I have big problems with my scirrocco. I read a minute ago about the
strange iddling i suffer from the same problem and its fine once the
car has been run and the engine is warm. The main problem to which i
cant seem to find a cure is my temperature gauge and fuel gauge are not
reading properly if at all. I have replace the sender units for both to
no avail the fuel gauge will wead when tank is full but it wont even
reach the first line below the red. it is the same with the temperature
as well it wont read up to the first block and when its earthed it only
goes half way through it so im totall bummed as to what the problem
might be i have checked the earthing point s and they seem to be fine,
changed the earthing points on the battery and nothing,relays are fine
no blown fuses and one very annoyed owner! please help me as i love the
car but its very embarresing running out of fuel!!

"ShaunM" <shaunmarsh81 (AT) aol (DOT) com> wrote

Sound like a failed instrument regulator. It's on the back on the instrument
cluster. It's in one of the upper corners, but I don't recall which one off
hand. I *think* it's a 5V regulator. My Bentley's is out in the car at the
moment. If nobody else chimes in on the regulators rating, I'll bring the book
in with me when I get home from work tomorrow and write back.

- Bill

William J. Leary Jr. wrote:

Cool sounds to be the common theory my father in law agrees (he fixes
tanks for a living!!) but he seems to think mine is on the back end of
my alternator its about 2cm by 2cm and the haynes manual says a fault
with it can cause obscure movement on both gauges. It doesnt however
say that this causes them both not to work (although they do do
slightly). I Just want to make sure i get it right is it there
(cluster) or is it on my alternator (it looks like ther is a new
regulator there but as all the other appliances in my car are bosch
this is a different brand but i cant see this being the problem please
let me know

Thanks in advance and cheers

Shaun

"ShaunM" <shaunmarsh81 (AT) aol (DOT) com> wrote

The regulator for the overall car is on or in the alternator.

The one for the instrument cluster is on the back of the instrument cluster.

I just looked it up. They call it a "voltage stabilizer," probably to avoid
confusion with the regulator in the alternator. It's supposed to output 10V,
+/- 0.5V.

I've scanned the section on "Testing and Replacing Voltage Stabilizer" and
placed it here:

http://home.comcast.net/~paralyn/Misc/trvs2.jpg

I'll leave it up for a week or two so you can read it when you get a chance.

- Bill

William J. Leary Jr. wrote:

Thanks i will try it this weekend will keep you posted if i have any
snags with it

cheers really apprieciate it.

"ShaunM" <shaunmarsh81 (AT) aol (DOT) com> wrote

Good luck. I'd forgotten there was a testing procedure in there. When the
"stabilizer" went on my '84 I didn't have the Bentley. The fuel and temp
gauges got decidedly erratic and my mechanic suggested replacing it. He
pointed out that it was a $5 part, but it would cost $45 and hour to have him
replace it, and while he'd happily take my money, perhaps I might want to do it
myself. It turned out it wasn't bad, but rather one of the connections was
bent and it wasn't getting good contact. Straightened it out and never had
another problem with it.

No problem. I'd be interested in your results "snags" or not.

- Bill

"William J. Leary Jr." <Bill_Leary (AT) msn (DOT) com> wrote

That's cheap for getting to the instrument cluster and pulling it out to
replace the voltage stabilizer, and reinstalling the instrument cluster.

I have an interim connection problem that makes my fuel and temp gauge read
abit high sometimes (other direction opposed to this OP). It'll peg the
fuel gauge sometimes. Not sweating it though, never lasts more than a few
minutes. Have replaced the voltage stabilizer, which is in fact a voltage
regulator for the components it powers.

If you can let me know where to find the high beam indicator LED for a 88
Fox, let me know. Pulled a replacement out of a backup instrument panel I
had to pass state safety inspection.
--
Jonny

"Jonny" <spamyourself (AT) blackworm (DOT) net> wrote

Well, two things about that.

One, he didn't say it would TAKE an hour, but that it would COST $45 an hour,
for however many it took.

Second, this was close to ten years ago. I think his hourly rate is somewhere
north of $85 an hour now.

Yeah, I recognized it as a "regulator" from my computer building days. I'm
pretty sure they called it a "stabilizer" to avoid confusion with the "real"
regulator under the hood.

It's actually an LED? On both my '84 and '87 Sciroccos it's a tiny light bulb
with a blue filter over it. All the others are LEDs, but when they were built,
there weren't any blue LEDs. I seem to recall them becoming available in the
early '90's. I replaced mine with a "grain-of-wheat" bulb I bought at a model
train shop.

- Bill