TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed Feb 06, 2002 3:43 pm

My fuel guage on my '65 is fried. I believe it was not protected during the 12 volt conversion. So, my question is: Which unit gets fried? The sender or the guage? Or both?

Wed Feb 06, 2002 5:18 pm

Maybe it's different on buses, but Type 1's didn't get an electrical gas gauge until 1968, so it should be working on a float-and-cable design. Please correct me if I'm wrong, all...

Wed Feb 06, 2002 9:02 pm

the the guage is gone, the sender can be used with 6 or 12v. don't by a 12v guage unless you get a really good deal. just get a new 6v and use a volt drop on it. I have used one on my bus for 6 years (90,000 miles) and it works fine.

Thu Feb 07, 2002 5:49 am

I have a nos 6volt fuel gauge if you need one. Might be able to dig up a good used 12volt too.

Mon Feb 11, 2002 12:00 am

there ar e two wires on your gauge, besides the bulb. One is black, the other is brown, goes to the negative terminal. remove the brown wire. and use a jumper wire to ground the negative terminal on the gauge to the body with the key on or power to the pos terminal. The gauge itself must be grounded too. If the gauge is good, the needle will read full. If not, it's no good. The sending unit can be checked with an ohmeter. Put one wire from the ohmeter on the brown wire going to the sending unit and groun d the other to the body. When empty, it shoud have about seventy ohms. When full, it should read neraly zero. All senders are the same on all pre '68 buses that came with a gauge new , regardless of whether 12 or 6 volt. You can use a 6 volt gauge with a voltage reducer.

Wed Nov 09, 2011 4:41 am

the 6v fuel gauge in my 12v bus had worked for years,

until the other day.. the gauge filled with smoke and stopped working. (I had been dicking about with other wiring around the speedo so may be coincidence)

I have another 6v gauge but have decided to put a reducer on it this time.

I like the price of this reducer -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC-DC-Converter-12V-Step...3a68c25946

but I am confused with the two negative wires

Do I wire the black and the white wire together and to the fuel gauge body earth?

the fuel gauge is already earthed to the 12v bus.

I intend to put the box between the ignition power and the + terminal of the fuel gauge and just earth both the black and the white wires to the bus.

does that sound right?

Wed Nov 09, 2011 12:55 pm

Im assuming the black and red side wires are the input. Assuming so by the pictures, ground(earth) the black wire and that sides red wire goes to ignition switch. The other sides red wire is your 6 volt positive or output. The white wire might be a ground but not sure. Read the instructions to be sure. Dont just hook it up or it will fry if its wrong. Your best bet is to email the seller to make sure of the white wire before purchase. Does it have to be grounded or can it be left open. Most likely the white wire can be left unused.

Wed Nov 09, 2011 2:25 pm

Hi thanks, yeh I'll mail seller to confirm.

ETA - yes both earths can be wired together to the fuel gauge housing, or one can be ommitted. I wired both and all seems ok the gauge is showing 1/4 tank which seems about right, the old gauge without a reducer showed 1/4 tank when it was nearly empty so it seems more accurate.

Was going to test the gauge with a trip - but my rear gearstick coupler broke :(
lucky it broke on my driveway rather than out on the road :D