Gents: The fuel gauge in my '48 Buick hasn't worked since I got the car, and it's high time to do something about it. I thought the sender and/or float was the problem, so I pulled the gas tank a while back, cleaned it out, and put in a new sender and float. Gauge still doesn't work. It reads "E" when the key is switched off, and goes right up to "F" and stays there when the key is switched on. Since we can rule out the sender, any idea if this is a short somewhere or a defective gauge? I do have a NOS replacement gauge, but it's a real bitch to get up behind the dash and replace it, so I'm kind of hoping it's a short along the way. If you had to guess, which is the more likely culprit? Thanks. -RB
You may have the wrong setup along the way. These gauges read... depending on the sender output, the gauges read 0 ohms at full, some gauges read 0 ohms at empty. Usually though 70% of the time a fuel gauge issue is related to a grounding problem somewhere. Run an extra grounding wire to your sender for starters.
Most fuel gauges go to Ground through the Sender. I believe you will find the wire between the Gauge and sender is shorted out to Ground. Disconect the sender wire at the gauge and turn on the Key. If it stays on E there is your problem. Run a new wire. The Wizzard
look for an open wire, if it were shorted the gage would read empty. older GM fuel senders have zero ohms (shorted to ground) at empty, and 30 ohms to ground at full. Make sure the sender is properly grounded, too.
If you have to remove the tank check the sender with it out. Hook up a ground wire and the connection to the gauge from the sender and move the float arm to check reading. I recently ordered a new sender for my car from ISSPRO in Portland, Oregon, it doesn't use a float arm and is not effected by vibration and inaccurate readings like the arm type. The FOGGER
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