another question. My gas gauge doesnt work. it is stuck saying I have a full tank.
I ran out of gas the other day and it droped from past the full mark to the F once I got a few dollars of gas in it, so I was hoping the guage was screwed up and working backwords, but sadly its not. once I filled up it went back past the full mark and has stayed there.
do any of ya have any idea what I can check to try and fix the gauge?

 

check the back of the gague and make sure the wires are still connected to it, check the wires for a possible break somewhere, also the connections on top of the tank could be corroded... thats what i'd check anyway.. maybe someone else can help ya more...

 

The float arm in the gas tank may be getting stuck. Basically there's a potentiometer in the fuel tank that the float arm is connected to. If it is stuck in the "full" position, then you'd get the problem you're noticing.

 

In the next couple of days Im gona check the back of the gauges when it warms up a bit. if its not some thing loose on the gauges how would I go about checking the float arm?

 

Unfortunately, that requires dropping the tank- something I had to do to a third-gen last weekend at a wrecking yard in order to get the fuel sending unit for my Camaro. NOT FUN.

 

i would think the most likely cause would be some corrosion on the connections on top of the tank causing infinite resistance which would show a full reading rather then a stuck arm, but it is possible.

 

Here's a reply of a post a year ago that deals with some checks on the sender wire...and if memory serves, the sender wire is pink...
To check the tank sender you would need to drop an ohms test at the tank, on the sender wire. I think the connector is on the driver side next to the tank. Ground your ohm's meter to the tank, and the other to the pink? wire at that disconnected connector...

Ron
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4/02

The gauge should have (3) connectors. One positive, one negitive, one sender.
After you've checked that the pos. & neg, are present you'll need to verify that the sender wire from the tank float to the gauge is not compermized.

Does the gauge peg beyond full ? If it does then you have an open, since the gauge only reads between 0 (Empty) - 90 (Full) ohms. If you have an open circiut the ohms would be greater then 90 there by pegging the gauge.

If its stuck on empty, then check the pos & neg wires, disconnect the sender wire, does it do like mentioned above ? If nothing can get it to move, you may have sent 12 volts down the sender wire by accident, which = gauge death.

Ron

 

great info thanks

 

you're welcome.. 6 years later

 

Ditto