I picked up a 92 RS with a 383 Stroker in it. When i got the thing in my shop I noticed that the gauges didn't work. Most of the wiring was cut out including the neutral safety switch. After rewiring just about the entire car I started thinking about the mechanical fuel pump and the sending unit. I am not sure if the pump is still in the tank but my fuel gauge doesn't work. I have voltage to the circuit but the tank is empty and the gauge reads a quarter of a tank. I am looking for suggestions

John

 

Disconnect electrical plug behind the rear seat. Measure resistance to ground of the sender circuit. Should be near 0 Ohm if tank is empty. That might narrow the field some.

Range of the stock fuel level sender is 0 Ohm (empty) to 90 Ohm (full). Seems like the fuel gage is experiencing something other than 0 Ohm when tank is empty.

 

I will do that right now

Thanks

 

Could it be a bad ground?

 

Absolutely. The fuel gage is on the high side of the circuit, and the sender is the final leg in the path to ground.

It could be up in the dash too. The gage panel has a goofy connection to a printed screen behind the gage panel. Easy to have a poor connection there. You can clean up the screen and terminals by using a pencil eraser (be gentle). I had to clean those connections after my car sat for a decade.

 

I just put the dash back together about a month ago. I did clean all the contacts behind the gauge cluster and I am sure that it is making contact. The guy that I bout it from cut just about every wire in the car. Anyhow, "17 ohms" Maybe the line is plugged. I can pick up some gas and see if it moves the gauge. The real question is, "does the normal sending unit work to activate the fuel gauge or should I pick up another style (if they make one) if it is bad"?

John

 

If you're not really sure that the tank is empty, then maybe loosen the tank straps and jostle the tank to feel & hear if a decent amount of fluid is sloshing around. I'm not sure that I would add more fuel with future prospects that the tank might have to come down.

 

I will work on it next weekend. Hope to have her road worthy this coming spring.

Thanks for your and I will let you know what I find.

John