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Topic: Gas guage acting up (Read 1160 times) previous topic - next topic

Gas guage acting up

Driving my 87 this am and noticed gas guage at "E", not a huge shock as I have a 17 year old son. Anyway stopped and filled it up and it only took 8 gallons, which makes more sense as I filled it last friday. Now the guage only went to 1/2 when I left the station but after a bit of driving it went anywhere from E to 1/2 to 3/4 and back. In my 65's the level sensor floats fill with fuel over time and give improper readings. Is my level sensor getting ready to check out? or anything else I should check. Also, I put a brand new tank in this car last summer so I know its not the tank. If it is a bad level sensor does anyone know if they are available or repairable? Thanks for any and all suggestions as always.

Gas guage acting up

Reply #1 –
found the problem, the plug has deteriorated.

Gas guage acting up

Reply #2 –
Can you elaborate what was wrong? My gas gauge goes from full to E in 10 gallons, I know its a 21 gallon tank, I would love to fix mine as well.

Gas guage acting up

Reply #3 –
Quote from: jpc647;271749
Can you elaborate what was wrong? My gas gauge goes from full to E in 10 gallons, I know its a 21 gallon tank, I would love to fix mine as well.


yours is most likely the sending unit its self mine has a similar problem goes to full when full but when at a bout a quarter it goes to empty then comes back after a few gallons.

Gas guage acting up

Reply #4 –
In my case the plug for the sending unit turned to mush. I had replaced the tank last year because the original one rusted away around the sending unit lock ring.  My guess at this point is that while the original tank was leaking it splashed fuel onto the plug and caused it to deteriorate. When I dropped the tank tonight there was no plug left, just gooey mush and the 2 connectors which depending on body movement would and wouldnt make contact causing my guage to do what it did.

Gas guage acting up

Reply #5 –
Quote from: jpc647;271749
Can you elaborate what was wrong? My gas gauge goes from full to E in 10 gallons, I know its a 21 gallon tank, I would love to fix mine as well.


send me your sending unit, ill check it , clean the wiper arm and read the resistance against the shop manual at 4 points of arm movement.

you gotta get past this issue, its an old thread that should have been solved by now.

in the meantime, ill dig up your old threads and figure out whats up.  some reason i think you put in a digi dash sender in a non digi dash car,, just going by memory though.

hc83 box70a
gap mills wv 24941

got your pm,, it was just a quote though, now i understand the purpose of the pm.

Gas guage acting up

Reply #6 –
Jcassity,

Sorry about thee blank pm. I think I may have sent that to you by mistake. Sunday I had been cleaning out my inbox because it was getting full and I may have accidently clicked on the submit  button to the "quick reply" part.

Your memory does serve you right, temporarily I did have a digi sender in a non digi car, but that has been swapped back.

I may take you up on your offer, just not at the moment. The car is still my daily driver and I need it lol, even though work is only two days a week at the moment :(. In a couple of weeks the 72 442 should be on the road and I can play with the t-bird.

The only real problem is that it goes from full to empty in about 10 gallons. It must have done it before the motor swap, but being 16 I probably just never noticed it when I first started driving it.

I checked it too at full, empty, and at halfway and the readings seemed accurate.

Its not really really a problem, I mean it works somewhat. I was just kind of hoping dansbird had some unique problem that maybe we haven't thought of.

Gas guage acting up

Reply #7 –
well,, two tiny boys and a fuel sending unit sitting on the garage floor looks to be a pretty fun toy as i step away from the garage to fetch coffee.

when i return, the sender has become the center of attention by them.  Nevermind the hand tools, the air gun,, all the other stuff lying around that could facinate them,,,,,no no,, it had to be the sender.

I bent it back to the best my memory could recall, it never was the same on my white coug.  It drops reeeeeeeeal quick from 1/2 to empty.

its jacked up to say the least.

thats why I asked the DR to post up the actual angle of the bent metal rod,, that way when im back in there one day in can calibrate it back.

I am suggesting that maybe yours is also bent.  just the least bit one way or the other effects the float.

another option would be to take it out, see if there is any buildup on the float that might make it heavier ,,

Gas guage acting up

Reply #8 –
Scott, still got the degrees I sent and posted?

jpc647
It really sounds bent, or for an 18 gallon tank. Or both mabe
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Gas guage acting up

Reply #9 –
There was no buildup, but its possible it is bent. I never really explored that possibility becuase its the same one that was in the car for like ever. Once the 442 is back on the road(just waiting for a speedo cable seal for the tranny) I'll have to drop the tank and check it. In one of my other threads the angles were posted, I'll do some searching.