VW GOLF MK 1 Temp & Feul/petrol gauge not working.

Hi there … I have a Mk 1 Golf and recently i had a problem with the alternator overcharging the battery, both of which have subsequently been replaced, however the temperature & fuel/petrol gauges no longer register at all. I've been told/read that it could be the diodes/sensor on the cluster that may have blown and that there is a blue wire that regulates the power input from alternator to dashboard panel. Fist I need to know how do I check all of this, The Speedometer, clock and rev counter all work, fuses seem all ok. Car starts OK, rear,reverse and Stop lights all work ok, indicator lights work when car ignition is on,but do not blink when car is started and running, no dashboard lights. Headlamp work fine. Secondly, Is it best to replace the complete instrument panel or can one fit a temp/fuel guage separately.Thirdly can i fit a third party temp/fuel guage and how?

It's possible that the voltage regulator on the back of the clocks is dead. This thread has a pic of one about half way down (it's the black thing with a silver tab and three legs).

If you need to take the clocks out this thread shows you how to - it's really quite easy once you've done it once.

The clocks themselves are modular, so you can replace each part of it separately - however if you can get hold of a known working set you can do some simple tests to see what may be broken on your clocks.

HTH

Rich

thank you …

Is there a tie up between the voltage Regulator, the blue wire and another part that could prevent the battery being charged. Or for all intend and purpose can I drive the car without a working fuel gauge and temp gauge?
or until I get hold of a 2nd hand instrument panel!

It's fine to drive it without temp and fuel gauges - I tend to use the trip counter for fuel anyway, and you can use the oil temp gauge to monitor how hot the engine is (it won't warn you of the coolant overheating though, or at least not until it's too late).

HTH

Rich