temperature guage fault

While im in the writing mood...i replaced my temperature sender unit as the dashboard guage didnt appear to be working, it hasnt solved the problem...so...i took the front panel off the dash to see if its faulty wiring, and its spaghetti city in there..

If i remove the guage and put it in one of the empty holes above the stereo in the centre of the landy (roughly above the gearstick) and rewire it from there will it just be 3 wires, 1 to sender, 1 to earth and 1 to battery?

Mark (who has no understanding of electrics)

Sounds a reasonable assumption but I believe the battery has to come via a voltage stabiliser otherwise the gauge will fluctuate when the alternator changes speed. Most of the other instruments such as fuel gauge and water temp also have the same stabilised battery feed.

Take 12v from one of the other gauges for your supply.

You'll also to take a supply for the illumination bulb.

The earth you mention is for the illumination.

So:-

1 12v from another dial to new location
2 12v from lamp on another dial to new loc
3 Earth
4 Line to sender.

The gauge also earths through its casing - make sure that is earthed.

I don't think these LR's have a voltage stailiser- i think they are part of the alternator, ive never been able to find otherwise.

This might explain a problem I've just identified...

I was just about to start going through the cooling system to find out why my 300TDi was running at a high temp. Then I realised that it was only high when it was dark, she runs fine in the daylight (probably afraid of the dark). Then I realised that the temp dropped immediately when I knocked the lights off.

So I started to think back and I've realised that it all started when I had the alternator replaced a couple of weeks ago. I've not seen a stabiliser, could it be built into the alternator (and therefore missing on my new one)?

Cheers

Woody