dashboard voltmeter

[Andy]

I'm going through the tedious but now necessary process of cleaning up all the electrical connections on my coupe. Getting there slowly but surely... but the most annoying electrical symptom is that the voltmeter on the dashboard always reads low: the needle sits right on the edge of the red zone and takes a dive to the left whenever a heavy consumer kicks in (fans, wipers... etc.). Maybe the dial is just useless, but I can't quite ignore it staring right in my face and reminding me that the electrical system is constantly struggling! Is there some vital earth connection hidden behind the dashboard that I may have missed, that will suddenly revive my voltmeter when cleaned up? My alternator seems to be brand new, so I can't believe it isn't supplying enough juice. Any ideas, folks?
Oh, and what's the best donor Fiat/Lancia for a replacement radiator fan (i.e. which wrecks should I head for in the scrap yard?) - mine still works, but the yellow plastic fan blade seems to be disintegrating.

Andy

[alan cooper]

they are always like this so probably nothing to worry about. I think the situation can be improved a little by a certain amount of electrical work but I can't advise further as I'm no electrics expert

[Andy]

Just read the older thread on "Beta lights", which answers much of this - sorry, should have looked earlier. For the headlight relay conversion, is the general consensus that it's best to take the power supply direct from the battery? The reason I ask is that some people suggest taking it from the alternator instead.
I mentioned my ailing radiator fan in my previous post - are they normally very noisy? When mine starts up, I can hardly hear the sound of the engine over the rumble of the fan. Should I be worried?

[seb]

I had the same behaviour with the gauges in a BMW2002. In my case it was a ground problem with the dashboard-plate.
I layed a separate cable from one ground point (batterie minus) of the plate to the next \'massive\' ground point like the lighter battery minus pin.
Any other minus connections should be ok. as long as the plate has proper minus potential.

If the error still occurs try to place the separate cable as near as possible to a ground point of the voltmeter. Or directly on the minus-pin of the voltmeter if you can identify it.

Hope this helps
seb

[Randy Adams]

I agree with Seb's solution on the voltmeter. The instrument connections become poor over time. A direct hard wire will solve that problem (and also solve dim dash lights--another problem I endured for years).

The radiator fan should not be as loud as you are describing.

I have a dipped beam relay installed in my car but my mechanic did it and I'm not sure where he took the power. I have a LOT of extra wires piggybacked onto the positive post on the battery, so maybe the relay is one of them.

[keith]

I agree with the general consensus probably corrosion either in the ground connection but can be in one of the inline connectors. you just have to check them & give them a dose of WD 40 or similar often just pulling them apart & reconnecting cures the problem a quick squirt of WD in the connector will keep moisture at bay.
If your fan is knackered I have quite a collection of them 0f various styles pancake type or the longer ones you can have one for a fiver + post (post is probably more!)

[Andy]

Thanks for the kind offer Keith. I need to take the old fan off and have a closer look at it. I'll get back to you if it's ready to be chucked. By the way, when you say "the longer ones", I presume you mean from front to back?

[michael fischer]

hello to all the beta-drivers
12 years and you know a little
please change after
such a long time
first off all
these damde fuses
this is the cheapest thing
to help the
elektrik of our cars.
mikele