VP Instrument Upgrade - Low Fuel Light / Trip Computer

[herminator]

Hello all,

Have a VP Exec 92. Has poorly calibrated fuel gauge. Run out of fuel twice when still showing 2mm above E!!

So, I need to get the damn Low Fuel Warning light to work.

Should I:

1. Find a Calais instrument with the Trip Computer and attempt to install & find new wires or...
2. Build simple electronics kit to flash up the low fuel warning light at some predetermined voltage?

As always, comments & help rewarded with lots of free praise!!

And if you have for sale a VP Calais dash, contact me!!

Regards,

Herminator.

[Full Spectrum]

I have the same issue with my car, It's also a 92 VP Exec. I run out before it's empty but i have noticed i have a pretty large dint in the tank, Have you checked for dints in yours at all?

[FXST01]

why not remove the fuel sender from the tank and adjust (i mean bend) the arm that holds the float?

[Dezza]

can u do that with out taking the tank off

[herminator]

Hello again,

Solved the problem - built a simple electronic kit to illuminate the unused CRS (Cruise) light when fuel is getting low. Ironic that you can't Cruise any more when you run out of petrol!!

Some fun was had to get it to work, but here's what I did.

1. Find Silicon Chipmagazine Feb '93, article "A low fuel indicator for your car". Maybe try their website www.siliconchip.com.au & phone for a back issue.

2. Purchase a circuit board from RCS Radio, Sydney. Phone (02) 9738 0330. Fax (02) 9738 0334. Email sales@rcsradio.com.au or visit www.rcsradio.com.au approx $8

3. Buy handful of electronic components (under $10) from www.jaycar.com.au, www.dse.com.au or other electronics parts shop.

4. File down circuit board approx 5mm length & width so it will fit inside the existing instrument panel. Careful not to file away any of the shiny tracks on the board.

5. Install all electronic components (get a friend to help!) Noting the following: Install Link 1 to work in the VP. Do not install the 10k resistor between 47k & 10k resistors in the middle of the board - install a length of wire instead. The circuit won't trip at a low enough level otherwise. I might try to scan the circuit to describe if anyone is interested.

6. Remove instrument panel from car. (Surely you can do that by now?)

7. Remove three black retaining screws & remove clear lens cover & bulb cover. Unbolt 2 nuts on rear of fuel gauge. Carefully slide out joiner plastic between fuel gauge & speedo. Remove fuel gauge.

8. Connect to internal source of 12 volt & ground as shown in photo. Solder to existing voltage regulator & top lead of resistor.

9. Turn over instrument panel and locate printed track as shown in photo. This is used to light up the CRS light when the fuel is getting low. Carefully scrape away a small amount of protective green coating to reveal copper. Carefully solder wire & pass wire inside instrument panel to connect to LAMP connector on circuit board. Use the terminal closest to the transistor.

10. Crimp a terminal to a wire & connect to fuel gauge terminal as shown in photo.

11. Install 2 nuts & bolts to replace fuel gauge threads in instrument panel. Here we are adjusting the circuit to light bulb when gauge indicates say 1/8 tank.

12. Connect jumper wire from 12V terminal (new bolt) to that terminal on fuel gauge. Do not connect other terminal yet - we are simulating a fuel sender by using a 1000 ohm (1k) variable resistor (potentiometer, 'pot') also bought from electronics shop.

13. Connect jumper wire from other fuel gauge terminal to middle terminal of pot. Connect jumper wire from here to 'from fuel sensor' terminal on circuit.

14. Connect jumper wire from either remaining terminal on pot to earth.

15. Adjust slowly pot to move fuel gauge to desired position for Low Fuel light to come on.

16. Adjust VR1 trim pot on circuit board so CRS light comes on. BUT, there is a 10 second odd delay, so adjust slowly this and the dummy fuel gauge pot. Time for patience.

17. Assemble neatly, screw down board, retain wire that is soldered to back of instrument panel. Reassemble panel.

18. Congratulate yourself of now not running out of fuel!!!

Sorry it is so long, trying to make it easy to follow. Reply to this post for more info - I'll try to check it sometime in the next week or two. sorry no email.

[HATER VP]

Well done with that. Its not a bad idea.
Fitting the Level 3 Dash would have been a bit of work.

If the car runs out of fuel with 2mm before empty, Pull the dash out, pull the needle off and move it around abit.
To adjust it in the tank you dont need to pull out the tank, Just the sender unit.

[Mayte123]

Just a suggestion but if you know that it runs empty about 2mm above empty why not just use that as a guidline when getting low? i always reset my trip each time i fill up just incase my gauge ever stuff up and i know that one tank will get me about 550 kms