Overheating problem?

[Poledriver]

Since I first got my Wedge I've had an intermittent problem where the temperature gauge keeps creeping up from about 85 degrees into the red and back. During my journeyto Le Mans I had plenty of opportunity to monitor the problem.
What I've found is that the change in indication is too quick to be related to thermostat operation, does not get affected by switching on the cooling fan and, most significantly, only seems to happen at night.
So.........is there a voltage regulator for the instrument panel? I believe that this mis-read is only occuring when I have the extra load of headlights and is actually due to the gauge getting a vaiable voltage.

Any thought?

[adam quantrill]

Yeah - the grounding for the instruments is pathetic, I think it comes through the bonnet release cable, not the best thing, being steel. You'll probably notice the temperature jump when you open a door, too. I always install a braided lead from the rear of the engine block to the bracket inside that the bonnet release joins onto. Just pole it through one of the existing harness grommets in the bulkhead. This seems to help enormously.

[Poledriver]

adam quantrill said:

Yeah - the grounding for the instruments is pathetic, I think it comes through the bonnet release cable, not the best thing, being steel. You'll probably notice the temperature jump when you open a door, too. I always install a braided lead from the rear of the engine block to the bracket inside that the bonnet release joins onto. Just pole it through one of the existing harness grommets in the bulkhead. This seems to help enormously.

Thanks for that, I'll do it tommorow night if I've got time after taking my drive shafts off! (So much to do before BBWF!)