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iTrader: (14)

My fuel gauge is not working, it just stopped one day. Reads empty.

The gauge is autometer, 0-90ohms, the sender is a tube style like this
http://www.jegs.com/i/JAZ+Products/5...90-03/10002/-1
not the same exact one, but the same idea.

i have tried the stock gauge cluster, no change.

I disconnected the plug under the car by the tank, and have 6volts on the red wire with the car in run, thats to the ground wire in the plug, and to the chassis. Its the same with the stock and autometer pod.

without any pod installed, there are 0 volts.

Im unsure, but im pretty sure im supposed to have 12v at the sender, not 6v, so this must have something to do with my problem.

I cant find in my wiring diagrams, at the moment, where the power for this circuit comes from, or what it passes through before/after the pod. Tried to trace wires and once they get under the dash, i cant follow them without taking the harness apart.

Anybody know anything about where this wire goes? its Red with a white tracer.

I have to check again tommorow, but i dont think i have any resistance reading on the sender, i think i should be able to read through it and come up with a resistance reading between 0 and 90 ohms depending on the fuel level, which is just about full. I checked this a while back and dont think i have any resistance there. The sender is such a simple design, i can imagine that it would go bad this fast, it has very little use, not even 1k miles.

sorry for the novel

-Phil

Twin_Turbo

iTrader: (25)

There are 3 wires, 12V fuel pump, ground and sender which is a 0-90 Ohm resistance to ground. If you unplug the sender the gauge should peg to full, if you ground the wire it should go to 0. If not, it's either the wiring or your gauge. There is NO!!! voltage on the sender wire. If there is, you probably fried your gauge.
If your tank is nearing full probe the sender wire on the tank side and check how many Ohms to ground you have, should be close to 90 if the tank is near full.

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iTrader: (14)

ORLY!? wonder where the 6 volts is coming from?

i have 3 wires going to the plug behind the back seat, but since the car is carbed, the plug under the car has only ever had 2 wires going to the tank.

Like i said though, everything worked fine for a good long while, then just stopped one day. The gauge worked properly all the way to E over the course of the tank of fuel, then i refilled the tank and it hasn't worked since.

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iTrader: (14)

as for the senders ohms, i should have the reading between the 2 wires from the sender, no?

Twin_Turbo

iTrader: (25)

Yes, one wire is the variable resistance, the other is a ground. The float is basically a rheostat that gives you a variable resistance to ground. If you pull the plug you should indeed measure the resistance over the 2 pins in the plug.

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iTrader: (14)

are you sure there is no voltage on the sender wire? there would have to be. If there is no voltage, there is no way to read the resistance of the sender, there is no "circuit"?

The sender wire from the pod goes right to the sender in the tank on the red/white wire, through the sender "rheostat" windings or board, then to ground on the other wire.

I have to have 12v to ground on the sender wires from the pod, i can see how it would work any other way?


While pulling the carpet, i did find birdseeds.... hopefully i did have a mouse living in the car at some point recently who chewed wires. If wires are broken, damaged, or corroding somewhere, that can cause the loss ov voltage, but i can find any evidence of damaged wires or a mouse nest in the dash or anywhere in the car.

Gumby

On the other side where them wire go through is a bulkhead type plug, it can go funky, mine did.

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iTrader: (14)

well, it turns out that my tester was malfunctioning. Brought my good one home from work and i have no resistance through the sender, the tank is full, so the sender is shot or hung up somehow.

Now i get to drop the tank, yea.. fun....