fuel gauge fix, not a Question
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Joined: Jan 2007
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fuel gauge fix, not a Question
Here is what fixed my fuel gauge. The ground was the problem. The tab coming off the tank filler cap was apparently not making great contact. I cleaned it with solvent and a small wire brush. That got it working so I thought I would go one better, so I tinned the terminal and wire with solder/soldering iron(do not use an open flame) and it seems to be working great. It moves when breaking or accelerating and settles at speed. This should be the first thing done. Start with the cheapest remedy and go from there plus use good troubleshooting.
This is my first post and this was done on my 1982 Corvette that I have recently purchased.
This is my first post and this was done on my 1982 Corvette that I have recently purchased.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Columbia Missouri
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Boca Raton Florida
Take a look in there, but I would bet the sender is shot. Its a Nichrome wire wound around an insulator with a metal contact wiper that runs over the wire. The wire wears and the contact wears. There is a pretty cheap fix, get a generic tank sender from JCwhitney and swap the works over to the stock unit. A $20 fix is way better than a $120 replacement
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Take a look in there, but I would bet the sender is shot. Its a Nichrome wire wound around an insulator with a metal contact wiper that runs over the wire. The wire wears and the contact wears. There is a pretty cheap fix, get a generic tank sender from JCwhitney and swap the works over to the stock unit. A $20 fix is way better than a $120 replacement
Don't forget to mention the tank has to come out for that and THAT in itself is a two person pain in the butt. I should know, I did it by myself.
Race Director
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From: Kansas City, MO ...I'd like to go fishing and catch a fishstick. That'd be convenient. - Mitch Hedberg
I didn't have to drop my tank on my '80 to get the sending unit out. I removed the gas door, the rubber boot was already missing,unbolted the sending unit, unhooked it and worked it out the top of the car. Wasn't hard at all.
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more details
Guess I could have added the details. My gauge use to only work between 1/2 and full also. Once in while it would go down below 1/2. Not often. I used a wooden dowel to see if I still had fuel and approx measured it at half so I kinda knew how much fuel was in the tank. I had priced sending units new and used and had heard about ground probelms so I thought I would try that first. I got lucky.
I hadn't thought about the bladder inside the tank. That would be a pain as I don't think they make repro tanks for an 82 and maybe some previous years.
Anyway. Hopefully everybody who is having fuel gauge problems only has to clean and tin the ground as I did, because it sure is nice to have working fuel gauge. Good luck.
I hadn't thought about the bladder inside the tank. That would be a pain as I don't think they make repro tanks for an 82 and maybe some previous years.
Anyway. Hopefully everybody who is having fuel gauge problems only has to clean and tin the ground as I did, because it sure is nice to have working fuel gauge. Good luck.
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Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Columbia Missouri
The gas door in your car is considerably larger than the earlier years, and I know for a fact that the sending unit takout unit on my '77 is almost twice as large as the fuel door opening. Tank must come out. Maybe in '78 they made things easier.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
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From: Montgomery Alabama
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06
Both the '82 and the '73 have fuel gauges that read "Full" I hope they are just ground wire problems.
Thanks for the information. I will give it a check.
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From: Kansas
hmmm
On my 79 the gauge reads past full and never goes down...so i too have to use a dowel. Sucks. (ran outta gas the first night i got her, cuz i didn't know)
got any pics of where this 'tab' is? Im lost on that part.
got any pics of where this 'tab' is? Im lost on that part.
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location of the teminal
The ground terminal is right under the the rubber boot that goes over the filler neck under the gas door. First thing is to check and make sure it is secure and not corroded. It may look like it is in good shape as mine was but go ahead and clean with some alcahol or other solvent and a small wire brush or even a tooth brush and see if that make a difference. If it does work then you can leave it alone or solder it as I did. If it acts up again you know where to start. While I didn't have to you may also trace where that ground wire goes and clean that end also. Good luck.
Pro
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From: wilmington nc
On my 74 the ground wire is under the bottom of the tank, lay on your back and look up you can"t miss it, the tab where the wire hooked up to was broke off, a small alligator clip added to the wire and cliped to the tank did the trick. stopped it from reading full all the time 
