Vitesse Mk2 Voltage Stabiliser

[Phil C]

Morning All

Electrics - not my strong point 🤨

Am I correct in thinking the highlighted item is a Voltage Stabiliser?

From the wiring diagram it appears to protect the fuel and temp gauges.

I am currently fitting a new harness, supplied (Autosparks) to suit an Alternator installation and on it this connection is not provided for.

I understand alternators have built in voltage regulators and therefore the Control box becomes obsolete but is the Voltage Stabiliser also unnecessary?

I have spoken to Autosparks but they were unable to provide an answer! 😳

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[Pete Lewis]

loooks more like a horn relay   certainly not a regulator looks like this 

the dynamo reg looks like this 

and can be on bulkhead or under the toe panel card on the passenger side Apost base 

the gauge voltage regulator is mounted on the back of the speedo 

and looks like this 

pete

[Paul H]

Could it be an overdrive relay ? 
Paul 

[Pete Lewis]

yes 6Ra relay and versions are commonly used for the OD  some are marked as Overdrive  by lucas

Pete

[NonMember]

Yep, that's the overdrive relay.

[johny]

2 hours ago, Phil C said:

I understand alternators have built in voltage regulators and therefore the Control box becomes obsolete but is the Voltage Stabiliser also unnecessary?

I have spoken to Autosparks but they were unable to provide an answer! 😳

Thanks in anticipation.

Voltage stabilser still required with alternator as the instruments work with 10v not 12v so the stabilser (also available in modern electronic form) holds the supply for the fuel and temperature gauges to this...

[Badwolf]

Meant to ask this a little time back but the two terminals on the stabiliser are marked B and I. Is that for battery and input or what?  I did have this written down somewhere but have lost it.

[Phil C]

Thanks Guys

I was confused as my original old harness incorporated this relay but the new Autosparks harness didn't. However they do sell an overdrive add on package which I have and so I have now identified the correct connections.

Now its cleaned up I can see the faint 6RA and the terminals match the wiring diagram W1, W2, C1 & C2.

Also checked my speedo and it does indeed have a regulator attached as per Pete's photos.

Thanks again.

 

[NonMember]

31 minutes ago, Badwolf said:

Meant to ask this a little time back but the two terminals on the stabiliser are marked B and I. Is that for battery and input or what? 

I think it's "battery" and "instrument" - certainly the B terminal is connected to ignition supply and the I to the gauges

[Pete Lewis]

they are often inhibited  IE a male and female lucar sockets so you cant get it wrong 

male lucar  B for battery   and female lucar is i for instruments 

the case of the smiths mechanical regulator must be earthed and it also marked TOP which has to be upright 

or you get peculiar readings 

temp senders must be a generic GTR108  if you have a non stabilesed sender 121997  on astabilised car you will get hot readings and panic attacks 

Pete

[Badwolf]

Thanks Gents. I will note the manuals accordingly for the future.

[JohnD]

Just to complete PhilC's tutorial (aka being nagged at by the old farts)   this 'stabiliser' is far from that!

Put a voltmeter on it while it's connected and the ignition is on, and you will see it read 12V-0V-12V-0V-12V.........

Inside that box is a bimetallic strip, wound with resistance wire.   As the wire heats the strip, it bends, and breaks the circuit, so cools down, bends back and remakes the circuit again.     It feeds an average 10V to the gauges, that are heavily damped anyway -you don't want to see the fuel sloshing about! - so you don't see the on-off of the supply, either.    This delightful bit of Victorian engineering is quite reliable, and in the face of the varying volts provided by a dynamo provides a stable supply for the gauges, perhaps not quite 'stable' in the way you might think!

Yer modern electronic equivalent does provide 10V constantly, but the gauges don't care!

JOhn

[johny]

Yes the only good bit is the power saving (it all helps 😂)which leaves more for the back wheels or, more important these days, improves fuel consumption!