Does anyone who has a 500f know how much fuel is left in the tank when the warning light comes on, or roughly how many miles is left in it?

Matt,
My light blinks on and off a bit as the level gets low and the residual fuel sloshes around in the tank. As I'm never sure how much is left, I usually fill up when I can.
My old VW had a similar low fuel light, but it had a reserve switch which opened a lower drain point in the tank.
I intend fitting a proper gauge sometime but until then, I use my dipstick
Chris

Thanks Chris. I remember seeing your high-tech fuel measuring instrument in an earlier post. I've been toying with the idea of fabricating a custom gauge cluster where the glove tray is now, so I think a fuel gauge will definitely be included.

If one end is telling the owner that he is due a visit to the station is the other end telling the owner he is a dipstick? (Just asking.)

Joe R

Got it in one ...

MattGibson said:

Thanks Chris. I remember seeing your high-tech fuel measuring instrument in an earlier post. I've been toying with the idea of fabricating a custom gauge cluster where the glove tray is now, so I think a fuel gauge will definitely be included.

Click to expand...

I was thinking of something like the photo only black and containing an oil temperature, oil pressure, fuel gauge +/- a clock. I have all the gauges except the clock. Mounting them this way doesn't involve destruction of the dash and can be reversed simply in future if required. Might have to talk to the local panelbeater again

Chris

I would like to have some additional instruments and having had my fair share of Alfasud's, I know of this little binnacle. From an early Sud Ti, this image is from a RHD car but the image is upside down, the hood should be at the top. With a little bit of a facia, this would probably fit in the parcel tray of a 500. With the tray already slanting slightly up and this binnacle already angled towards the driver it mignt be a solution.

Early Sud's had a very simple centre console as well. Does not look out of place in a 500. The later ones have two instuments mounted in the console itself so that may be a possibility. Just need to think laterally guys.

Have to think about powering new instruments up and having them light up with the speedo light.

First one in needs to document the new harness and fuse arrangement....


Regards

Joe R

Chris, that's pretty much what I had thought of doing too as I want to keep the original 500f speedo, rather than fit an Abarth style binnacle. I'd have the same four gauges, plus probably a tachometer (if I can find one with a retro look that works with 2 cylinder engines). I fancy the idea of fabricating something that looks a bit like a Ferrari Monza instrument cluster (although possibly beyond my abilities to get the curved shape) and paint it to match the rest of the dashboard.



I really like the look of the classic Smiths magnolia intruments, but will have to see if my budget can stretch to them.



I'll let you know what I manage to achieve.

Matt

The Monza dash is great - need a largish (~390mm) steering wheel though or you lose sight of the peripheral gauges. If I get the wheel, can you fit a Ferrari to it for me ???

I forgot, I also have a voltmeter so a cluster of four would work well. All of mine are old 52mm Fiat Veglia instruments.

A tacho would be nice as well and I've seen a harness to fit one without altering much else. It looks a bit funny but once again preserves the original dash.

I'll be watching with great interest.

Chris

Chris,

My post may not have been too clear. I was thinking of an instrument cluster like the one in the Monza, but effectively turned upside down and mounted where the glove tray is. The tachometer would be the larger gauge in the centre, with the clock and fuel gauge on one side and the oil temp and pressure gauges on the other. Hope my explanation makes sense!

Matt

P.S. if you post the wheel over to me I'll bolt on one of the spare Monzas I've got kicking about

OK. Now I've got it and I'm still interested It would be a neat and elegant solution.

I'll have a search around the shed for a suitable steering wheel

Chris

Hi Folks;
I realise that this started as a 'Fuel Warning Light' page, but it has subtly turned itself into a 'Gauge' page. One of the problems for the Fiat500/126 owner who wants to fit a tacho is trying to find one that will, without expensive modification, be suitable for 2-cyl engines. Try this for size:- Speedy Cables (who are in Swansea, Wales)--onto 'new instruments', then onto 'Telemetrix range'-----part number TET3-5B32-01---80mm electronic tacho (for 2+4+8 cyls)--£107.54p. They also do Speedos, oil-temp, oil-pressure, voltmeter, ammeter, fuel gauge and clock. These are Smiths instruments marketed by a company who can custom make cables etc. and seem to know what the're doing--at sensible prices. Hope this helps one-an-all.

