Gas gauge stuck on half tank.

Status
Not open for further replies.

druggles85

Pendejo
Oct 25, 2009
282
468
63
Exeter, NH
gauge was showing half a tank. It made sense at the time because it actually had about half a tank...

Now I have a new tank and it's empty and the gauge is still showing half a tank.

I unplugged the pink wire and grounded it to the frame. That didn't change anything.

What would be my next step? Poke the needle with my finger and swear at it? I'm assuming if the circuit was open somewhere it should swing up to around a tank and a half.
 

pontiacgp

blank
Mar 31, 2006
29,270
20,391
113
Kitchener, Ontario
if you unplugged the pink and nothing changed I would check the ground. I hope you put the ground wire on the tank before you installed it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

druggles85

Pendejo
Oct 25, 2009
282
468
63
Exeter, NH
if you unplugged the pink and nothing changed I would check the ground. I hope you put the ground wire on the tank before you installed it.


But shouldn't grounding the pink wire to the frame make the gauge swing to empty? I keep wondering if it just corroded from sitting 20 years and is stuck lol.
 

melloelky

Comic Book Super Hero
Oct 22, 2017
4,135
9,484
113
mass
if the sender's out,it's easy to bench test it with a multimeter.
 
  • Agree
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users

druggles85

Pendejo
Oct 25, 2009
282
468
63
Exeter, NH
if the sender's out,it's easy to bench test it with a multimeter.

And I knew that. And I have a few multimeters. But for whatever stupid reason I just slammed it together after work one day without testing anything. WTF me.

So that may or may not work. But that's a future problem. The gauge position should change open circuit vs grounded, I don't feel like half a tank is ever a point where it should fail.

Actually where do the gauges rest when the ignition is off? Maybe something's not getting power from the ignition. I didn't notice any chewed wires when the dash was out but this car had a pretty serious mouse problem.
 

melloelky

Comic Book Super Hero
Oct 22, 2017
4,135
9,484
113
mass
it should rest on E when you shut it off.
did you pull the sender ground off and see if the gauge pegs past full?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

druggles85

Pendejo
Oct 25, 2009
282
468
63
Exeter, NH
it should rest on E when you shut it off.
did you pull the sender ground off and see if the gauge pegs past full?

Yeah no movement at all. I really want to yank the bezel and just push the needle back and forth with my finger. You should have seen all the mouse piss rust on some of the stuff in this car. LOL
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

melloelky

Comic Book Super Hero
Oct 22, 2017
4,135
9,484
113
mass
i had a similar problem this summer and it was the gauge.it did what it wanted.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users

druggles85

Pendejo
Oct 25, 2009
282
468
63
Exeter, NH
My Chevette used to do the tank and a half thing all the time. Did it so much I actually cleaned up and moved the ground... I plan on driving this car more and would prefer to not keep track of milage... Especially since the trip odometer won't reset.
 

druggles85

Pendejo
Oct 25, 2009
282
468
63
Exeter, NH
I have a quarter tank of gas!!!

I bought a gauge cluster on eBay and robbed the gas gauge out of it. Plugged it in and it went to a tank and a half. Grounded it out and I went to empty, plugged in the sender and it pointed to a quarter tank. I'm assuming that's pretty close to right.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Status
Not open for further replies.

GBodyForum is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon, the Amazon logo, AmazonSupply, and the AmazonSupply logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Please support GBodyForum Sponsors

Classic Truck Consoles Dixie Restoration Depot UMI Performance

Contact [email protected] for info on becoming a sponsor