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New sending unit and gauge still doesn't work...

k5Thumper

k5Thumper

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Joined
Sep 18, 2009
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Location
Wilmington,DE
Got a stock 88 K5 tbi 350, fuel gauge quit working and I failed inspection for evap leak within the same week. Decided to install new sending unit, went with a Delphi assembly. Installed, thoroughly cleaned ground, ran new vent line to evap (nothing to do with guage) and gauge is still stuck at 1/8 tank after fill up. Any ideas? Anyone had a similar issue? Any input is appreciated
 
Do you mean the black ground from the tank? I ran that to the body, made sure it was clean. The other two wires are purple and gray, which one is gauge wire?
 
Purple should be the one . Your trying to see if the gauge moves if disconnect and no movement it probably not the sending unit
 
Ok. Unplugged the connection and tried it, gauge still frozen at 1/8th tank---what the heck could it be? Bad gauge or wiring? Something as simple as a fuse?
 
bad gauge or wiring, might not be connected. time to trace wire see if broken.
check fuses make sure there all good
 
Jeez. Checked wiring and fuses, all good. bummer. Yer a good dude and a great help Kain. I appreciate it man
 
no worries, might have broken wires behind the dash time to pull the cluster
 
If the wire(s) go into the fuse box on the firewall side,you may want to try jumping across them,sometimes the fuse box innards corrode and let the connection get interrupted...that is a common spot for the alternator's field excitation wire to corrode too,and leads to a no charge condition..
The sending unit to gauge wire on my pickup changes from pink to yellow up near the steering colum--but it had dual tanks factory and the wiring may not be the same as a single tank setup..
 
Well, finally got the fuel gauge figured out......found a rubbed/pinched wire where the harness crosses over the frame under. I figured it'd be something simple. Thanks for the diag assistance!
 
No,it really wasnt!...read post #1--he bought and installed a new sending unit for naught..:doah:...
I hate it when that happens to me!..
I'm not so luck with my pickup--the gas gauge pegs at 3 o'clock no matter how much fuel is in the tank...
I have another known good sending unit and was able to sneak the wires off the tank and plug it into them and ground it--of course the gauge works with that one...:mad:

I put this tank in about 2-3 years ago,and stupidly assumed the sending unit in my old tank (that was never used from day one because it leaked,and I just ran it off the right side tank),was still good,so I swapped into the tank I was installing (my diesel has a water in fuel light and an extra nipple for water draining and I wanted to retain both of those features)
...should have tested it before I bolted the tank back up..:angry1:...
I'm going to wait until this tank leaks before taking it down again..till then I've been writing down the mileage at every fill up..
 
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