Voltage Regulator

malone · Post by **malone** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:44 pm

I am trying to get an electrical temp guage working on my polaris with a kioritz 440 23 lc and I am having some trouble. Yeah I know it should be simple 3 wires. well I have this thing all wired up 100% correct all wires are going to their respective locations but I can't get the thing to read a temp. I know the engine is hot enough to get some reading. But here is my dalema, I got the engine to running temp; nothing, the light comes on thats it, I take off the ground and the posative, leaving the sender wire hooked up, I simply hook + - leads up to a car jumper box and the guage instantly jumpes up to what ever temp the engine is at??? Could the guage simply just not be getting the 12 volts it needs?? I don't know because all the lights work great heated grips work Tach works Every thing works under the sleds power but the needle on the temp guage. Does any one have any Ideas??

Thanks \
Dave

Post by **ICCSF 108** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:01 pm

Dave, did you putt this motor in this sled?? what chassis is it in?? I'm looking for a 77 or 78 TXL that we put a liquifire motor in back in 78, thats why I asked??

Kenny

malone · Post by **malone** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:14 pm

I just put this thing togather at the end of winter. It was a 94 XLT 600. I had this hopped up liquifire motor laying around. so I bought the sled for $75 and put it togather that pic was before I got the air box and muffler on it. I rode it last snow fall and I was extremely impressed. I must of done something right cause I first pulled out of the yard on the virgine run and lifted the skis about 2 ft off the ground. It must be just the weight distrabution but that thing is a wheelie machine, any time you hammer it. It just flies.

malone · Post by **malone** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:25 pm

The camera died before I got under the hood but here is a side view

JDT · Post by **JDT** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 7:16 pm

Sounds to me like the guage needs 12vDC to work as it functions with the jumper cables.

The sleds electrical system is 12vAC so that may be the problem.

You will need to add a diode. 1N4004 from Radio Shack would do the trick. Cost is 50 cents.

malone · Post by **malone** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 7:28 pm

Wow I never even thought of that. so is that an in line type of thing? Thanks alot JDT.

Dave.

JDT · Post by **JDT** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:04 pm

Yes, Inline diode will give you half-wave dc. You can use a crimp loop terminal on the cathode and a butt splice on the anode.

If that does not produce enough voltage at idle to light the guage(should be fine at higher RPM) you may need to go to a full wave bridge rectifer.
That will involve a little more to hookup but will produe a higher voltage.

What kind of guage are you useing by the way?

malone · Post by **malone** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:14 pm

I bought some cheap Eqeus from o'reily auto store. I only need one on the power supply right? The bulb lights up fine already that is why I was confused.

Dave

JDT · Post by **JDT** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:39 pm

I assume this is a digital temp guage correct?

The backlight would work with either ac or dc but the electronics requires DC.

Yes, start with a single diode on the positive terminal.

malone · Post by **malone** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:11 pm

no not digital just a plain one with 100-200 degrees.But after out talk I assumed that the light would not be as picky about its power supply because that lights up no matter what you do, DC/AC. I just wired the light right into the + - for the actual guage.

JDT · Post by **JDT** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:24 pm

hmmmm... interesting.
So the guage has 4 terminals on the back?

+12v , -12v ( ground), and two more for sender or just one to the sender?

But you know it does work with the DC source correct?

malone · Post by **malone** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:48 pm

Yeah it has 3 plugs on the guage SENSOR, 12V POS, 12V NEG, then the light bulb is above the 3 prongs in the center with a POS and NEG coming out of the light bulb, so I just went right to the POS and NEG I ran for the guage and put the light wires right to those . where they give power to the guage. So the light comes on every time the motor is running. I think the bulb was able to be hooked up to the light switch in a car, or if I had an on/off switch for lights. so yeah there are a POS and NEG to the bulb and for guage, I just put the two POS and NEG together to save time and space wiring. then just one single sender wire.

JDT · Post by **JDT** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:58 pm

I understand now.

You are fine hooking the light and the power wires together.

But you need a DC source so you will need a diode on the positive lead.

malone · Post by **malone** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:03 pm

Cool man, thanks alot I would have never thought of that. I would have been going back and forth to o'riely exchanging guages for a while before I figured that out.

Thanks,

Dave