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Posted by: orthobiz Jun 1 2013, 09:12 PM

My 1974 1.8 with center gauges has a perennially foggy temperature gauge. Sometimes the fogging is worse than other times but never goes away. I have read this thread:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=27777&st=0&p=358798&#entry358798

and am reluctant to throw it in the oven. Aren't the lenses plastic?

Anyway, it is currently sitting in a plastic bag with rice inside another bag with Damp Rid but no improvement yet.

The thought of drilling a hole in the back to equalize the inside/outside moisture is interesting but I would worry about damaging something inside the gauge.

The fogging has been there since I have owned the car and I'm wondering if it would ever clear up without removing the lens and cleaning it. I am not anxious to unroll the edge; I have done that on larger gauges like the speedometer before, but the small edge scares me a bit.

Anyone else have experience in this? Thanks,

Paul

PS This is a clean gauge but a cell phone picture with a bright LED light is merciless!

Posted by: speed metal army Jun 1 2013, 10:07 PM

My voltmeter fogs...Hmmmm..
I also want a solution! (guilty of having tried nothing yet)

Posted by: r_towle Jun 2 2013, 06:36 AM

I would think that an oven at 100 degrees would do it.
Long and slow...

Of, put it outside in the sunshine.

Rich

Posted by: 914Sixer Jun 2 2013, 07:58 AM

Take a small #1 flat blade screw driver and work your way around the ring and remove it. Lens is glass so be careful. Clean the lens and re-crimp the ring by gently pushing the edges back down with a larger blade screwdriver. You can tape the glass and the body and spray the the ring.

Posted by: orthobiz Jun 2 2013, 11:36 AM

I have done this years ago, I am too timid for fear of messing it up just before the June 24 concours. So if I wipe off the glass, won't it fog up again?

But as a longer term question, the glass has moisture on it, I don't have any good reason why that should be, and especially in only one gauge. I sprayed some air into the light bulb hole and the lens improved temporarily but "bounced back" after I was done, back to its foggy state.

Paul