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Re: Fuel gauge problem
[Re: RapidRobert]
#1499764
09/12/13 07:58 AM
09/12/13 07:58 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,080
Niles , Ohio
therocks
oh wait.but hey.lets see.oh yeah.
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oh wait.but hey.lets see.oh yeah.
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,080
Niles , Ohio
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Ive never heard of a wet connection.Been doing it for over 40 years.If it has a good connection,ground and good parts no liquid is needed for a fuel gauge to work.Ive probally replaced more than 50 people combined.Did you check the sender wire with a test light to make sure it flashes?If it does and the gauge goes full being grounded you have either a bad connection,ground at sender or bad sender.The sender dosent car if it wet or dry.Just make sure that you arent moving the wiper away from the wiring on the sender when you lift and lower the float.That and if you left the ground hooked up for more than a few seconds to the sender wire you could have fried your gauge.Rocky
Chrysler Firepower
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Re: Fuel gauge problem
[Re: therocks]
#1499765
09/12/13 09:40 AM
09/12/13 09:40 AM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
Challenger 1
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
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Quote:
Ive never heard of a wet connection.Been doing it for over 40 years.If it has a good connection,ground and good parts no liquid is needed for a fuel gauge to work.Ive probally replaced more than 50 people combined.Did you check the sender wire with a test light to make sure it flashes?If it does and the gauge goes full being grounded you have either a bad connection,ground at sender or bad sender.The sender dosent car if it wet or dry.Just make sure that you arent moving the wiper away from the wiring on the sender when you lift and lower the float.That and if you left the ground hooked up for more than a few seconds to the sender wire you could have fried your gauge.Rocky
I agree, it don't need to be wet. I've tested them also many times, just recently also.
Don't ground the stud on the sending unit, it's not made to be grounded, like Rocky said.
Last edited by Challenger 1; 09/12/13 09:41 AM.
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Re: Fuel gauge problem
[Re: Challenger 1]
#1499766
09/12/13 11:42 AM
09/12/13 11:42 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,469
Omaha Ne
TJP
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,469
Omaha Ne
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We have had a few through the shop that would not work when dry, I agree that it shouldn't need to be wet, but again just trying to help the guy by stating what we have experienced. maybe it's the cr-ppy overseas senders dunno. I might suggest using something petroleum based but less prone to blowing up, IE: kerosene, diesel fuel or something similar. to the OP, have you ohmed out the sending unit, itself. IE: one test meter lead to the gauge connector and the other to the sending unit base. Wile watching the meter you should see the resistance change as you move the float up and down. This will verify the rheostat as well as making sure the connector is not shorted to the base See earlier post by CNXT If that checks out the only other reason I can think of is the contact between the rheostat is not able to pass the required current for the circuit to function. Resistance with zero current flowing can be one reading but it's ability to pass enough current for the circuit to function is another. Maybe that's where being wet comes in?? DUNNO 
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Re: Fuel gauge problem
[Re: Challenger 1]
#1499767
09/12/13 11:46 AM
09/12/13 11:46 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,907
Athens, Greece
Pyper70
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,907
Athens, Greece
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I like taking 12ga cable...soldering the ends and then placing one end on the fuel sending unit tube with a hose clamp and hot glue for anti-corrosion purposes. The other end...I drill the subframe and clean up the chassis with a wirewheel, Solder an eyelot terminal on the other end of the cable... drive a screw through the eyelot and hot glue that as well....Thats the best ground you can do short of running an actual ground strap. My tank has been like this for 15 yrs.
Family owned 1969 Charger R/T DualQuad 440/727/GVO/3.55s
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Re: Fuel gauge problem
[Re: RapidRobert]
#1499768
09/12/13 11:47 AM
09/12/13 11:47 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,469
Omaha Ne
TJP
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,469
Omaha Ne
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Quote:
You might submerge it in a large container of water & with some jumper wires run 12V to the input nipple & ground the case & see how it acts submerged. Hold it at the same angle it would be in the tank
\
12v through the sender may fry it. the gauges run on a 5v source that draws very little current through the circuit
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Re: Fuel gauge problem
[Re: RapidRobert]
#1499770
09/12/13 02:20 PM
09/12/13 02:20 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,080
Niles , Ohio
therocks
oh wait.but hey.lets see.oh yeah.
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oh wait.but hey.lets see.oh yeah.
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,080
Niles , Ohio
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I still say retest the gauge.Just enough to make sure it still works.Then reohm the sender which he said he did.Now run a jumper from the sender wire to the side of the car.Now hook up a test light and make sure it pulses.Then run a ground from neg battery to the sender body.Now after the test light flashes on the jumper wire connect it to the sender terminal.It should work.Fairly simple if you follow the instructions.If the gauge works when grounded and the sender has the correct resistance and power to it and ground it should work.Oh just incase make sure the key is on.Ive seen it done when people get frustrated.They forget to turn on the key.Rocky
Chrysler Firepower
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Re: Fuel gauge problem
[Re: smmf]
#1499774
09/16/13 03:46 AM
09/16/13 03:46 AM
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,655
Cut and Shoot, TX
kentj340
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,655
Cut and Shoot, TX
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"You know your gauge, (IP) ground, voltage limiter and wiring (are) all okay because grounding the sending unit wire makes the gauge read full." From Q/A #22 at: http://wwnboa.org/askexpert.htm"...one sure ground to the instrument panel frame, and one good ground to the instrument cluster itself." See Q/A #24. The writer is from Performance Car Graphics, an instrument panel restorer. Back to the first sentence above: when grounding the sending unit wire at the tank end makes the gauge read full, which then means your gauge, IP ground, voltage limiter, and wiring from the tank to the IP are all okay, then that pretty much leaves the sending unit itself as the prime suspect...
If you don't see two dolphins, you need a vacation.
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Re: Fuel gauge problem
[Re: smmf]
#1499776
09/16/13 02:07 PM
09/16/13 02:07 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,469
Omaha Ne
TJP
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,469
Omaha Ne
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Quote:
Ok been messing with it a bit tonight. I narrowed it down to something in the dash. I pulled the cluster out and the gauge works, as soon as I push the cluster back in ( grounding the cluster) it goes to empty.
Not sure why this is happening. Any suggestions?
So are you saying with the cluster removed from the dash but, plugged in, the gauge functions as it should ???
And that when reinstalling the cluster it stops working???
Is that with the cluster loose in the dash or secured???
Please clarify 
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Re: Fuel gauge problem
[Re: TJP]
#1499777
09/16/13 08:52 PM
09/16/13 08:52 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 143
Canada
smmf
OP
member
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OP
member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 143
Canada
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Loose with no grounding to the gauge frame, as soon as I ground the gauge frame it goes to empty
In this fashion the gauge works properly with the sender, untill I ground/ bolt in the gauge cluster
Last edited by smmf; 09/16/13 08:53 PM.
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Re: Fuel gauge problem
[Re: smmf]
#1499778
09/16/13 11:00 PM
09/16/13 11:00 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,469
Omaha Ne
TJP
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,469
Omaha Ne
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Ground issue , SOMEHWERE, It's late and I'm beat. Any chance the grounding of the cluster is shorting the 5V signal to the gauge??? Dunno but sounds like the next step may be to isolate the gauge from the cluster, ??? If it works as it should the issue is in the cluster, IE: PC board or gauge itself. Weird  Wish you were closer
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. You'd run a jumper from the blue sender wire over to the sender nipple