Jimbo 89

My luck wasn't quite as good. My windings were broken. I got a used pod in good shape (did a resistance check), and plan on installing that some day.

mixer

Just did this fix..worked fantastic

VistaVette

Thanks for a great write up. Does anyone know if the trip odo and "range" display is also part of the sending unit? My gauge ('88 cpe) is sporadic and the range and trip often reset themselves or display odd numbers

StuK

Thanks! Did this yesterday. Works like a charm now.

LannyL81

Nope...nothing to do with the fuel sender itself. BCM yes, but that is a totally different animal.

Frizlefrak

Glad to see this is making its rounds and still helping C4 owners have a working fuel gauge.

OldTex

The problem with my sending unit was a poor ground. The spring that connects the ground wire contact with the winding contact was not making good contact. I replaced the spring with a jumper wire and the gauge began working perfectly.

Also, clean the windings with a soft cloth.

dgalarne

you guys are lucky the unit comes out so easily, after my 4th try, no way on this planet the assembly will come out without breaking, some say there is a bladder in the tank pushing on the unit, others say the float is stuck to the top of the tank, some say the float is full of gas and gets stuck on the bottom, I have to put up with no gauge , two mechanics tried but were afraid of breaking it, it comes out 2 inches and gets stuck???? happened all of the sudden, gas gauge defective, no accident, car is mint otherwise....puzzled in Toronto.

ToniH

Maybe this thread of mine will answer your question, I had same problem and maybe yours is similar: click here

boutyme

Does anyone know what size the bolts are that hold the sending unit to the tank, mine were rusted to the tank and all broke off, so i need to replace with stainless.

Cliff Harris

The fuel sender bolts are M6-1.0x18.

boutyme

Thanks

tntwolt

any way to print this out? i know my fuel level is off. when it shows "reserve", i gotta drive like an old fart, any hard turns or aceleration, it dies out

rodj

Will typically happen with less than 1/4 tank ;straight line WOT because you actually have little fuel left and any sudden movement moves fuel away from the pump pickup.
Which is why racers keep over that min amount in the tank @ the track, embarrassing to bog the engine when the light goes green

Cliff Harris

I have only had the fuel starvation symptom once in 26 years with my car. It was on a transition road between two freeways. Pretty sharp cloverleaf (and of course I was going as fast as possible...).

My tank has a small recgtangular plastic "box" in the bottom that surrounds the fuel pickup and float to keep the pickup submerged. It has small holes in it to let the fuel in but keep it from flowing out rapidly. I have heard that it's glued to the bottom of the tank and can break loose.

19774x4

does any one know of a repair kit that replaces the winding, mine rusted and wont work at all thanks

Bandit's C4

Not exactly a kit... but cheaper than alternative.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...-symptoms.html

SunCr

Best Tech Tip there's been. I should fix mine so I don't do stupid things like run out of gas and think it's the fuel pump (which I went ahead and replaced since I'd all ready bought it)! Remember, Range switches to miles since the Reserve Light came on - GM's lawyers were smart enough to know not to give anyone a guess as to how far it can go.

WGlen C4

Thanks, this was a great article. The 2nd day I had my '91 the car just started running crappy. Felt like the million times I ran out of fuel as a kid, you know idle fine but no go.

I stopped @ the non-ethanol station near my house and told them to fill 'er up. She took 19.6 gallons as I was checking for the tank size in the owner's manual. Hummm...20 gallon tank...darn sending unit.

Now it reads full for the first 200 miles then it starts coming down. Been just watching the mileage but I will be doing this fix you described.

Thanks again.

Fast Max

The article is fabulous. The fix has gone well except my sending unit had been gutted. When I opened it there was nothing inside. Since the fuel pump worked fine I bought a new assembly without the pump. The old unit that came out of my 84 looks like the picture. The new unit doesn't have that condenser or capacitor in the hot wire running to the fuel pump. It has three wires coming through the filler plate instead of just two. Obviously the extra wire is the ground wire. My concern is the missing condenser in the hot wire running to the old pump that came off the old assembly. The new unit has a plastic connector where the pump connects. Can I cut the connector off and wire directly to the old pump? I don't want to burn up the pump if that condenser or capacitor did something important. Don't want to blow myself up either!

Fast Max