[T2] Gas gauge

[Old Volks Home]

The purpose of the Vibrator/Voltage Stabilizer isn't so much in keeping the
needle from being "stuck", but to actually keep the needle from wildly
fluctuating back and forth as the the lever float goes up and down in the
tank while the gas is sloshing around - it keeps the needle stable.  All VW/
VDO lever style senders use a vibrator/stabilizer which was a vast
improvement over the earlier "tube" level senders which are incompatible
with the usage of a vibrator in the circuit. It's important to note that
the gauge is different when using a vibrator/stabilizer verses the gauge
using a tube sender - they are not interchangeable.

Original vibrators were über simple.  I opened one up years ago to see what
made them "tick".  Inside was a miniature version of an interior dome light
(festoon bulb) with a wire attached to each end.  So it appeared to me that
it was acting like a cheap resistor to stabilize the voltage.  New
vibrators these days are now solid state.

VWs that used the Vibrator & Lever Sender:
Standard Beetle 68-77
Super Beetle 1302/1303 71-79
K Ghia 1974 (and some REAL late 73s)
Bus Late 73-79
Vanagon 80-91 (which used an actual solid state voltage stabilizer on the
printed circuit in the instrument cluster)
Thing 73-74
412 1974

Jim Thompson
84 GL 1.9 "Gloria"
84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
75 914 1.8 "Nancy"
Full Timing From March 1999 To January 2012
oldvolkshome at gmail.com
http://www.oldvolkshome.com
Find me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Thompson/100000710343835
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On Sun, Dec 1, 2013 at 2:58 PM, Jamie <jrivers at globalserve.net> wrote:

> :-0  the vibrator is actually an electrical mechanical switch that
> regulates the voltage to the gauge, and in doing so.. it sort of buzzes ...
> or vibrates,
> some ingenious electronics wizard figured out how to make one from solid
> stage device .. and they stuck in a zener diode to regulate the voltage.
> altho that style doesn't vibrate... but it still keeps the needle from
> getting stuck !  ;)
> remember the old generator voltage regulator... same thing ,, a coil that
> moves a switch .. which opens and closes the circuit to keep the voltage
> stable..
> sooo... it is a stabilizer... regulator,,,
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Mann" <robtmann7 at gmail.com>
>
>> Now what can we learn please about this "vibrator"?  I don't dare to
>> search on that term :-[  - can we not find a different name? :-D
>>
>