How to fix your fuel level sender cheap
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 77
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From: North Miami Beach FL
How to fix your fuel level sender cheap
-This is something i'd like to share with the people at the Forum,i bet it'll save you guys a lot of money.
If your fuel gauge indicates full all the time independently of how much fuel you got in the tank there's a great chance that your sender unit is history.
Buying a new one is an option,the only problem is that they're running around $150+
-It is also a bad idea to buy a used unit in the hopes that it is good,those things are close to 30 years old and even if they are still working they probably won't for very long.
Here's the solution:
-The portion of the unit that goes bad is the sensor,the section that holds the stem and the float.
-The solution is to transplant the sensor,stem and float from a 1968-74
unit to the C4 unit.
-Don't waste your time trying to fix or weld the tiny wires inside the sensor,it's not worth it,the 68-74 unit is being sold online for $30.(stainless steel units) and the stem and float are almost the same size.
So here's step by step what to do:
1-Disconnect battery + cable
2-Remove the fuel door
3-Remove the gas cap and the botton rubber liner
4-Disconnect the hoses
5-Remove the bolts attaching the unit to the tank
6-Disconnect the electrical plug from the unit
7-Carefully remove the unit from the tank
8-Once out let it dry for 5 minutes and then carefully bend the 3 tabs that hold the sensor to the frame,trying not to break it
9-Cut the wire attaching the sensor to the top
10-Do the same thing to the 68-74 unit
11-In the C4 frame clean the botton of the base of the old sensor in the frame with a small steel brush until it gets clean and shiny
12-Apply and install the new sensor,stem and float to the base of the sensor of the C4 unit
13-Connect the wire,the new portion to the old
14-Use PVC tie wraps to put the connected wire out of the way
15-It may be nescessary to bend the float stem just a smidge to run free.
16-Just reassemble everything the way it was before,hoses and plug,using a new gasket if necessary.
17-Reconnect battery cable.
18-Start the car.
19-Check the gauge.
20-Drive around the block just to make sure everything is OK.
Congratulations,you just saved $120+ Dollars...
Figure one shows the C4 assembly and sensor.
Figure two shows the sensor and stem up close
Figure three shows the disassembled sensor
Figure four shows the C3 unit
If your fuel gauge indicates full all the time independently of how much fuel you got in the tank there's a great chance that your sender unit is history.
Buying a new one is an option,the only problem is that they're running around $150+
-It is also a bad idea to buy a used unit in the hopes that it is good,those things are close to 30 years old and even if they are still working they probably won't for very long.
Here's the solution:
-The portion of the unit that goes bad is the sensor,the section that holds the stem and the float.
-The solution is to transplant the sensor,stem and float from a 1968-74
unit to the C4 unit.
-Don't waste your time trying to fix or weld the tiny wires inside the sensor,it's not worth it,the 68-74 unit is being sold online for $30.(stainless steel units) and the stem and float are almost the same size.
So here's step by step what to do:
1-Disconnect battery + cable
2-Remove the fuel door
3-Remove the gas cap and the botton rubber liner
4-Disconnect the hoses
5-Remove the bolts attaching the unit to the tank
6-Disconnect the electrical plug from the unit
7-Carefully remove the unit from the tank
8-Once out let it dry for 5 minutes and then carefully bend the 3 tabs that hold the sensor to the frame,trying not to break it
9-Cut the wire attaching the sensor to the top
10-Do the same thing to the 68-74 unit
11-In the C4 frame clean the botton of the base of the old sensor in the frame with a small steel brush until it gets clean and shiny
12-Apply and install the new sensor,stem and float to the base of the sensor of the C4 unit
13-Connect the wire,the new portion to the old
14-Use PVC tie wraps to put the connected wire out of the way
15-It may be nescessary to bend the float stem just a smidge to run free.
16-Just reassemble everything the way it was before,hoses and plug,using a new gasket if necessary.
17-Reconnect battery cable.
18-Start the car.
19-Check the gauge.
20-Drive around the block just to make sure everything is OK.
Congratulations,you just saved $120+ Dollars...
Figure one shows the C4 assembly and sensor.
Figure two shows the sensor and stem up close
Figure three shows the disassembled sensor
Figure four shows the C3 unit
Last edited by Peter421sd; Mar 4, 2014 at 07:58 PM.
