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MG MGA Is there such a thing as a gauge with fuel/volts BBS discussion at MG-Cars.net
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MG MGA - Is there such a thing as a gauge with fuel/volts
| I hate the idiot lite, and would like to add a volt meter to my dash....The only place would be where the fuel gauge is, so I thought a dual gauge with fuel and volts would be nice....Is there such a gauge? Edward |
| Edward Wesson 60MGA |
| Only as a digital gauge - http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/Product.do?method=view&n=1771&g=270050&p=270055&c=215&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Base&utm_campaign=Gauges%20-%20Auxiliary&gclid=CJaN0o38wbkCFZQZtAod-Q4Ayg |
| Chris at Octarine Services |
| Chris Thank you for the link....If it were for my FFR "Cobra" roadster, I would get it...but for the MGA, not so much.... Too bad....I guess I could hide a voltmeter somewhere under the dash.... Edward |
| Edward Wesson 60MGA |
| If I remember my schoolboy electrics correctly, isn't a fuel guage a voltmeter anyway. Can you just add a couple of wires and a switch to switch between fuel and battery voltage. All you need is some calibration indication on the guage. Perhaps I'm talking rubbish, I'm sure someone who knows better can confirm this. Paddy |
| Paddy Reardon |
| The MGA (or MGB) fuel gauge is not a volt meter (technically Galvanometer). MGA and early MGB fuel gauge contains two magnet coils and a 2-watt wire wound power resistor. It works by positioning an armature (holding the indicator needle) in a magnetic field. Later MGB fuel gauge contains a bi-metal strip with a heater wire. Electrical current in the wire heats the bi-metal strip which then bends to drive the indicator needle. |
| Barney Gaylord |
| Edward. FWIW this is my solution: Bruce (YD11188)  |
| Bruce Mayo |
| Bruce ....and it's a good solution... I don't want an ammeter, but did you just run your VM from key-on hot connection from regulator, to ground? (I have negative ground car). Edward |
| Edward Wesson 60MGA |
| I have ordered a black/chrome AutoMeter volts gauge from JEG's, with a mounting bracket, that can be either left black, or painted dash (car), color..... I'm going to mount it under the dash, to the side of the column. Since it's a 2 1/16 gauge, It won't be too obtrusive, but will still have the black face, and white hand and numbers. Edward |
| Edward Wesson 60MGA |
| I used a similar holder to the one used by Bruce but made a simple wood bracket and installed it a shown..the other gauge is a boost/vac gauge for my Judson unit. Very pleased with the look and well out of the way of my knees ( I am 6ft 2in) and the lever . A voltmeter is a great addition for the car and the best tool to monitor battery/electrics.. PS It is not at an angle..photo perversion!  |
| Neil Ferguson |
The 2" Motometer gauge(s) has a very similar face to the 2" Jaegers and they also do (or did) a neat bracket to fix to the dash underside...........................Mike
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| m.j. moore |
| Hi all. Being an electrical engineer I have a bit of a thing about knowing both volts and amps at all times. It's a bit of an OCD thing, sorry! Hence both gauges, not just the one. The positioning was intentional, with a slight lean towards originality - but only slight! That is, to a casual observer from outside the car with the driver's door closed it is almost impossible to see the two gauges. Hence the picture needing the driver's door open. But, from the driving position they are surprisingly visible. I love them, very reassuring! Can't remember exactly where I connected the voltage gauge in, Edward, but there are several opportunities to easily pick up an ignition switched positive supply under the dash. Good luck. Bruce. |
| Bruce Mayo |
| Bruce I have not been a fan of ammmeters, since one in my Jeep started a fire under the dash (the jeep was new at the time)....All that amperage concentrated right there..... Anyway, rather than contort under the dash, I was thinking to take the power off of the switched side of the fuse block...Any reason why I can't do that? Thanks Edward |
| Edward Wesson 60MGA |
| Any time current flows there is a voltage drop (which is what makes the current flow). Even in a copper wire there will be some voltage difference between one end of the wire and the other end. Voltage will be different depending on where in the electrical system you are measuring. For instance, with high charging level there may be as much as 1 volt difference measuring between the generator output terminal and engine ground compared the measuring across the battery posts (even though these points appear to be directly connected in the wiring diagram). If you want to measure charging (or discharging) and condition of the battery, you want the volt meter to be connected as close as possible to the battery. You also want it on a switched circuit so it is disconnected when the ignition switch is off. The most common connection is at the ignition switch output terminal (white wire) and on chassis ground. If you want intimately close connection of the volt meter to the battery, you can connect it directly across the battery with a relay in the loop, and trigger the relay with the ignition switch output. For practical purposes it doesn't matter much where you connect the volt meter. You are primarily concerned whether it is charging (greater than 13 volts) or discharging (less than 12 volts). Otherwise you may be able to read small changes of voltage depending on changes of electrical load (especially with a low output generator). |
