Pulled from ground will read 8 volts.If you put your meter (on volts) from the tan wire to the sender stud and the tank was empty it would read 8 volts but if the tank was full I'm not sure what the voltage reading would be. Have to try that.

 

Yes

 

I will perform all three tests and get back with results, Hopefully this evening. I am going to junk this multimeter and get a new one today. (It was my Dad's, sentimental justwore out)
Thanks Guys
Appreciate your Help
JR

 

John since you have made so many changes and have added known good grounds the simple 30 second GM test might be in order.

With all items hooked up in the cluster and the cluster grounded good turn your key to on.

Go back to the tank and remove the tan wire from the sender--the fuel needle should go past full to 3 oclock

If the needle did go to 3 oclock then 1/2 the test is done.

Now ground the tan wire (dont put it back on the sender) and watch the needle--if the needle goes to empty your dash unit and tan wire are good.

 

Yeah, that sounds like the thing to do first , start over. I have pulled it apart and put it together a few times since that first test.

JR

 

A lot of good info here, I think i'll try again to fix my fuel guage this weekend...mines been pegged past full since I finished the restoration 2yrs ago; I never removed the guages or had the console apart, just unplugged it from the tank, but I don't know if it even worked before the restoration.

I'll print these pages out and take them with me to the shop for some testing. I've never really used a multimeter much so should be fun. :o

Thanks for all the good info guys!

 

[QUOTE=1ARACE;1570412118]A lot of good info here, I think i'll try again to fix my fuel guage this weekend...mines been pegged past full since I finished the restoration 2yrs ago; I never removed the guages or had the console apart, just unplugged it from the tank,


From what I have learned here it should read full if it's unplugged at the tank

JR

 

OK, fresh start:
12 volts on Pink - check
Ohms on Brown - 76.8
Pink to cluster for ground - check

Bench Test (Post #35)
12 V to bottom (#4)
Ground to Top (#3) gauge goes to 4:00 o'clock huh !

12V to bottom (#4)
Ground to Side (#5) gauge goes to 8:00 o'clock what!

I am 110% sure all the wires are connected correctly... WTH

There is no end to this

 

Am I screwed ?

 

You did the test properly so call Willcox and see if you can ship it to him to confirm your gauge is bad and if so have him ship you a new one. PG.

 

The Test I did pretty much narrows it down to the gauge.
Also when I stared this what seems like forever ago the gauge was pointing straight
down to 6:00 o'clock and I have 1/2 a tank. The test shows a mirror reflection of
empty and full when tested. I wonder if the needle is on upside down.

I don't know if that is feasible

 

Pull the neddle off, rotate it 180* and that might do it. PG.

 

John,

You can ship it down here! I'll be out of town for the next two weeks, but Vic can test it for you in my shop when it arrives.

Dwncchs and I have not left you yet, I've been working on a manual for this gauge and I've sent it to Roger to look it over. I've made a ton of changes in it since Weds. but I think when it's done it will clear up a ton of problems for people. . .

Willcox

 

It's on its' way to Vic.
I don't want to try pulling it apart. It seems like when I try these simple little things they become big complicated things.

Is pulling it apart and flipping the needle easy ?

JR

 

If this is the problem it will not be hard. But I doubt this is the problem.

Also:

For now unless we edit it again, http://willcoxcorvette.com/repairand...lp.php?hID=276

Willcox

 

Pete,

It's not that easy! (I wish it was) You have to pull the needle, then dail up a fixed setting on the tester, apply this setting to the gauge and then place the needle. Once the needle is in place you then test it empty, half and full to verify.

If you move the needle shaft any tiny bit when you pull it off or while trying to place it back the gauge will not read correctly.

Willcox

 

i had same problem, here's what happened, i took cluster out of 80 vette, messed around with it, painted the bezel, changed couple light bulbs etc, put it back in, freaked out when my gas gauge said empty when i knew it was little less than half.

ok, i took it out, played with it, shook it up and down, scratched my head and cursed a good deal while totally freaking out,

put it back together and stuck it in there, still no good,

took it apart, plugged the plug into the back of the unit so it had power but the face was off so i could play with the guage. what the heck, if it was fried, nothing else i can do to it to make it worse..

hooked it up with no face, turned key on, no gas, pushed the needle up towards the middle of gauge, it sank back down to zero ..

what the heck, shoved it back again towards the middle, it laughed at me and sunk back down to zero

what am i going to do pushed it once more towards the middle of gauge, it grabbed and held right where it should. I let out a sigh of relief, but not being sure that it was really ok, i disconnected, put the face and bezel and everything back together and stuck it all back in, turned key on, and the gauge went up to almost half..

ok, final check, go fill the tank, heart beating fast...sweating ... filled tank, turned car on, bingo gas gauge shows full... works better than before...

theres a certain amount of resistance that has to be reached and that must coincide with the amount of gas that is actually in the tank ...well, thats my theory anyway and pushing the needle back up 3 times must have set the resistance right where it was supposed to be.. i guess

anyway, i'm happy, corvette baby is happy, wifey is happy.. all is good, life is grand..

 

WOW! You can't find information that is better than the "Fuel Gauge Diagnostic Help" that you just published.
Thanks Willcox and DWncchs for taking the time and effort to put that together.
Enjoy your vacation! PG.

PS: No one should ever take my advise, half the time I can't remember if I'm 78 or 87, but I do have a drivers license and a white Corvette!

 

Wow, great manual. This will be a great help for lots of people for a long time.
I am going to spend the day carefully retesting and making certain it's not something really simple or stupid before I ship it out.
Thanks to all,
especially Mr Wilcox !

 

Well guys, if you saved this, delete it! A newer edited version (less the typo's) is now up on the site. (11:11 am) June 13th. The same link will work. I think I'm going to make a post on this just to let people know it's out there. It will stay free to the forum members as long as no one. . . As my daughter says. . .Jacks it!

Please. . .Please... Roger put a bunch of time in this too!

Willcox