Jaeger fuel gauge reading back to front

[Julesvitesse65]

Hi I have a convertible Vitesse 1600 1965, and have an interesting problem.

 

When I bought the car the fuel gauge was disconnected, and when I reconnected the gauge it reads back to front i.e. no fuel = full and full tank = almost empty.

 

Simple I thought, swap the wires over on the back of the gauge = same reading!

 

OK swap the wires over on the sender, difficult as each connector is a different size. With help swapped over and the guage goes all the way to full - not right.

 

Then decided to check the sender unit itself, the "Top" stamped on the connector unit of the sender is at the top, but just in case turned the sender round the other way = same result back to front reading on Fuel Gauge. 

 

Anyone got any ideas please?

 

Thanks

 

Jules

[dougbgt6]

There are two sorts of sender unit for your car, one has two terminals and one has three. The third terminal is an earth so presumably the two terminal unit relies on the body of the unit for it's earth. Do you have 2 terminal or 3?

 

The two terminal is no longer available so I'm if your previous owner had problems and replaced a 2 terminal with a 3 could that be the source of your problem?

[Julesvitesse65]

Thanks dougbgt06,

 

I think it is a two terminal sender, and one wire goes straight to the body to earth.

 

I'll do a bit more investigation and report back later in the week. Thanks for getting back to me.

Jules

[Colin Lindsay]

You may find the gauge and the sender are from different eras of Triumph; stabilised or unstabilised. Mixing the components will cause this. You need either a 10v stabilised gauge and matching sender or a 12 volt unstabilised setup. Does it have six screws around it at the tank, or a locking ring?

[Julesvitesse65]

Hi Colin, thank you for the reply. The sender has 6 screws and two connectors.

[Pete Lewis]

Being a 65 1600 it has the seperate 2" fuel and temp gauges not the integral in the speedo

 

Its possible the gauge is the wrong spec fitted by a previous owner

 

and a bi metal sender reverses the gauge operation of moving iron [WAVY) needle gauges

 

found that out when fitted a new tank with bayonet two terminal had to cut down the orig 6 hole to fit the

bayonet ring to correct it.

 

pete

[Julesvitesse65]

Hmm, thanks Pete, I'll do more investigation and take a closer look at the gauge. Thanks Jules

[Julesvitesse65]

Thanks to everyone who advised. I have now sorted having found an old Jaeger Fuel Gauge, and after a fiddle about, now seems to be reading the right way. It remains to be seen if it's accurate - so the spare fuel can remains in the boot for the time being. Thank you again everyone - really appreciate your advice. Jules