Maestro Dash and Random Ramblings.

[Envoy CDX]

Grin factor of 11 I hope, looks good.

[Robsey]

It looks impressive,

And sounds "impressively" muffled 80s.
Bizarre, because it sounds electronic.
BL called it synthesised, but all the warnings are actually recorded and digitised. So not synthetic at all.

I think that I have wasted too much time faffing with it, rather than proper stuff on the van - but that is a totally different topic.

[ilovedmymantas]

It looks impressive,
...I think that I have wasted too much time faffing with it, rather than proper stuff on the van - but that is a totally different topic.

I don't think you've wasted time. You're getting on really well with the van and we all need a change of pace occasionally, it's still van related after all

[Envoy CDX]

It looks impressive,

And sounds "impressively" muffled 80s.
Bizarre, because it sounds electronic.
BL called it synthesised, but all the warnings are actually recorded and digitised. So not synthetic at all.

I think that I have wasted too much time faffing with it, rather than proper stuff on the van - but that is a totally different topic.

You're doing something though, you're not just sat at home binge watching TV programs. Regardless of it being something electronics, or panel work, it's progress.

[Robsey]

Oh dear, here I go again.!

I don't know what it is about Austin Rover's ugly duckling, but I still like the gimicky bits.

Not a MG or Vanden Plas bit this time.
This time the über-cheesey HLE econometer.
From the correct year (1983).

I hadn't thought about it in the van before, but had briefly thought about it in the Cavalier - lol.

A basic vacuum gauge, but with LEDs, rather than a pointer-meter.

Apologies for the fuzzy library picture from a left hand drive Maestro. It does say econometer, but sometimes remastering the images mangles the writing.



Like I said, I hadn't really considered getting one, but then a 'new old stock' item still in the box popped up on ebay for silly low money.



Ah why the hell not.
A few days later, true to the advert, a brand new 1983 Econometer for a HLE spec Maestro was delivered.


A 15ft long vacuum pipe may be a challenge. It is a pointless gimmick or gadget, so accuracey isn't really an issue.

Needing only 3 wires makes it simple enough.
Good old Austin Rover / Lucas wire colours always confuse the hell out of me, but I had diagrams for all the MG stuff, so I was soon able to see a pattern forming.

Black - simple enough, good old fashioned ground, still used by third party companies now.

Green - hmmm there are some coming from fuses...
Ah okay 'conditioned' ignition voltage.
Whatever conditioned means.
Straight fused ignition live would be white. Huh??

Red - what the chuff?
It doesn't need battery live.
Besides purple or brown wires are battery live.
A look around the schematics show red wires for switch illumination.
Ah, I see. Illumination voltage used to dim the LEDs when driving in the dark.

Now the biggest challenge.
Where the chuff do I fit that.
It is the same size as the push-button panel on the voice unit.

And on the HLE model, the Econometer sits under the clock, in place of the ashtray.
The HLE used a 3 + E gearbox. E being an overdrive gear.

All said and done - do I even fit it at all?

More fuzzy pictures. An image of the original booklet.



The more efficiently you drive, the fewer LEDs illuminate.

Single green in the centre is best economy (gentle cruising).

Two sets of yellow LEDs making normal progress with mild to moderate acceleration.

A red on each end for brisk acceleration or increased load (hills etc).

UPDATE -
Unsurprisingly, I have already made up a loom with the correct VW wire colours, and using a correct period Austin Rover 3-pin Rists connector.

I haven't made up the feed end yet because I don't know if or where the meter will be fitted, so I cannot finalise wire lengths and terminations.

[Robsey]

So I connected up to a battery.

It appears that my wire colours were correct.

Ignition live and ground connected.



With illumination connected.
It looks much dimmer to the naked eye.

[Envoy CDX]

Progress is good.

[Robsey]

After seeking advice from a chap on Club8090,
Who said

The other way to look at it is to consider all the air in a vacuum line (more like a lack of air but its not a true vacuum of course, bear with me here....) as a single solid mass that isnt moving (no flow) its just being pushed or pulled (the changes in vacuum differential pressure) which the sensor interprets and turns into a voltage output.
You don't need any flow, so use whatever hose bore matches the spigot on the meter.

Spigot bore is 3mm.



And exterrnal diameter is near as dammit, 5mm.


_______________________________

Based on those dimensions, I have been advised to get 4.8mm (3/16") bore semi-rigid pu hose to suit this application.
A 5 metre roll should just about reach.
That is 16 ft in Robsey money

The van is 14ft long if I remember correctly.