Automotive water temp gauge on sled ?

[Montana]

I am very electricaly chalenged so when explaining anything please use small easy to understand words.

Anyway, I installed a s/w electric temp gauge in my '01 RMK with a 2000 xcr 800. I wired the power into the lighting circut and grounded it to the motor. It does not work. Any suggestions?

 

[H20SKE]

Yes---I would have done a mechanical water temp gauge. If it is not working--have you read the paperwork that came with the gauge? Just a question. Sounds like something simple--to simple for me though

H20SKE...

 

[Wheel House Motorsports]

does the gauge work?? if so then the lighting is easy. what lighting circuit did you tie into? and how?

go into the montana section and check out the forum ride, seeing as your from C-falls it would be a pretty short little trek for you, seeing as one day is canyon creek.

 

[06MXZXRenegade800]

The problem with most automotive gauges is that they are scaled up too high. most automotive applications have a normal operating temp around 180-220f and the gauges start around 120f. A sled on the other hand, runs at quite a bit lower temperatures(180f is about the temp at which you will be wwalking home!), my sleds sit around 110-120f normally and 140-150 riding on super hardpack for a long distance.


anyways, for your wiring, im not familiar with poo's electrical, but its most likely not working because the sled is supplying AC power instead of the DC power its designed to work with.

 

[Montana]

ski-dooin' it
I would like to make one of the forum rides, i'll be following that thread.

'06MXZ
So a sled is AC and automotive is DC, how do I convert it?
Thanks, this is what I was looking for.

 

[DWHalverson]

You need a rectifier to change the current. Dennis Kirk used to have them and I think Western Power had them in their catalogue.

ski-dooin' it
I would like to make one of the forum rides, i'll be following that thread.

'06MXZ
So a sled is AC and automotive is DC, how do I convert it?
Thanks, this is what I was looking for.

 

[Montana]

Thanks DW

 

[Montana]

The problem with most automotive gauges is that they are scaled up too high. most automotive applications have a normal operating temp around 180-220f and the gauges start around 120f. A sled on the other hand, runs at quite a bit lower temperatures(180f is about the temp at which you will be wwalking home!), my sleds sit around 110-120f normally and 140-150 riding on super hardpack for a long distance.


anyways, for your wiring, im not familiar with poo's electrical, but its most likely not working because the sled is supplying AC power instead of the DC power its designed to work with.

I was trying to find one that started @ 80f, could not find one anywhere, the one I got starts @ 100f.

 

[Wheel House Motorsports]

i knew there was something with the current issues but i couldnt rember and didnt wanna mess with you any more then... but yeah, get a rectifier, like he said.

 

[DWHalverson]

I have used Auto Meter digital temp gauges before on sleds. They will start reading at zero.

 

[Idcatman1]

Water temp

What DWHalverson is talking about with the rectifier is that automotive electrical systems are DC and most sleds without a battery are AC. So the automotive gauge won't work without changing the AC to DC which is what the rectifier does. A mechanical temp gauge will work fine though.

 

[Montana]

I see e-bay has a ton of motorcycle rectifiers, would one of these work? Do I just wire it in between the gauge and the power?

 

[EVANEZER]

rectifier

Go to radio shack, they are about $5.00 and come with instructions, your polaris will use the 2 yellow wires from the stator and a ground to the block. then there will be a terminal on the rectifire marked + for your gauge positive to hook up to, also you will need to run the ground wire from the gauge to the block if your sensor is mounted in the coolant transfer rail.

 

[Montana]

Thanks Evanezer

Off to radio shack I go