fuel gauge

[screamer]

Please help me out with this guy's. My fuel gauge was stuck at 1/4 for a while. Then all of a sudden one day it pegged at full. Now when accelerating it twitches back and forth between 3/4 and 1/4 full, then when I reach cruising speed it pegs back at full. Sometimes it spins around like a possessed clock. Is it a faulty ground?

 

[stockk5]

it sounds like it, check behind it, maybe the connections are going stupid or maybe even at the top of ur tank.

 

[screamer]

"behind it"? Behind the gauge in the dash?

 

[hawkeye649]

Your gauge is grounding out. It's either behind the gauge, somewhere along the frame, or right at the sending unit. Classic chevy :-)

 

[screamer]

How do I fix this? With a new ground?

 

[fireplug]

I have the same problem. I was just checking it out. I have two wires at the sending unit on the top of the tank.

One comes from the front of the vehicle and runs along the frame to the sending unit.

The second seems to be attached to one of the hoses (at the hose clamp) at the sending unit and the other end is loose obviously cut.

Does it sound like it's the second one that needs to be grounded?

 

[dyeager535]

One wire (sometimes pink) is the gauge wire, the other, typically black, is the ground, and is grounded on the frame or frame crossmember. Both should be firmly (soldered or clipped IIRC) attached to the sender. Not by a hose clamp.

 

[screamer]

O.k. Now the gauge sits just below full and does not move at all any more. I grounded the wire leading up front, no change. I re-did the ground on the frame, no change. Can barely get my hand to the sending unit. Are the connections at the sending unit crimped or can I pull them apart? Can't seem to figure this out. It'll be a real pain to drop the tank. The hitch is welded and it wraps around under the tank. So I'll have to cut it up to drop the tank. Could it be the gauge? It does not move anymore when I ground it out.(i.e connect ground to the "pink wire"). So now I'm thinking it could be the gauge.

 

[screamer]

Can anyone help me on this??

 

[ryoken]

you need to check the gauge. the way you do this is to ground the sender wire... since you can't get to the sender on the tank, just cut the sendng wire (butt connect later) somewhere in front of the tank and ground it out on the frame with some visegrip, etc.. this should peg your gauge full with the ignition on... if not your gauge is a problem...

9 outta 10 times tho its either wiring or the sender...

 

[airemdwn]

When my gauge went bad on my 87 pickup, it bounced around a bit and then just stuck at about 1/4 tank. My Voltmeter was also DOA So i was taking the dash apart anyway, besides its easier than dropping a tank.

 

[screamer]

I grounded the sending wire. It actually had a factory rubber connector half way to the front. No change on the gauge so I'll replace the gauge. Thanks a bunch for your help.