19 replies to this topic

[mike.]

I'm planning on getting some gauges when i do my interior rebuild. I was going to get magnolia smiths gauges, but they are quite expencive. So i started to look at tim gauges but found that there isn't i white backed ammeter, i tryed all the mini sites and a few other too. Also a lot of the tim gauges were electric and worked out the same price as smiths anyway.

So which are best to get, i didn't really want to spend over £100. The W&P dash im planning comes with 3 gauge holes so i was planning on getting a voltmeter, ammeter and the dual oil pressure/water temp gauge. There the main things i need to keep my eye on right?

Anyway from mini spares that works out at £115, which isn't too bad. But what do that gauges come with? It doesn't say on the site. I was hoping that would include everything i needed, so all the hoses, wiring, bulbs and fixings. Minispares sell oil gauge hose seperatly but its only a few quid which i don't mind. Also does minispares charge for P+P? It doesn't add it to the subtotal of my basket so i guess its free?

[Big_Adam]

Ever thought about just making your own gauge faces?

[mike.]

Not really beause i wasn't sure how they come apart and wouldn't want to end up snapping the needle on a brand new gauge.

Anyway i want smiths gauges now ans i'll get them if they come with all the stuff i need. Anybody know what they come with? Also if minispares charge postage?

[mike.]

Anyone? What comes with a gauge when you buy one?

[Guess-Works.com]

Personally, don't bother with an ammeter, the wiring for such a device is both complex and can cause issues as you need 60amp wire and it has to run through the bulkhead...

Why a temp guage when you already have one on the clocks...

As standard, I believe they are for a volt meter, oil pressure guage and clock, the reason being that these are probably the most useful auxillary clocks for a mini.

[mike.]

I wasn't sure how acurate the standard temp gauge was, so i guess i wanted a little piece of mind of an accurate temp reading. Also in the future i'll hopefully be doing bits and bobs to the engine, so thought it'd be better to get accurate gauges

My dad said he thought an ammeter would be better than a volt meter? Don't know why?

I want thinking about a clock but there quite expenive, there about £40. My headunit shows the time on it anyway and the digital ashtray clocks are only £20.

Also issues with the bulkhead? All the wiring for all the gauges will have to run through the bulkhead anyway won't it?

[Doc]

Just a quick question and this may seem really silly but I don't know the answer to it. What does the volt meter read? Obviously volts but what is that telling me? Same for the Amp meter. I only ask because I currently have a volt meter still in the box and was going to swap it for a mechanical temperature gauge. I only got it on the advise of someone but am now thinking a temp gauge would be better and of more use, not sure about the accuracy of the one that's part of the dial cluster.

If someone could clear that up for me that would be great.

[MiniDick]

I really wanted some guages for my Mini, was gonna go for Oil, Volts and a Clock. Thinking about it, I'm pretty paranoid at the best of times so I'm just sticking with a Clock...That's it. I'd be guage watching all the time....

[baker_boy]

im at this stage aswell, gonna put it a clock, oil pressure and then a water gauge.was thinking of a vacuum gauge but theres not alot of point to be honest..

[Mini 360]

Im at the same stage also. Im going to be fitting them in my new dash from Retrodash but its finding the rioght gauges and finding the right price thats the problem.

[mike.]

lol it is a tricky decision deciding what to get from where.

All i need to know is what comes with smiths gauges when you buy them so i can accuratly work out how much there going to cost me altogether. i'll have to ring minispares though, don't think anybody knows on here.

[jonny d]

 my_car_053.jpg   1.17MB   18 downloadsFar as i know you get all you need to fix the gauges in your car. My choice would be smiths as they look
better than tim gauges in my opinion what do you think, all mine where second hand acquired at mini shows just replaced them one by one when
i saw a better one

Attached Files

•  my_car_056.jpg   1.32MB   12 downloads

Edited by jonny d, 23 August 2007 - 10:27 PM.

[mini_kel]

I really wanted some guages for my Mini, was gonna go for Oil, Volts and a Clock. Thinking about it, I'm pretty paranoid at the best of times so I'm just sticking with a Clock...That's it. I'd be guage watching all the time....

I`m going to have rev counter,fuel gauge i think that should do,

[Guess-Works.com]

Right the deal is....

An Ammeter should be there to show the current draw on the battery, therefore all the electrical load (with the exception for the starter motor) needs to pass through the ammeter. To achieve this you need to run a very large amperage wire(s) from the starter soleniod (where all the electrical systems are connected ) through the bulkhead, to the gauge, and then a similar wire(s) back to an isolated junction block to which all the electrical feeds for the car is connected.. If any of this touches the bodywork, your car stops, dead, and is likely to melt out most of the wiring. However, the ammeter on early cars was a necessary evil, as you needed to make sure the Dynamo (as then fitted) was actually doing it's job, as there was no tell tale sign of it doing otherwise by a voltmeter. Late 60's/70's they introduced the alternator, which has all the gubbins inside to regulate and charge the battery as you drive along, and it also provides sufficient power to the electrical system to mean the battery does not provide a charge, infact you can disconnect the battery from a mini when it's running ( but I would not advise you to do so ). Because of the way the ammeter is connected in relation to the alternator (ie before it in the eletrical circuit ) most of the time the ammeter will read 0.

A voltmeter shows the potential difference between the +ve (live) side of the electrical system and -ve (earth). With an alternator functioning correctly, this will be somewhere between 13v and 15v, depending on load. The battery is 12v, therefore is your voltage drops below 13v, you are starting to use the electrical power of the battery to power the car. If it remains steady between 12 and 13, then you alternator is JUST coping with the electrical load, so putting a higher powered alternator on the vehicle may solve this issue, or re-adjusting the fanbelt... Vehicles will a fair amount of ICE may experience this phenomenom. If your voltage drops below 12v, you just need a new alternator, or fanbelt. A voltmeter will show these symptoms immediately, where as an ammeter then movement maybe very small and go unnoticed until it's too late

How do I know.. Well I have both fitted to my 1972, which originally fitted with a dynamo, since converting to alternator, the ammeter has just been a little dial in the corner which don't move much, but the voltmeter is invaluable ( especially when it gets very muddy and wet and your fanbelt starts to slip )

The temperature gauge on a mini is as accurate as the electrical components it's connected to, it's designed to run on a regulated 10v supply ( as if the fuel gauge ) and a matched sender which is variably resistive based on temperature. It is as accurate as any other mainstream electrical temperature gauge.

[Guess-Works.com]

If you want something which is really useful, and will actually pay for itself...

Get a vacuum gauge ( or sometimes called a fuel consumption gauge )

It reads the vauu pressure int he inlet manifold, the higher the vacuum, the less fuel/air mix is being sucked in, therefore the higher the MPG.. You'll find that using one of these, you can back off the throttle just a wee bit when cruising, and see the difference in both the gauge and you back pocket..