So could someone please explain how to hook up the fuel gauge correctly on my 54? I have switched to 12 volt with a new harness, and have a voltage reducer in line. I have tried switching wires on the gauge and I think I have something not connected right. Any ideas, or diagram would be AWESOME!!
Do you have the sending unit grounded good ? The voltage reducer will go on the positive side of the gauge . Have you checked on the back of the gage to see if it's marked Positive + and Negative - ? The instructions that came with the wiring harness should tell you how the gauge gets hooked up . Jim
Well, i have two wires to hook up. one is marked fuel sender, which is hooked to my sending unit, and another wire marked gauge power. the gauge power wire has the voltage reducer connected to it. and the sending unit wire is hooked to the other post on the gauge. the gauge does not specify pos or neg on the back. i had asked a couple weeks ago and heard that the F side of the gauge gets the power wire and the E side gets the other wire. so i hooked it all up that way and no good. so i thought i would swap the wires and still no good. i took out a test light to check some stuff. i dont have power to any of the wires!?!?!?! i think im missing something. i have checked all the fuses to see if any were blown and they are all good.
what kind of voltage reducer are you using? i bought one of those "runtz" reducers and it didnt work so i made my own. also, are you sure your fuel sender works? hook it up to a multimeter and check the ohms. mine did not work. and i had to buy a new one..cost me $40.. if you put 12 volts through the fuel gauge even by accident it's probably shot.
well i know the sender works from hooking up an ohm meter. i am using a runtz reducer. i just looked up the instructions from runtz. i think i have the wires in the wrong spot. the black wire off of the reducer i have going to one of the posts on the gauge. which now i read is a ground. so do i need to run the power wire to the runtz, then run another wire from that to the gauge pos side?? then the sender wire goes to the other terminal?? i hope i didnt blow out my gauge!!!
well, i think i figured it out by searching a little more online. the runtz resistor has a copper tab with a hole in it. that hole gets attatched to the gauge power terminal on the back of the gauge. then the black wire with the prong gets hooked to a ground. so then im ***uming the "sender" wire gets connected to the other post on the gauge. WHEWWW!! i think this should help, i just hope i didnt fry the gauge already by hooking it up incorrectly!?!?!?!
When something doesn't work or works now and then , I always check the ground wires . That is where most problems with electrical systems in cars starts . Bad grounds will get you every time ! Jim
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