| Barney Gaylord |
| Edward. Barney has put the full case! As he says, there is little to be gained by the precision of where you connect to measure the battery voltage. Wherever is convenient to you will achieve the objective of monitoring whether all is well electrically or not. The only issue is to select an ignition switched point and a ground. If your voltmeter has a bulb in it you can also connect that up to one of the other instrument lighting wires. Bruce |
| Bruce Mayo |
| If you just want to know roughly what the voltage is then a series of coloured leds can be wired up so that they come on at different voltages - I have a series of 4 in my modern that indicate 10, 12, 14, 15 volts. |
| Chris at Octarine Services |
| Thanks , everyone, for the suggestions... Barney, That tip about the white ignition wire, may get me to "contort" a little...Wondering if it is just easier to pull the switch, and then make the connection....I'll have to take a look with a mirror, to see what the PO might have done, so I don't lite myself up....(will disconnect battery for this operation). Edward |
| Edward Wesson 60MGA |
| Got the gauge installed on the left of the steering column, today....(Left hand drive). Immediate benefit was that I saw that I was sending almost 17 volts to the battery, as regulator was too closed.... Backed off to 13+ volts at idle, and 14+ at speed.... Made adjustment a snap. Now I really hate idiot lites! Edward |
| Edward Wesson 60MGA |
| Here's a photo of the dash as it now appears with the gauge in place....I wasn't sure if I would be hitting it with my left leg, but I would have to go through the steering wheel first, so no problem. Edward  |
| Edward Wesson 60MGA |
| A little closer shot. Edward  |
| Edward Wesson 60MGA |
My dash came with a hole in it, so right or wrong, I did this to plug it up.
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| Dennis Suski |
| Dennis Good use of the space!...Obviously moved the TS switch and enlarged the hole. I didn't want to change the dash... Edward |
| Edward Wesson 60MGA |
| Dennis, Funny my Coupe has the same hole arrangement as yours. Mine came with the amp guage installed. Last time it went to the MG repair shop specialist, he mentioned he had never seen one set up like that and was very impressed. So I wonder, could this have being a factory install or an after market setup. |
| Gordon Harrison |
| The hole in my dash was a fairly rough cut so I believed it was a previous owner's doing rather than a factory thing. |
| Dennis Suski |
| If my car was already modified, I would consider doing it that way, because it looks great. But I'm trying to keep it as close to original, as practical....Virtually everything I have done can be easily changed back, but cutting a large hole in the metal dash would not be easily changed back, without a lot of effort and expense. Edward |
| Edward Wesson 60MGA |
| There isn't enough room anyway on a roadster dash to have a gauge and keep the indicator switch. |
| Neil McG |
| Neil Are you looking at Dennis' photo?...The PO just opened the turn signal hole for the 2 1/16" gauge, and moved the TS switch over as far as practical. I have looked at my dash, and , while the two items would be very close, on the back, it will work. Location of indicator is stock. Edward |
| Edward Wesson 60MGA |
| But that (Dennis' photo) is on a coupe dash? If you tried on the roadster it would all look squashed. |
| Neil McG |
| Neil Yes, I see now that the Coupe dash goes straight across at the bottom, whereas the roadster dash takes a turn upward....I never noticed that before (why would I?)...Thanks for the enlightenment. Edward |
| Edward Wesson 60MGA |
I was surprised when first looking at the rear of a coupe dash to find that it was a roadster dash with extenders welded. Everyone I've seen has been that way. Barney's site (CP-108) also suggests this.
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| Dennis Suski |
| Yes, I had a very late MkII dash that had the join, so it appears that the supplier continued modifying roadster dashes right up to the end. I suspect this is one reason why the coupes had vinyl covering (to hide the join)! |
| Neil McG |
| This forum is always an "edgeeeecashun." (LOL!) Thanks Edward |
| Edward Wesson 60MGA |
This thread was discussed between 10/09/2013 and 23/09/2013
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