Gauge Repairs Needed....BUT

OK, so I've got issues with my combo gas/oil temp gauge. Readings are always cool/full so I'm going to go to North Hollywood Speedometer and have them take a look. So I CASUALLY go to their website and LO! Do I see colored gauges I really like? Do I see neater gas/oil combo gauges?

Ohhhhh, I'm in big trouble now. This could be a major play and I think I need help! Or, it would be really cool to have new gauge faces in the car!! Thoughts?

Careful, Dennis! You don't want your Speedy to start looking like a 'tuner' car.

You're going to the right place; the rest is a matter of taste....

I like to window shop, but won't become a "tuner". Reality sucks.

What do you have for guages..........the 914 ones? If so, that one is $10-20 bucks used on ebay. North Hollywood is the recommended vendor (Pelicanparts.com) for speedo repair (the odo stops working) since the 914 speedo has a little brass ring in it that works loose after a couple decades. The site pelicanparts.com also tells you how to take it apart and fix it. I did it on my 914 and worked for the last five years. Most 914 stuff shows up on ebay sooner or later and is cheap. I used to pick up two of anything I needed, fix both and sell one refurbished to neutralize the cost.

Fred Adler
San Diego

Dennis,

With an 03 IM those gauges have to be pretty high quality repro gauges. Have you checked the sender units? that might be the culprit.

Also I recommend getting the Mainly dipstick thermometer. It will help you get an idea of where your engine temp is in relation to your gauge.

I have the old IM with 914 (all black) gauges, you should have the ones that look like the originals. The 914 gauges are ok with me because I loved my 914 instrument panel and its like revisiting an old friend every time I drive.

Dave

Dennis,
The oil being cool is probably a function of the sender location. When I bought my car in '02, CB was putting the sending unit in the deep sump. I very seldom got out of the lil' green box on the left. I thought I was running really cool. With my current engine, the sender is mounted on the 1/2 side up a bit from the bottom of the case. That location is much more functional. I am not sure when Henry and Pat changed the location, seems like it was in '04-05.

As for the Fuel gauge, it is normal for a VW sender/fuel gauge combo to stay full for a MANY miles and then drop precipitously as the tank level gets to about 2/3 empty. When the fuel needle starts bouncing, start thinking about fueling.

You could have an incompatibility between the gauge and sender resistance but that is magic stuff for me.

Anyway, it is probably not so much the gauges themselves, based on my experience....

I haven't had gas in my tank yet, so I have no experience with this.

I think the sudden drop is due to the tank being tilted. There may not be much that can be done about this.

I think the needle bouncing is due to the sender being for a vibrator type gas gauge and the gauge not being the vibrator type.

It may be that a Karmann Ghia sender would solve the needle bounce.

I hope others with experience with this comment too.

Michael-

It isn't that easy. As Dale said, it's the incompatibility of the windings and the gauge that is the problem.

I gave up and ditched the gas gauge. I had North Hollywood Speedometer modify my "combi gauge" with an oil pressure gauge where the gas gauge was. I'm using a modified gas gauge sender to light up a "low fuel" light when I've got a gallon or two left in the tank. It works great, and I've got a useful gauge cluster.

Stan,

Will your modified gas gauge sender work with the combi gas gauge?

I have been wanting to have the low fuel light work.