Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Swapped out the old jittering cable and sheath on the tachometer for a new one a few days ago. The operation is now smooth but now I've got condensation forming on the inside of the glass face of the gauge. How do I stop this from happening? Should I have goobered grease allover the outside of the gearbox sheath threaded end connector? Am I missing an elastomer seal?
-Keith

Hello Keith,
I have never experimented this problem even here in Belgium where the weather is.... well.... sometimes wet
If you get condensation it means you have humid air inside the tachometer.(sic)
I would recomend to try to dry it by opening it as much as you can (remove all you can: bulb for lighting...) and dry it with a hairdryer for example or if you can remove it (which is not difficult if I remember well mine) and store it in a dry but cool place for a few days.

Olivier.

Keith,
I raised this query a couple of months back on Elan.net and received no replies, however two days later a friend with an S4 reported the same problem! It does not appear to be function of humidity and does not seem to affect any of the other instruments.
I was not aware of this phenom until about August last year- maybe global warming?!

Cheers,
Pete

Keith,
Try disconnecting cable from drive @ engine & running for a few days,this will tell you if you're getting crankcase condensation in via drive cable. If you are try drilling a small hole in casing.This will vent fumes to atmosphere as in some distributor & lift pump installations.

If not ,water ingress through rim seal a possibility.

good luck

Ok I know this is a bit of a long shot but would a sachet of silica gel inside the case be any good?

John

Silica Gell.

Imagine a perfect Christmas scene. Childen happily mowing through presents....
But each time they come across a pack of silica gell they throw it to daddy.. "Here Dad, this'll keep your electrics dry."


Honestly, I say this this year at my brother-in-laws house.

He has those children trained.

I had this problem Jan 1st with both the tach and the fuel gauge, but my tach is electric not cable driven. I figured all the moisture from last summer had frozen in them and then when they warmed up the moisture condensed on the gauge face that was at air temperature of 40F (a warm michigan winter day).

I'm not really worried about it, but if I was I'd take them out and heat them gently at 140F for something like an hour before putting a silica packet in.

Rob

Keith
It could be that you have some moisture in the new cable and it is coming out as it is used and warms up slightly. It is also quite possible that it is not only condensation but lubrication from the cable that is also been driven out and atomising slightly or releasing its water content.
An easy way to dry out the gauge would be to drive around and put the lights on so the illuminating bulb in the gauge warms everything up (eventually). just make sure you have an opening in the back of the gauge for the moisture to escape.
Clive

Oops, remove all references to tachometer and insert speedometer instead. Brain hiccuped again. :rolleyes:

Suspect this fogging effect is due to me changing my driving habits last week while on xmas break. The car sat under a carcover while being rained on for most of the time. I've not been driving it daily since I discovered the RE92 tires won't allow me to corner at ludicrous speed potentially when the road is damp at all.

Tippy-toed into work with it yesterday through the rain showers and when I came home with the lights on the fogbank in the gauge lifted. Now suspect the Smiths gauge facia gaskets are now due for replacement on my car undoubtably. My buddy at work suggested I stop fording all the streams on the way into work so as the cable would not act as a 'archmides screw'. <_<

Had the ether vapor leak out of the bourdon tube of the water temperature gauge about two weeks ago and just received the new replacement gauge from the gaugeguys.com. Should have asked if they had the facia gaskets also as seperate items.

Thanks for the suggestions! After doing a google search yesterday it's apparent having a fogging problem is quite common on all types of gauges whether or not it's a mechanical or electrical type.
-Keith

If gaugeguys don't have the gauge gaskets, Holden does.