I bought one of these a while ago from one of the usual suppliers. It's electronic and can be configured for 2 or 4 cylinders.
I've wired it temporarily and it works beautifully.
Sometime I'll have to colour the surround black to match everything else.
Chris

Sorry to be a spoilsport, but according to the handbook, the red light comes on when there is 3.5 to 5 litres of fuel left in the tank!!

Best regards

Ian

Thanks Tom, I'll give Speedy a call tomorrow.

Chris, I really like your tach. Is it from Axel Gerstl?

Thanks for the info Ian. I guess with nearly a third of the tank still full when the warning light comes on I shouldn't be too worried about making it to the petrol station.

Matt

I'd like to tell you a story, (with apologies to Max Bygraves)--many, many years ago as a young, fairly broke mechanic I ran a 500 (JJJ 43D) which had only a fuel indicator light--the light came on and I knew I had a good range left. Trouble is, I forgot at WHAT mileage the light came on. As I eventually drove into the local garage, the hill up to the garage was the last straw. Take my word for it, it is difficult to look 'cool' and 'casual' as you step out a 500 20ft still from the pumps and give it that last little bit of assistance to get close enough to the pump so that the filler-nozzle JUST reaches the fuel tank! Yes, I had run it dry, much to the great amusement of the young lady in the passenger seat. The moral of the story is--remember at what mileage the light comes on because garages aren't as frequent these days. The happy end to story is that 'the young lady' and I got married shortly after, and this year we celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary--and Ann likes my 'new' 500

MattGibson said:

Chris, I really like your tach. Is it from Axel Gerstl?

Click to expand...

Yes - I bought it prior to getting the other instruments. If I had my time again, I'd go with the black surround.

As to The Hobbler's story above - nice one. Glad it all worked out in the end, though I do have two questions - who is Max Bygraves and is he on the bulletin board?

Chris

I've started sketching out some ideas for the instrument panel. I've gone all 'arts and crafts' and made a cardboard template, with the pictures of the actual gauges glued on. Before I start fabricating anything, I wanted to check it would fit in place and wouldn't get in the way of my knees.

It's a bit amateurish at the moment, but it gives me an idea of how it will fit together. I'm tempted to have a border running around the panel face which will project out slightly from the face. I'll have the border covered in the same foam and vinyl that was used on the knee pads. The reason for this is both to finish it off, as well as pad it slightly in case I whack my knee on it.

As well as the gauges, I plan on adding a couple of buttons/lights. I'd like to modify (by I, I mean Dad) the wiring to build in a hazard unit, so the panel would have a hazard switch and amber light on it. We're also (by we, I mean Dad!) going to add an intermittent wiper function, as well as an electric pump for the washer bottle, so buttons/switches for this will also be built into the panel.

The idea is that I'll create two brackets at the top of the panel which will bolt into the forward-locating holes for the glove tray. I'll create two struts towards the bottom of the panel which will be positioned diagonally upwards to bolt into the rear-locating holdes for the glove tray. The idea being the struts will make the panel more rigid and stop it flexing back and forth when pressing buttons on the panel.

From left to right the gauges are: oil temperature, oil pressure, tachometer, clock/volt meter, fuel gauge.





Matt

Not because I am keen or anything, I ran downstairs, grabbed my original wheel and sat in the car to see what the view was like from a drivers perpective. Not a lot of real estate to work with but the design has merit.

Whenever I have though about adding extra gauges the only other alternative I could think of was to design something like the 4 instrument Abarth ones that are available but adding the extra two extra holes for the clock and volts/amps. Again, real estate becomes a bit of an issue.

'Binnacle' will need a shroud to go around the perimiter and hide the sides of the gauges I guess.

I hope we can eventually get a generic wiring diagram that shows us how to tap into the loom and fuse this all properly.

Regards

Joe R

Hi Joe,
you will have seeen the references to Dad - I am he.
As soon as Matthew decides on the layout I'll pull together a wiring diagram for all to see.
The other option is that Matthew buys a classic car with a fuel gauge (and four cylinders and brakes) that works - it's called an MGB.

I feel a soldering iron coming on

Richard