Vw Scirroco

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

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

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:

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

- Bill

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

cheers really apprieciate it.

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

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.

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