My fuel gauge always stays stuck above full. I know my sender is bad, it's reading 125ohms no matter what level the fuel is at.

I tried disconnecting the harness and using my multimeter, I probed the Black and Purple wires on continuity setting, on the harness side coming from the gauge. My understanding is that completing the circuit like that *should* make the gauge go to empty since it's resistance based (0-90ohms) and i am completing the circuit.

Am I doing anything wrong or is my fuel gauge and sender both bad? it just seems odd they'd both go at the same time...my fuel pump is also dead if that matters.

 

Not sure what you're saying here.

The sender is supposed to go to about 90 - 100 ohms between the wire and ground when the tank is full, and near 0 when it's empty.

Short the pink wire to ground. Short = 0 ohms aka "jumper" aka piece of wire, as detailed in the instructions. The gauge should go to E. No need for "probe", "continuity", etc.

 

I used my multi-meter on the continuity setting and stuck one probe in the black ground and one probe in the pink. I thought that would be basically the same thing as using a jumper, because both are just completing the circuit. Are you not able to do it that way?

 

No.

An ohmmeter isn't a piece of wire. Won't work.

Use a piece of wire. Just, ... yerbasic ... wire.

A DMM or VOM on the Amps function WOULD work; that's essentially the same as a piece of wire. Would also give you possibly useful info as to the flow of current through the gas gauge (should be around 50 - 100 mA or so). But not an ohmmeter.

 

Ah okay, good to know. I'll check and report back here once I have a chance to get underneath again. thanks!