The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2

Technical Discussion => BMW Technical Q&A, Primarily R65 => Topic started by: thrang on May 07, 2007, 06:38:27 PM

Title: Oil temp gauges
Post by: thrang on May 07, 2007, 06:38:27 PM
Any one know anything about wiring in an oil temp gauge? The gauge fitted on bimbo2 has four wires, and the sender has only two... Although I'm pretty good with mechanical issues I'm a bit of fuc*wit when it comes to the dark light of electricky.... especially when there is no wiring diagram.
Title: Re: Oil temp gauges
Post by: Justin B. on May 07, 2007, 07:02:44 PM
I have no idea but suspect that two of the gauge wires are for backlighting?  How is it wired into the other bike?
Title: Re: Oil temp gauges
Post by: thrang on May 07, 2007, 07:04:04 PM
thats the problem the sender was fitted but not wired in, and there was not a diagram. I can snap a piccy of what I got if it might help?
Title: Re: Oil temp gauges
Post by: Bob_Roller on May 07, 2007, 08:30:31 PM
I'll go out on a limb here, so anyone correct me if I'm wrong! Your temp sending unit is most likely a thermistor, a temperature sensitive resistor. I think you need a wire from the bikes electrics to supply a 12 volt positive 'switched', only has power when the key is on, to one terminal of the sender, the other terminal would have a wire  that goes  to the indicator, the other wire from the indicator would go to ground, earth, chassis whatever term you use. You need to determine what 2 wires provide power to the internal lighting. I don't think you can harm the indicator, but you may want to run this by someone more experienced than I am. Let me know if this works!
Title: Re: Oil temp gauges
Post by: thrang on May 08, 2007, 05:39:06 AM
Cheers Rob. I'll have a look and let you know.
Tony
Title: Re: Oil temp gauges
Post by: airhead on May 08, 2007, 06:05:28 AM
On the back of the gauge, especially if it's a VDO, there will be three spade terminals, +,  -  and S. Fairly self explanatory, but + has 12V from the ignition cicuit, - is to ground (or negative) and S goes to the sender, which is screwed into the sump somewhere (I machined the sump plug to take mine) and relies on ground return so only needs the one wire. The remaining two wires on the back are for the lighting, so you can simply jump one of them down to the negative spade terminal (this presumes it's the later style, and not the older one that has a metal gauge body and self grounds).

Bill...............;-)
Title: Re: Oil temp gauges
Post by: thrang on May 08, 2007, 06:21:03 AM
On the rear of the gauge there are no terminals just four wires. Black, yellow, blue and red I'm assuming the black is the earth (as I've found a lose black wire earthed to the frame under the tank) and the red is live. I'll take a live feed off the ignition to the red and I'm just working through it using trial and error and sooner or later I hit the right combination.
Title: Re: Oil temp gauges
Post by: airhead on May 08, 2007, 06:39:53 AM
What make is the gauge? Maybe I can find a bit more about it.

Bill..............;-)
Title: Re: Oil temp gauges
Post by: thrang on May 08, 2007, 06:56:09 AM
Just says oil temp gauge on it, no other markings or manufacture label.

Title: Re: Oil temp gauges
Post by: airhead on May 08, 2007, 08:04:45 AM
Oh!!! Or to put it another way..............Yer on yer own!! LOL

Not really, just work logically I suppose, along the lines you talked of before. Do you have the sender? How many connections on it, there only needs to be one and it will be presumably the yellow or blue one, the one left is most likely the gauge illumination.

Bill...................;-)
Title: Re: Oil temp gauges
Post by: Justin B. on May 08, 2007, 08:13:10 AM
I would also assume that:

-  If the sender has only one wire/terminal then it most likely is a variable resistance that effectively connects between the gauge and ground.

-  If the gauge has two terminals/wires them possibly +12 volts hooks to one of them and the other goes to the gauge.
Title: Re: Oil temp gauges
Post by: Bob_Roller on May 08, 2007, 10:42:51 AM
Just on an informational note, our bikes use a solid brown wire for grounds, earths. I'm sure there are exceptions, and this is a US model that I have the diagram for and consistency in colored  wires used sometimes doesn't match the wiring diagrams.