Fuel Gauge Woes

[87gtVIC]

Let the car sit for a couple days and the gauge reads low, like just above empty.

Make a couple spiritedly left hand turns and the gauge comes back to life and reads properly.

What the hell?

[miamibob]

Sending unit sticking???

[1987cp]

I've seen where you can buy brandy new senders for relatively cheap, only problem is then you have to figure out how to attach them to the pickup tube - and of course, get them in the right position.

[MattsLincoln]

i suggest getting your fuel sender rebuilt here. the guy did my electric one and did a great job.

http://www.tristarrradiator.com/

[86VickyLX]

Give it a few more days, and it will go down to E and stay there. I say it's the float. Either way the sending unit has to come out of the tank.

[1987cp]

That'd be easy to fix if it's just the float.

[87gtVIC]

The sending unit is the one that can come out with the tank in place, correct?

[sly]

yup. and when you do, replace the rubber seal. it's the ~3-inch one... just in case the dealer tries to give you the one for the fuel pump - 5 incher.

[86VickyLX]

Yes, all you gotta do is with a brass punch, hit that lock ring around, on each tab, then once it's free, fish the sending unit out.

[gadget73]

check the connector on the tank itself first. If that gets crusty, it might give whacky readings.

[87gtVIC]

Just to bring things to a close...the connections on the tank were mint. Turned out that the float had sunk. New sending unit cured my woes. I will repair the leaky float and have a nice spare for down the road use.

[86VickyLX]

Just to bring things to a close...the connections on the tank were mint. Turned out that the float had sunk. New sending unit cured my woes. I will repair the leaky float and have a nice spare for down the road use.

I say it's the float.

Glad you got it fixed! Did the lock ring give you any problems?

[87gtVIC]

Check my rr thread for pics of the carnage. Luckily I had a great condition spare lock ring.

[86VickyLX]

No new lockring with new sender?

[87gtVIC]

No. Unless it was lost over the decades???? It did at least have the seal.