverness
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by c1800 View Post
Thanks c1800, and top work (as always) from Ron.

It is the fuel gauge, oil temp and water temp gauges which are misreading, so it seems I may be on the right track.

"The stabilizer is mounted on the reverse side of the combined instrument" - whatever that is. I'll have to look more carefully. The Brickboard link says the stabilizer is mounted on the back of the oil temp gauge, so that's where I'll start!
grahamwatson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Jul 22nd, 2018, 22:21   #7
v8250
Member
 

Last Online: Jul 26th, 2023 11:37
Join Date: May 2017
Location: West Berkshire
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by arcturus View Post
I wish I could incorporate a stabilizer on my 6volt PV fuel gauge! The needle bounces all over the gauge when driving.
put a 6v zenner diode in between the o/p sender and the gauge

http://www.reuk.co.uk/wordpress/elec...age-regulator/

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/zener-diodes/0463795/
v8250 is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to v8250 For This Useful Post:
Old Jul 23rd, 2018, 16:23   #8
Ron Kwas
Premier Member
 
Ron Kwas's Avatar
 

Last Online: Yesterday 20:59
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Connecticut, USA
Default

Graham;

Your symptoms are consistent with a Voltage Stabilizer fault...to locate VStab, have a look at back of Tach or Speedo with a good light...sorry, they hid it pretty well, so some contortions are required...factory typically fastened them as a secondary use for the instrument securing hardware (giving continuous conductive path down to Dashboard metal)...but there might have been variations from the factory or mechanics which came along later...so remember: The Wiring Diagram Color Code is your friend...use wiring colors to verify you have indeed located the VS!...[White-GreeN looks to be input and BLue output for ES]
Be also aware, the Mount (M) hardware also acted as a chassis connection (important to the correct elec function of the VS!) so first thing when you locate it is to loosen, then resnug the securing nut to assure a good chassis connection (poor connection at VS mounting tab and any associated mechanical/electrical conductive path to Dashboard metal will cause malfunction including intermittency, although the "Chassis Tab" (C) of the VS itself simply wraps around the board edge and is held in-place by crimped over VS housing (see VS construction details below):

Source: https://www.sw-em.com/voltage_stabilizer.htm
...this connection itself is susceptible after such a long time, to corrosion...)...to check function of VS, locate and connect a temporary test wire to the output of VS (best place is at one of the other instruments), and monitor voltage...VS output should be consistent with that shown in link (thanks also for reference, C1800!).

Let us know what you find!

Good Hunting!

Arcturus; Fuel Gauge with apparent Parkinsons (beyond that of simply following the bouncing float) on a model without a VS is another subject and you should probably open a separate thread. See also: https://www.sw-em.com/Fuel%20Gauge%20Notes.htm

Last edited by Ron Kwas; Jul 23rd, 2018 at 18:18.
Ron Kwas is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Ron Kwas For This Useful Post:
Old Jul 25th, 2018, 10:15   #9
grahamwatson
Member
 

Last Online: Aug 8th, 2023 19:40
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Inverness
Default

Well, I found it. Up on the back of the oil temp gauge. right behind that support bracket which comes down from the dash top to the steering column. Definitely afterthought engineering. Probably seemed like a good idea when the dash was out on a bench.

I removed the steering wheel so that I had better access to the footwell. I probably should have removed the driver's seat too, but instead decided to break my back over the hand break lever and footplate. It was one of those jobs where (at my age) you pull every muscle in your body and get cramp in your fingers. Lots of little knurled screws at the limit of reachability. And wires that come off terminals before you have a chance to see what goes where. The wiring diagram colour code may be my friend but I didn't see a reference to DDG (dirty dusty grey).

Anyway my top tip is to access that top central gauge by removing one of the others first. I went for the water temp gauge which is the small one below it, but I should have bitten the big bullet and removed the rev counter.

In fact I ended up removing all of the gauges as the job developed (as they always do) into something else, and I decided to take the opportunity to refurb the bezels and clean up the dials.

Its all back together now, looking much nicer, and with everything working well (so far as I can tell - steering wheel is still off and I haven't run it long enough for the oil temp gauge to lift off its stop, but the life in the water temp and fuel tank dials leave me optimistic!).

Thanks guys!
grahamwatson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Jul 25th, 2018, 14:12   #10
Ron Kwas
Premier Member
 
Ron Kwas's Avatar
 

Last Online: Yesterday 20:59
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Connecticut, USA
Default

Graham;

So what was the repair?...replacement of VStab or simply reestablishing its chassis connection?

...I see in first post you had a new one, so I presume you went ahead and installed it...probably a good move (you don't want to have to revisit that job again if you can avoid it...)...can I have the old one for a post-mortem analysis?

Cheers
Ron Kwas is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 00:19.


Powered by vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.