Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I have early Sprite fuel gauges and I planned on refurbing one for my 64 S1. Will those gauges work?? The face is correct, vintage correct but I'm not sure it will be compatible with the sending unit.

Kurt.
26/3754

Kurt, I don't know if they are compatible, but I had my S1 gauge recalibrated by Dave Bean Engineering. I'm installing a new aluminum tank and there are no sending units available for an S1 so I am using a newer sending unit that the gauge is adjusted for the different resistance. You can always go that route if the originals don't work properly. Glen

There are two different set-up's S1, S2, and S3, ( I am not sure of the crossover point) use the old set up with FG type gauge and FT type sender which reads 87ohms full and 0 ohms empty. I think neither the gauge nor sender are currently available. The S4 arrangement uses a BF type gauge which needs a sender which reads 30 ohms when full and 230 ohms when empty. I think the designation for the sender is type TB. Obviously the two are not compatible - the type of gauge is usually written on the face. There is additional info in the archives somewhere.

nomad wrote:I have early Sprite fuel gauges and I planned on refurbing one for my 64 S1. Will those gauges work?? The face is correct, vintage correct but I'm not sure it will be compatible with the sending unit.

Kurt.
26/3754

I measured my tank sender resistance back in 1992 and recorded 75-80 Ohms full and <5 Ohms empty, confirming the previous posting. If you have, or simulate, a full tank and arrange an easy means of short-circuiting it (Green with Black stripe wire) to Chassis (Black wire or body of the gauge) to emulate the empty tank you can recalibrate the gauge yourself though it's mechanical and a fiddle.

Two screws on the back of the gauge hold the physical position of the internal coils and loosening them and moving the assembly about changes where the needle points to for the full and empty resistances. If they appear to be fairly close I would leave them alone; the odds are that they will have used the same sender unit as the Sprite and be identical.

Hi,
Faced with the unavailability of the early type of tank sender unit to suit my S3 fast fuel gauge, as I want to retain this early type gauge in the dash I have been looking how the available later sender unit could be used. Perhaps this unit may provide the answer and to your gauge/sender problems.
https://www.spiyda.com/magento/index.ph ... d-mk2.html
No connection or recommendation of this product.
Ron.

Interesting that Spyda offers that as well as there tach correction module. I have one of the latter that I plan to fit when I can get to it. I'm assuming for now that the Sprite gauge will work. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it!

Kurt
26/3754