Gas Gauge Not Working

[mjones1700]

Okay, I trouble-shot and fixed my fuel gauge, but the fix was the strangest thing and I will describe.

So, I took out the sending unit and wired it directly to the gauge. As I played around with it, I noticed an odd thing . . . it was working in reverse. When the float was in the full position, the gauge read E and vice versa. Could they have sent me a positive ground (it is a brand new sending unit)? That didn't make sense plus I did reverse the polarity on the gauge and it still ran in reverse.

So I opened the metal box on the sending unit. I studied the mechanical and electrical components. Yes, as someone said, they are fragile. But then I noticed one glaring problem. From the factory the (what I would call the rheostat) was hooked up in reverse. When the float was in the full position, the lead would slide down to the most distant end of the rheostat and when the float was in the empty position, the lead was at the hottest end, next to the ground wire.

So, I did some micro surgery and reversed the rheostat. It was very difficult as the wires on it are apparently steel and as fine as a Hare's hair, and because they are steel, I couldn't solder them. But I cut one end and then created a connection from the opposite end to the ground. I put it back together. Guess what. It works perfectly now.

So what's up with that?

[Partsman]

When I got mine, it was doing this too, I took a mildly easier route to fix it, I painted the gauge so it read right:

[mjones1700]

When I got mine, it was doing this too, I took a mildly easier route to fix it, I painted the gauge so it read right:

Are your serious. LOL. That approach never crossed my mind . . . but would work.

[Partsman]

Are your serious. LOL. That approach never crossed my mind . . . but would work.

It does quite well, but the approach you took, I have to give you props for, it never even crossed my mind to try and rewire the guts of the gauge, I didn't know it could be done that way.

[sleam]

that's hilarious! I'd get stuck all the time though. It's bad enough remembering to look at the thing, not that it works right now. I'm going to check the ground wire first. And then reread this forum!

[emmotto]

my gauge read always full and checking the ground didn't help - turned out to be bad voltage stabilizer - it would cycle continuously from 10v to 13v - about once a second. I bought a replacement solid state stabilizer and that solved the problem.

Mike

[sleam]

thanks, I'l look into that too.

[rickv100]

I have the same issue on the my S3 109. Issue is with the fuse block, for some reason the fuse clamps are not working correctly. If I turn the fuse in the holder it works. I have tried swapping around fuses and taking fine sandpaper to the fuse jaws and it is still acting up.

Now I just live with it.

Rick

[sleam]

Thanks, I just checked the fuse box, cleaned it all up, made sure everything was tight, then did the same to the connection at the sender under my drivers seat (RHD). It works now!