Horch 853 Cabrio Question

Steve and Daniel again with a 1937 Horch 853 in Missouri. The way the car is currently wired it is set up for two 6 volt batteries with a negative ground. Does anyone know if this is correct? The reason we bring it up is that the Fuel gauge and clock do not work in the vehicle, so it may be possible that it is not correctly wired which caused too much voltage to go to the gauge and clock. It appears to have all original cables with no splicing or changing done to it. Any information you can provide is as always helpful!! Thank you so much.

Are these batteries in parallel or series? Also, negative ground? Most 6v systems are positive ground. Factory clock and fuel gauge are two items that could easily stop on their own. How longhas it been since either worked? Using an electric tester how many volts are running through your system? 6 or 12?

Not surprising that those two items don't work--they never do. To date, of the 130 or so cars that I've sold, only a handful have had a functioning original clock. Gas gauges are also notoriously unreliable and it can also be the sending unit that is at fault. However, Sam is right that you need to determine what electrical system is correct for you car, as during that period there were all kinds of thoughts on the "best" electrical system setup: 6V vs. 12V, positive vs. negative ground, etc. There should be a reference somewhere to what the original electrical system should have been, and then you can figure out if the batteries are correctly installed. I suspect that it should be positive ground, but I am not an expert so please check any factory documentation you can find.

Good luck!

Many, if not most, cars prior to about the mid fifties had negative ground. I think so, anyway. Like Sambarn said, if they are wired in series, the result might be 12V, and one needs to be careful when determining which is ground. I sm sure you would tell us if ancillary equipment is 6 or 12 volts.

It would have been fitted with a Bosch 12 volt negative system. There is technical details and parts for sale on the Pre-war cars web site.