frank_s Posted January 22, 2019 Report Share Posted January 22, 2019 Hi - my fuel gauge level moves all over the place with the fuel in the tank sloshing from side to side going round bends. There's no damping at all on the gauge. Am I missing a tank sender unit voltage stabiliser or something similar to stop this happening? Or have I got a different problem? Cheers Frank Quote Link to post Share on other sites
acaie Posted January 22, 2019 Report Share Posted January 22, 2019 I'm afraid mine is just the same, Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveR Posted January 23, 2019 Report Share Posted January 23, 2019 I have the same on mine. Lack of baffles in the fuel tank I guess. As interest there isn't a Voltage Stabiliser fitted to the fuel or temp gauge cct. It uses a bridge cct to balance small changes in the supply voltage. Dave Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paul Heritage2 Posted January 23, 2019 Report Share Posted January 23, 2019 (edited) The stabiliser is a smaller rectangular unit attached to the top of the instrument cluster. Edited January 23, 2019 by Paul Heritage2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveR Posted January 24, 2019 Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 Sorry no the box you have shown is the low fuel warning relay and delay unit, Part No. TKC4017. This unit is commonly mistaken for a voltage stabiliser. If in doubt please check the cct for the TR7. Dave Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HowardB Posted January 24, 2019 Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 Dave I am sure you are right in this case but beware that the Triumph drawings are not always the same as the car. On another forum there is someone trying to work out how to connect the two wires on his car to a new choke cable switch which only has a single terminal (like mine). The switch was changed from two to one terminals which means there was an associated wiring change which is not recorded anywhere I have found.... Cheers Howard Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveR Posted January 24, 2019 Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 Howard, 1980's cars have the switch in series with the supply and to work must have two leads. One to the supply and the other to the warning bulb. Whereas pre 1980's cars have the switch as earth return. Now no colour is given for the earth return as it is obtained through the choke cable mounting bracket. Hence one lead from the warning bulb. As per the Dolomite. If he has two leads then please don't connect any of them to a single terminal switch as when it closes it will short out the supply to earth. The info is in the Triumph handbook cct, though the way they are drawn they can be very confusing. Dave Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveR Posted January 24, 2019 Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 Howard, Having taken a look at the single terminal switch it does have it's earth return through the choke mounting bracket. It's part number, 137607, is the same as the Dolomite. As such it is not a direct replacement for the two terminal switch. There are a number of solutions. - 1/ Obtain a good secondhand two terminal type. 2/ Is to have an earth seeking relay which is operated by the switch and the relay contacts operating the warning bulb. 3/ Is to very carefully insulate the earthing terminal on the switch from the choke cable and then attach a lead to this to form the other connection. 4/ Rewiring, by hacking the printed cct on the back of the instrument panel. This would involve removing the earth from the warning bulb and replacing it with the supply voltage. The bulb lead at the switch would then be earth seeking through the singe terminal switch. Hope that helps Dave Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HowardB Posted January 24, 2019 Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 Hi Dave Problem already solved for a French TR7 owner else before I made the post. My original '81 UK drawings from Triumph show a switch with two terminals, but my 81 version only has one & works without any mods.... My conclusion the original drawing is incorrect, which is all I was attempting to say in my message. With the various locations our cars were made at there are unrecorded mods that we need to be aware about Cheers Howard Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JAM1958 Posted June 27, 2022 Report Share Posted June 27, 2022 Can anyone point me in the direction of where I'd get a working fuel gauge for my 1981 TR7 dhc? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jerrytr5 Posted June 27, 2022 Report Share Posted June 27, 2022 Try Robsport. You sure it's the guage and not the sender or wiring? Jerry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BusheyTrader Posted June 28, 2022 Report Share Posted June 28, 2022 As per Jerry, I’d scramble under the fuel tank first to clean the connections to the sender unit if you haven’t already…. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Barry G Posted July 12, 2022 Report Share Posted July 12, 2022 Hi, my fuel gauge never gets above half full. Don’t know if the sender is ok. Do I have to drain the tank to remove the sender and can it be removed without taking the tank off? interestingly my temp gauge never moves off cold even though the water temp is correct at 83 degrees. Could it be a common voltage problem? Thanks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith w Posted July 12, 2022 Report Share Posted July 12, 2022 Hi Barry, yes it's advisable to drain the tank before attempting to remove the sender but the fuel pipe comes off the same circular fitting so you'll know if you have fuel above the level of the sender before taking it out. The sender can be removed without dropping the tank as it's mounted on the front of the tank. It's held in by a metal ring with two tabs on it which will enable you to tap it round to release it. I have a similar problem with temperature gauge having replaced a sender recently. It reads cooler than the previous one which went faulty. I understand new ones vary in quality but I've not yet found out who makes the good ones. For now I'm running with one I bought from Robsport which gives me a stable reading at around teh quarter mark. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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