That's not borne out by the Parts Catalogues. It's true that the part
number did change when the North American spec with first three then two
gauges powered from the stabiliser, but it is the same part number for UK
cars which stayed with only one electric gauge until the 77 model year.
When UK cars changed to electric temp gauge as well as fuel they still kept
the same stabiliser. The stabiliser works by a heating coil bending a
bi-metallic strip. The heat is derived from current, but the current
depends on two things - load resistance and system voltage, and the load
resistance varies as the sender resistances go up and down. The stabiliser
takes all this into account, maintaining a constant *average* output
voltage, irrespective of gauge load and with system voltages down to about
10v. Whilst it's possible to manufacture a stabiliser with a heating coil
that could only take the current from a single gauge on full scale
deflection and maximum alternator output voltage without burning out, there
is no point. A stabiliser designed to take the load of two or three gauges
on full scale deflection and maximum alternator output voltage will give
exactly the same average output voltage with only two or one gauges. If a
stabiliser gave different outputs according to current from the number of
gauges, it would give different outputs as the current through any of the
gauges varied as its sender resistance went up and down, which would defeat
the object.
Oh, and they are polarity-insensitive :o)
PaulH.
----- Original Message -----
> The voltage regulators had to be specified for the amount of current
> draw, so the bi-metalic unit would function correcly. A unit that fed
> one gauge would be different than a unit designed to feed two.
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