My Clubman had a custom dash put in it before I bought it (many many moons ago now) and is using a VDO fuel Gauge.

When I swapped the parts over to another mini the fuel guage starting working backwards.... and inaccurately.

After some research on the web finally understand why....
as VDO are 180 Ohms Full and 10 Ohms Empty.

Whereas Smiths (early) are 20 Ohms Full and 260 Ohms Empty ( and testing on a spare mini fuel tank confirms this.. )( hence backwards reading VDO! )

Looking at the old car the PO had fitted a VDO sender in the tank - but it has not survived the years sitting around.... (so the simple solution of swapping tanks is out)

So finally...
Does anyone know any other suitable Smiths (or other) 52mm gauges that can be hooked up with a Mini fuel sender that are reasonably accurate?

I was about to chase up a Triumph Spitfire one on eBay UK - but a quick google seems these are 200 ohms empty.... just when I thought I had a solution !

A bit of an odd question I know... but some of you may have hit this sort of thing before...

Thanks

Whilst I'm googling "resistance inverter", I'll ask the simple question, is it possible to fit the fuel level sender in upside-down?


Or, can you open the gauge, and change the E & F positions with something (as in better than crayon).

Thanks for the idea .. but...
The sender only goes in one way - there are tabs to ensure this - so float is able to move correctly.

I have found some references to building electronic gizmos with variable resistors to "invert" and calibrate ... but that's getting too complicated!
(It'd be easier to buy a new VDO sender... but trying to do this "cheaply" and avoid similar issues in the future... )

And with the VDO reading "FULL = empty" at 180 - there is still plenty of Fuel in the tank... but for long ??

What does the sender read in a Rover Mini as they have a different brand gauge.
Cheers Pete

_________________
A recent study found the average Aussie walks about 900 miles a year
Another study found Aussies drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year
That means, on average, Australians get about 41 miles per gallon

Kind of makes you proud to be an AUSSIE

Check Autometer. They also making a gauge that can learn. You set the sender to empty and program the gauge, then set the sender to full and program the gauge again. Its probably not cheap, but will work in the end.

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Hanras

There are several different versions of the VDO gauge, to cater for different sender units. Some work in the 'forwards' sense and some the other way round.

If you need help to find the right one I've got the catalogue here so just tell me the empty and full resistance of your sender and I'll have a look.

I use a 2" etc Smiths fuel gauge in my Black S that matches the S oil pressure and temp gauges. Works a treat. Sourced it from Lionel Otto Instruments in Brisbane. Set the resistence at the time.
Contact John on 07 3277 3888. These guys are great.

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Steve

Footnote to this thread .... (for anyone looking for this sort of info in the future)

Bought a Triumph (Smiths) Fuel gauge (and voltmeter) off eBay for $10.....

Calibrated it with a sender out of a spare tank as per http://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/fuel.htm

And works perfectly....
Brother-In-Law borrowed the Mini and returned it with and I then fitted the gauge - read zero....
Just filled up .. 23 litres ... and sitting at FULL...

Much better than the wacko readings from the VDO....

I'm having a similar issue going from an 850 speedo to a black face speedo from an unknown roundy. Has anyone else done the same and found the same issue, and can it be calibrated in a similar way?

the fuel gauges should work the same way..... maybe the ont in the black face speedo is just dodgy. You can swap the fuel gauges over

my mate has a VDO gauge that he's installed in a roundie, and modified the VDO sender unit to fit in a standard tank - let me know if anyone wants his contact details to find out what he did

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

I have considered trying to swap the fuel gauge out of the speedo, the gauge in the 850 speedo works fine. Except the needle wobbles a bit.

I'll trying swapping them over.

Thanks for that.

What age is the 850 ?

In my research I found info that pre 1964 Fuel gauges are different to later ones in the UK.

I guess that the same would apply to Australian cars as cars/ parts were sourced from the UK initially.

If this is the case then you'd have to re-use your existing gauge - or update the tank sender to a later one.

"dklawson" on the miniforum site has some good info in a few threads....
see 2nd post in this thread -
http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/index.php?s=9e47e74e0cc2b1b2b7c6790029576af2&showtopic=46027&pid=515864&st=0&#entry515864